Defence Minister Von der Leyen apologises for criticizing the German army
By
Ulrich Rippert
8 May 2017
On Thursday, German Defence Minister Ursula Von der Leyen apologized to army generals after having mildly criticised top officials for turning a blind eye to the operation of right-wing extremists in its ranks. The incident demonstrates the growing power of the country’s general staff amid the resurgence of German militarism.
More information has come to light in recent days about the arrested right-wing extremist Lieutenant Franco A., who, enjoying the protection of sections of the German military command, planned attacks on government representatives, left-wing activists, and Jewish and Muslim organisations.
Last weekend, Von der Leyen attempted to downplay the affair while mildly criticising the actions of the Bundeswehr (German army). She spoke of the army leadership having an “attitude problem.” Among the troops there was a “wrongly understood esprit de corps,” which among other things resulted in mistakes not being pursued correctly. “They look the other way. This is how it goes until an incident occurs. And that isn’t acceptable,” she told the ZDF programme “Berlin Direkt.”
These remarks unleashed a wave of protest from the military. The chairman of the German Army Association (DBWV), Lieutenant André Wüstner, said the minister’s behaviour was “unbelievable.” Nobody in the army could “verify” her assertions and branding of the army’s senior leadership personnel. It was unacceptable “how a minister is now, so to say, leaving the tribune and making judgements about the force.”
Retired Sergeant Major Gerhard Stärk, also a leading member of the DBWV, denounced Von der Leyen for sending “precisely the wrong signal by…