The way I got it VdL is the militarist and the one pushing for more money and the one who wanted to fullfil the 2% demanded by NATO and Trump. There have been talks that one day she may follow Stoltenberg at NATO and many would have seen her there rather than Commision Precident of the EU. She is comes over to many as an adamant atlanticist and seems to have a great dislike for Putin and Russia. I am curious how this will work out between Bruxelles and Russia - some people seem to forget that despite everything Russia is the biggest european country.

I don't know about much resistance against her within the department of Defense - according to what I read she seemed have had quite a tight grip and is able to push through what she really wants.

And about McKinsey what it looks like it is not a million but millions accumulated over the years, which is now being investigated. There is also squandering of money under her rule with the renovation of the Gorch Fock which should have cost 9 millions and courentlly is at 135 million and counting, just as an other example. And these complains are not just about the current department but also about the two before them.

I hope that you might be right, that the perception of her - mine and others is not all there is, and that maybe in her new position she can show the rest of what she has to offer. If her speech indicates what she really wants, she might be tough enough to push it through - but I just can not yet get ride of my bad feeling about her and unfortunately to often I found that my feeling was right. However for the sake of the EU and Europe I would really love to be wrong and experience that she is way more competent than she was given credit for.