BERLIN — Ursula von der Leyen is planning a career that is new European Commission chief in Brussels, however the German protection minister nevertheless has concerns to resolve back.
An investigative committee for the German parliament — the most challenging tool that lawmakers may use to probe federal federal government misdeeds — is searching into just exactly just how profitable agreements from her ministry had been granted to outside specialists without the right oversight, and whether a community of casual individual connections facilitated those discounts.
While the lawmakers considering the truth state von der Leyen will nevertheless need to face their concerns even when this woman is verified as Commission president in a vote into the European Parliament on Tuesday.
“Whatever job Ms. von der Leyen has within the won’t that is future by any means the fact the committee will subpoena and concern her,” said Tobias Lindner, a part of parliament while the safety policy spokesperson for the Greens opposition celebration.
“What took place in past times into the protection ministry under her leadership happened — and we will arrive at the base of that.”
The auditors’ main critique wasn’t that the ministry taken care of outside expertise. Instead, it absolutely was concerning the means agreements had been granted.
Von der Leyen and her ministry declined needs for interviews because of this tale. Final November, she told the German parliament there have been “mistakes” in just exactly how external professionals had been employed and said “this never ever need to have happened.” But she defended making use of such experts, saying that they had been necessary to undertake a large overhaul regarding the ministry.
Von der Leyen blamed the dilemmas on a combination of negligence, corner-cutting and errors by individuals overrun by their work. But other people have actually submit a less innocent description — that some experts had privileged usage of ministry officials that assisted them circumvent rules and win contracts well worth scores of euros.
That von der Leyen herself was part of this network, the increased use of external consultants has been a hallmark of her tenure as defense minister although there is no suggestion.
Interviews with people in the investigative committee, witness testimony and papers acquired by POLITICO all recommend outside specialists have already been able to gain growing impact regarding the internal workings associated with 
protection ministry through the five . 5 years that von der Leyen has been around cost.
Whenever von der Leyen faces the committee, she will probably additionally face questions regarding an inside inquiry by her ministry in to the event | Odd Andersen/AFP via Getty Images
“right from the start it had been Ms. von der Leyen’s desire and governmental intention that outside experts would gain impact,” said Matthias Höhn, a member of parliament while the representative on safety policy for the left-wing Die Linke party.
Whenever von der Leyen faces the committee, she will probably additionally face questions regarding an inquiry that is internal her ministry to the event. A member of parliament for the center-left Social Democrats (SPD) in that investigation, “central questions weren’t asked, suspicions weren’t followed up,” said Dennis Rohde.
“All with this, me, was a crude attempt to distract from misconduct and cover up for people among the leadership,” Rohde added if you ask.
Critique of this ministry within the scandal has arrived from numerous opposition events as well as the SPD, the junior partner in Germany’s coalition government. People of von der Leyen’s conservative camp have actually supported her plus the ministry but also a few of them have now been not as much as full-throated within their protection.
Here’s the lowdown on what’s become referred to as Berateraffäre (consultant scandal):