The person succeeding Strack-Zimmermann on the committee has been decided.
As the leader of the Defense Committee, Strack-Zimmermann earned a reputation and upset the Chancellor. Now, her replacement has been chosen, who also possesses a distinct stance. "It's crucial to establish a sense of defense preparedness among the population," asserts FDP politician Faber.
40-year-old FDP politician Marcus Faber has been announced as the new chief of the Bundestag's Defense Committee. In a gathering in Berlin, the committee's members selected him for the position. "The #DefenseCommittee has just appointed me as chair. I am truly appreciative of that," reported Faber on Twitter. "Serving as the first chair since the war carries an exceptional duty for our security."
Faber is following in the footsteps of his predecessor, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, who is moving on to the European Parliament in Strasbourg after the European election on Sunday, which necessitates her departure from the Bundestag. Faber hails from Saxony-Anhalt and has been a member of the German Bundestag since 2017. He has been a regular participant in the Defense Committee since 2018. Faber is a staunch proponent of providing strong assistance to Ukraine as it defends itself against Russian aggression.
"My main mission is to clarify the value of Ukrainian aid," stated Faber. "This is particularly vital in eastern Germany, and as an eastern German, I might be able to convey that more convincingly than others." Supporting Ukraine would benefit Germany, according to Faber. "If Russia wins the conflict, the expenses for Germany would be significantly higher, solely due to the millions of refugees who would flee Ukraine."
Faber also advocated for Germany to become more proactive in its defense efforts. "We must create a sense of defense preparedness among the people," he stressed. "The question should be: 'What is my role in the event of defense?'"
Faber has often voiced his support for providing Ukrainian troops with German Taurus missiles - a proposal Chancellor Olaf Scholz has outright declined. Since the start of the war in February 2022, Faber has visited Ukraine on several occasions and has also seen the troops near the front line. The heads of parliamentary committees organize the meetings, lead them, and can also call for special meetings.
His predecessor Strack-Zimmermann is a prominent advocate for substantial aid to Ukraine in the war against Russia. Her criticisms of Scholz's Ukraine policy did not stop there. "You cannot reach him since he's essentially an authoritarian when it comes to social contacts in politics, as well as his inability to convey his actions to the people," she concluded in an interview with the "Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung" at the end of May. "After three years, I conclude that he has almost autistic tendencies."
