Pistorius can restore confidence in the Bundeswehr

It is no wonder that the Germans have little confidence in the effectiveness of their Bundeswehr. The news of the past few days, weeks, months, years has been teeming with bad news about the state of this army - from defective rifles to dilapidated underpants to armored personnel carriers that collectively refuse to be used.

In addition, there was a leadership that rarely gave reason for good hope. Seen in this way, the 35 percent of citizens who, according to the Deutschlandtrend, stated that they currently have great or very great trust in the Bundeswehr is almost a positive surprise. And maybe there are reasons for even more optimism.

One of them could be the new Secretary of Defense. Boris Pistorius - who had to wait a long time for a call to Berlin - has made a good start. Apparently, not only the troops have the feeling that there is finally someone in the saddle who is interested in this management task. Who didn't become Secretary of Defense for reasons of parity or because nothing else was free.

But that there is someone who entered the Bendlerblock with passion, experience and the will to succeed. If Pistorius lives up to the expectations he aroused during the first few days in office, that would be an important first step towards more trust in the Bundeswehr.

We have to provide a second reason for optimism, the civilians who are only just learning again that a country, their country, needs an army and not a juice shop. Comrade Putin, whom too many have trusted for too long, teaches us that even a society that has wanted nothing but peace for decades must remain ready to defend itself.

This late realization - the condition is for a higher, also financial commitment for the army - must first be consolidated and prove to be permanent. If she does, the chances are not bad that the trust in the Bundeswehr will grow with the appreciation.