Scharping: One headline too many

Scharping has been accused of misusing military jets to further his love life

BERLIN, Germany -- Rudolf Scharping proved consistent in grabbing headlines during his time as Germany's defence minister -- usually for the wrong reasons.

The 54-year-old became better known among the German public for details of his love life rather than his defence policies.

His ability to attract negative media coverage proved a continuing embarrassment for Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, who faces an uphill battle to get re-elected on September 22. His Social Democrats trail the conservative opposition by up to five percentage points in opinion polls.

With Scharping regarded as a scandal-prone liability, Schroeder sacked him on Thursday. (Full story)

MORE STORIES • Schroeder sacks defence minister

Press reports alleged the minister had received about $72,000 in payments from a public relations firm.

The Bild daily newspaper said he got the money from PR adviser Moritz Hunzinger for his future memoirs and for speeches at events sponsored by the public relations agency.

German ministers are barred from accepting money from private companies while in office.

Scharping said the payments were for deals concluded before he became a minister in 1998 and insisted he properly reported them to tax authorities. But the damage was done.

And with Scharping attracting headlines such as Bild's "Accounts Affair: Schroeder Angry with Scharping (Again)", the chancellor could no longer risk keeping him on his team.

'Randi Rudi's love flights'

CNN Berlin bureau chief Stephanie Halasz said: "Some speculate this latest Scharping mini-scandal may have been sparked by some within the ruling SPD itself, in order to heighten chances to win September's election by ridding the party of perceived weak links.

Schroeder: Lost patience with minister

"But others say the opposition conservatives were working to 'sully' a weak minister and thus keep Schroeder's house in disorder until the elections."

The payments row is the latest to hit Schroeder's government. Scharping is the eighth minister Schroeder has lost since taking office in 1998 -- at least three of them to scandals.

Scharping was dubbed "Randi Rudi" last August when a magazine published shots of him frolicking with his countess girlfriend Kristina Pilati von Thassul zu Daxberg-Borgreve on the Spanish resort island of Majorca while German troops were preparing to serve in the Balkans.

Scharping, who is separated from his wife and seeking a divorce, told Welt am Sonntag newspaper: "Yes, it's obvious to me that I made mistakes. The mistake was to allow photographs to be taken of myself acting naturally."

A special hearing of the German parliament's defence committee, called by the opposition Christian Democrats, also investigated claims he used military planes on at least 20 occasions over the last year, often to see his countess fiancee.

He also drew fire last year after disclosing in a news conference the confidential route German troops were to take for a mission into the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The route had to be changed.

With cost-cutting a major issue within the military, Scharping has lost friends through being seen as someone who does not protest too much when his department's budget is reduced.

Earlier this year, the opposition tried to oust him over allegations he broke budget laws by promising to buy 73 A400M Airbus military transport planes -- even though parliament had approved buying only 40, The Associated Press said.