Following the departure of the harshly criticised Christine Lambrecht, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced on Tuesday that he will name a regional official as the new defence minister.
Boris Pistorius, Scholz's Social Democratic Party member and the state of Lower Saxony's interior minister since 2013, is the party's nominee for defence minister.
“I am very pleased to have won Boris Pistorius, an outstanding politician from our country, for the post of defense minister," Scholz said in a written statement.
"Pistorius is an extremely experienced politician who has administrative experience, has been involved in security policy for years and, with his competence, assertiveness and big heart, is exactly the right person to lead the Bundeswehr through this change of era,” the chancellor added.
According to government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit, Pistorius, 62, will take his oath of office in parliament on Thursday after receiving his certificate of appointment from German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
Hebestreit stated in a written statement that following Lambrecht's departure, the chancellor closely spoke with party members and parliamentary group leaders before selecting Pistorius as the next defence minister.
“I’m convinced this is someone who will get along with the troops and whom the servicemen and women will like very much,” Scholz told reporters later on Tuesday.
The designated defense minister thanked the chancellor for his nomination and said it is “truly an extraordinary honor for me to take on this office.”
“I know the importance of the task in these times,” Pistorius told reporters. “The tasks that lie ahead of the troops are enormous ... I want to make the Bundeswehr strong for the times that lie ahead.”
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