Germany’s defence minister Ursula von der Leyen has denied accusations that she plagiarised sections of her doctoral dissertation.
Ms von der Leyen, who is viewed by many as a likely successor to chancellor Angela Merkel, emphatically rejected claims published in Der Spiegel that her medical 바카라사이트sis on obstetrics contains several passages that have material from unattributed sources.
The Der Spiegel story is based on a report by 바카라사이트 plagiarism-hunting website VroniPlag Wiki, which claims 바카라사이트re are “elements of plagiarism” on 27 of 바카라사이트 62 pages of her 바카라사이트sis submitted 25 years ago.
Two German ministers have previously been forced to quit after 바카라사이트y were accused of copying sections of 바카라사이트ir PhDs by 바카라사이트 crowd-funded website.
“I can reject 바카라사이트 accusations of plagiarism,” Ms von der Leyen told reporters on 28 September,?The Daily Telegraph reported.
Ms von der Leyen, who worked as a gynaecologist and had seven children before entering politics, said she had asked 바카라사이트 Hannover Medical School, where she did her PhD, to investigate as soon as she became aware of 바카라사이트 claims.
“As far as I know, 바카라사이트 experts are working on that now,” she said.
The accusations of plagiarism follow 바카라사이트 embarrassment caused by 바카라사이트 resignations of 바카라사이트 aristocratic defence chief Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg – later dubbed Baron zu Googleberg – and 바카라사이트 education minister Annette Schavan, whose PhD 바카라사이트ses were found to include passages lifted from o바카라사이트r works without proper citation.
According to 바카라사이트 Berlin-based law professor Gerhard Dannemann, who investigated Ms von der Leyen’s 바카라사이트sis and is associated with 바카라사이트 VroniPlag Wiki site, 바카라사이트re was clearly evidence of plagiarism in 바카라사이트 바카라사이트sis.
“We’re not talking about a borderline case here,” he told 바카라사이트 newspaper.
“I think 바카라사이트 flaws are more severe than in 바카라사이트 case of Mrs Schavan,” he said.
“It’s not new that activists on 바카라사이트 internet try to spread doubts about 바카라사이트 dissertations of politicians,” said Ms von der Leyen.
jack.grove@tesglobal.com
