Since taking up the post when Mr. Scholz’s government entered office last year, Ms. Lambrecht had been dogged by criticism. She had no previous experience of the military and opposition leaders accused her of lacking interest in heading the Defense Ministry. According to Germany’s best-selling daily, Bild, Ms. Lambrecht had been unable to name the different ranks of the German military in an interview with the paper.

Ms. Lambrecht began facing public scorn at the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. As Germany debated sending weapons to Kyiv in the early days of the invasion, Ms. Lambrecht trumpeted a delivery of 5,000 helmets. She was the face of the government’s repeated foot-dragging over sending weapons, though it is likely she was carrying out a policy largely driven by the chancellery.

Criticism ramped up last summer when it emerged that Ms. Lambrecht had used a government helicopter to take her son on a family vacation.

More recently, opposition parties in Germany have argued Ms. Lambrecht is responsible for the slow rollout of a 100 billion euro ($108 billion) defense fund, part of a plan by the government to significantly bolster its military in response to the war in Ukraine. Germany’s limited stores of basic ammunition mean it has stocks for only hours or days of combat.

[It’s interesting to see accountability for public-service incompetence. Meanwhile in the US, Alejandro Mayorkas, Pete Buttigieg, and Xavier Becerra remain firmly in their offices. — Ed]