A Committee of the Bundestag to clarify whether the Ministry of defence, consultant contracts amounting to millions of illegal were awarded. For Minister Ursula von der Leyen, it is becoming increasingly uncomfortable.
It could have been Ursula von der Leyen actually a really good week In Brussels the high-level Nato on Thursday, Secretary of defense-Meeting to end, and on Friday they will open the world-renowned Munich security conference. More Prestige. However, in your appointment calendar is another for you more explosive date yet: On the Thursday afternoon of the investigation Committee to the consultant affair in the Ministry of defence has begun its work.
The Committee, the sharpest weapon of the Parliament, to clarify the extent to which it has under the Leyens Aegis of irregularities in the procurement of external consultants. It’s not a cardboard game, but a three-digit million amount. The agreements are intended to possibly be been illegally awarded. The cloned anyway for the financial management of the ministries competent Federal court of auditors. An accusation of the former bearer of hope in the Merkel government is under considerable pressure.
From a political star to the problem case
Once the CDU politician was the Star in the Union-Minister squad. The alerte woman from a family of politicians, was in 2005, Minister for family Affairs. It is the management of the Ministry of labour and social Affairs followed. Since 2013, the defence of the Leyen, Minister. She was the first woman to ever lead the troop. Von der Leyen has long been regarded as a “General purpose gun”; as a close Confidante of German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Once great hopes of the Chancellor: Ursula von der Leyen
Many dared her to succeed Merkel as Chancellor, or to be a minimum Federal President. But the commonly referred to as a difficult to control of applicable Department of defense has ruined your good reputation. You, yourself, was, however, not innocent.
They had weathered accusations of plagiarism against your thesis. Even the criticism about the own troops accused of disrespectfully an “attitude problem” and “weakness”, could you let to drip off. Also, tanks, submarines, helicopters and other military device only limited to not at all be used, she has not really compromised in their authority. However, the investigation Committee could be in for threat.
Million contracts for the Council from the “outside”
The magazine “der Spiegel” had reveal the affair last summer. It is a matter of violations of the so-called public procurement law. The Federal court of auditors had uncovered as a control instance that the Ministry had engaged not only his own advisors with tag and new acquisitions, but for millions of amounts of external Council had purchased. In the room the allegations of waste of taxpayers ‘ money and nepotism.
Particularly piquant is that some consultant contracts in tenders over to be forgiven. For example, the global consulting firm McKinsey. At this company, the former defense state Secretary Katrin had worked Suder previously, which has left the office already. Suder did not want to appear personally before the Committee, but may be forced to do so.
Ministry of defence under fire
A few days before the establishment of the investigation Committee, the “Bild am Sonntag” reported on new allegations. According to the newspaper, a Manager in 2017, for a IT should be billed to project to the Ministry of defence twice, what was not at first noticed. The company Accenture has settled, therefore, may be at least 25,000 euros too much.
Opposition outraged over von der Leyen
The Opposition is outraged, and now want to quick enlightenment. “Mrs von der Leyen has lost the control over your house,” says the defense expert of the Green, Tobias Lindner. Defense politician of the right-wing populist AfD, Rüdiger Lucassen, speaks of a “failed development” in the defense Department. You should be able to, “with its own Expertise, the appropriate advice”.
And also, the FDP calls for exactly illuminate why the turned it of the Leyen-Ministry “in a Juggernaut”; with more and more sub-advisers. Further, the FDP defense expert Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann adds: “At the end of well heads could roll,” she says to the daily mirror.
The reputation is battered
Whether Strack-Zimmermann, referring to the defense Minister, remains open. But this much is clear: Ursula von der Leyen is under considerable pressure, must fear for their reputation and maybe even your office. Comforting for the top politician after all, you arms from Friday on the big stage with the most important Security and heads of state can conference to exchange on global defense issues, at the Munich security. Since the lowlands of a Committee of inquiry in Berlin are initially very far.