Two nights ago, the profoundly bizarre German Minister of Defence Christina Lambrecht – until now best known for using military helicopters to fly her family around and for a botched and widely lampooned aid shipment of 5,000 helmets to the Ukraine – delivered probably the strangest New Years statement of any politician anywhere on Earth.

Her message came via a poorly lit video, with horrendous audio marred by fireworks, apparently recorded by mobile phone on a random street in Berlin and uploaded to her verified Instagram account.

Her words, as nearly as I can decipher them:

2022 is drawing to a close and Berlin is preparing for the new year. What kind of year was it, 2022? It has presented us with incredible challenges. A war is raging in the middle of Europe. In this connection, I had many special experiences. Many, many encounters with interesting and great people. For this I say a heartfelt thank you.

I will now celebrate New Years with family and friends. And to all those who cannot do so because they working on our behalf, as a soldier or a policewoman, in hospital or in other fields, I say a heartfelt thank you.

And now I wish us all a happy New Year 2023, which I hope will be healthy, happy and hopefully peaceful.

The Scholz government, by far the worst in the history of the Bundesrepublik, have refused to comment, while the opposiition have called attention, once again, to the fact that Lambrecht is an unbelievable embarrassment, which of course means she’ll continue in office probably for years.

This has been your brief, periodic reminder that Germany is governed by truly sad and deficient crazy people.