I'm not familiar with the German system, but I would guess not. Government departments often have a separation between career and political leadership. Career l

I'm not familiar with the German system, but I would guess not. Government departments often have a separation between career and political leadership. Career leadership consists of professionals selected for competence. The minister is a politician selected for political considerations. There may also be some political staff who serve the minister directly and are familiar with the subject matter. When a government coalition is formed, each party gets some specific positions, and it's generally free to choose who to appoint. Within each party, gender balance and geographic balance tend to be important, as the voters are otherwise likely to punish the party in the next elections. Some people also have personal priority, for example because they are in the party leadership or they reliably bring in a lot of votes. Not all minister positions are equal. Some (such as those dealing with economics, finances, and foreign policy) are important, while others (such as education and culture) tend to be low status. Top positions go to high-priority people, while low-status positions are often given to people with specific combinations of traits. Defense has been a low-status position in Germany, largely due to political culture shaped by losing WW2.