Germany's embattled defence minister Christine Lambrecht resigned on Monday, following months of growing criticism over her competency for the post and public statements.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he already had a "clear idea" of how to replace Lambrecht as defence minister. Scholz, speaking during a visit to an armaments plant in southern Germany, said he would make a public announcement "very soon."
Lambrecht faced criticism over the pace of a huge reinvestment plan for the armed forces, the sensitive issue of German arms deliveries to Ukraine, as well as questions over her messaging in public.
Among her missteps was a New Year's Eve post to Instagram in which she discussed Russia's invasion of Ukraine as celebratory fireworks exploded in the background. A photo of her son travelling aboard a military helicopter also made negative headlines.
In her letter of resignation, Lambrecht made no apologies but instead blamed the media for her decision to step down.
The "months-long media focus on me personally," Lambrecht wrote, left little room for a vital public debate and reporting on the role of the armed forces and German security policy.
"The valuable work of the soldiers and of the many motivated individuals in this line of work must be in the foreground. I have therefore decided to vacate my position," she wrote.
Scholz on Monday thanked Lambrecht for her service and said he had great respect for her after many years of working together. Both Scholz and Lambrecht are members of the Social Democratic Party (SPD).
Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck, of the Green Party, told dpa that Lambrecht's decision to step down "was certainly not an easy one" and was an indication of "how seriously she takes the job."
Leaders of the centre-right opposition CDU/CSU, which for months has called for Lambrecht to be fired, criticized Scholz again on Monday for not moving quicker to dismiss her and called for her to be swiftly replaced.
"We now need clarity and competence quickly for the Bundeswehr" as Germany's soldiers need to know who is leading them, the Christian Democrats' (CDU) General Secretary Mario Czaja told the Welt television channel.
A quick successor was needed to handle upcoming armaments projects and looming decisions about tank deliveries to Ukraine, he argued.
The Defence Ministry has proven a key post in Scholz's coalition government as it responds to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and tries to implement a €100 billion ($108 billion) effort to modernize and update the country's military.
The defence policy spokesman for the conservative faction, Florian Hahn, named SDP lawmaker Eva Högl as a suitable potential successor.
The head of the Free Democrats, Bijan Djir-Sarai, also called on Scholz to quickly replace Lambrecht because of the ongoing war in Ukraine. Djir-Sarai said expertise and competency are the most important qualifications for any successor.
SPD leader Lars Klingbeil told dpa that Lambrecht had lead the Defence Ministry in difficult times and credited her with launching a number of initiatives that directly improved conditions for German soldiers.
Lambrecht, 57, took over the Ministry of Defence when the current coalition government took power at the end of 2021. She had previously been justice minister in the last cabinet of former Chancellor Angela Merkel, and had briefly led the Ministry for Family Affairs.
