The new German defense minister Karl Theodor zu Guttenberg is famous for being a charismatic politician who knows how to attract the attention of people. He is a conservative politician from Bavaria who made his point earlier this year, when he criticised the subventions for the automobile company Opel, a subcompany of General Motors.

Right from the beginning, zu Guttenberg made clear that he stands for political directness and does not hesitate to speak his mind. Therefore, people were not wondering when he described the ongoings and involvements of German soldiers in a different way than his predecessor: he spoke of warlike events in Afghanistan. (more…)