StSin Möller on the appointment of Pistorius as Defence Minister

Mrs Siemtje Möller has been Member of the German Bundestag for the constituency of Friesland - Wilhelmshaven - Wittmund and since 8 December 2021 Parliamentary State Secretary in theFederal Ministry of Defence.

On 17 January 2023, she issued the following statement on the appointment of Boris Pistorius as Federal Minister of Defence:

"With Boris Pistorius, the Federal Chancellor is appointing an experienced, popular and assertive new Minister of Defence. The experience he brings with him from his time as Mayor of Osnabrück and Lower Saxony's Minister of the Interior make him an excellent choice. I have known Boris Pistorius for many years and hold him in high regard, which is another reason why I am very much looking forward to working with him in the future," said Möller. "As a long-standing and highly respected Minister of the Interior in Lower Saxony, he is exactly the right man for the mammoth project of modernising the Bundeswehr. I am convinced that our new minister will quickly familiarise himself with the current issues and tackle them."

Möller continued: "The realisation of the turnaround requires an effort by society as a whole. I would like to thank Christine Lambrecht for her great commitment to politics and society and wish her all the best for the future."

With regard to her constituency, Möller is convinced that Pistorius will also focus on the locations in the north-west. "As Minister of the Interior, Boris Pistorius has already visited the region several times and, among other things, got to know the capabilities of our troops on site in 2019 as part of the NITEX (Niedersächsische Terrorismusabwehr Exercise), in which emergency forces from various police departments, the SEK, the navy, the port authority and the German Maritime Search and Rescue Association practised together," Möller emphasised. "As the largest Bundeswehr base, the entire region naturally plays an important role in all strategic and operational considerations. I will continue to support the soldiers who serve in our region in the future so that they are well equipped, continue to receive excellent training and return from their missions healthy in body and soul."