It took Boris Pistorius a month to become the most popular politician in the polls. The defense minister, nominated by Olaf Scholz to replace Christine Lambrecht, has been well received. The last equally popular minister in this office was Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg. He suspended conscription, downsized the Bundeswehr and wanted to save billions in the defense budget. Boris Pistorius is pretty much the opposite. No sooner was he appointed than he announced that an extra 100 billion euros would not be enough for the Bundeswehr. The fact that you can become a crowd favorite these days says a lot about the mood in the country.

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