CSU boss Markus Söder hands out vigorously on political Ash Wednesday. Image: imago / Sven Simon
Germany
After a break of around three years, the parties are again allowed to exchange blows in front of an audience at the political Ash Wednesday. CSU boss Markus Söder can’t say that twice. In Passau, he hands out brutally against the traffic light coalition, the Greens and ex-Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD).
The watson app for your smartphone
“The traffic light is the worst federal government that Germany has ever had,” says Bavaria’s Prime Minister. Her principle is to make decisions late and to quarrel in the process. The “turning point” proclaimed by Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) after the start of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine has so far been more of a “slow motion”, Söder accuses him of.
In addition, the former Federal Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD) was an embarrassment for Germany. But Söder also attacks the Greens sharply.
Söder poisons against the Greens: “The nation’s mood killer”
According to Söder, the Greens are a security risk for Germany. They talked themselves “almost into a war frenzy,” he says. Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) must be careful what she says in view of her recent statements about the war. “The escalation of language can quickly lead to an escalation of violence,” warns Söder.
For the CSU politician, one thing is certain: Bavaria does not want black and green – because they are the biggest mood killers in the nation. “Green means ban,” says Söder. They wouldn’t even allow balloons. The party also bans Indians, car washes, firecrackers, meat – too much of a good thing for Söder’s taste. Even if the Greens were to curry favor with the Bavarians CSU will not get involved in such a coalition.
But also the FDP is apparently not high on Söder’s popularity list. So he shoots sharply at the finance minister and FDP federal chairman Christian Lindner.
Söder appoints Lindner as Germany’s “debt Christian”.
Söder accuses the FDP politician Lindner of cheating. “He calls his debts ‘assets’,” says Söder. He is developing into the “debt Christian” of Germany. Because: According to Lindner’s logic, the one who has the most debt is the richest.
A verbal attack that Lindner probably doesn’t want to let sit on. In his speech, Lindner shot back at Söder.
Lindner and Lang rail against Söder
Lindner expresses respect for SPD, Greens and CDU and then says that now he has to say “something positive” about the CSU – there was a long pause amid laughter from the audience. Sometimes silence says more than a thousand words.
Green Party leader Ricarda Lang also jumps on the bandwagon and rails against Söder. She accuses him of changing his political positions “like others change their underpants”. In doing so, he loses confidence in politics, says Lang. The state elections are due in Bavaria on October 8th.
Söder is optimistic about the state elections
Söder announces that the election campaign in Bavaria will be a “marathon at full steam”. The starting position of the CSU is better than in 2018 and after Federal election 2021. “We fought our way back up after a tough year,” he says.
For everyone who can’t get enough of Söder: Here is a “best of political Ash Wednesday” by him personally in pictures:
(With material from afp)
The Swiss historian Daniele Ganser is currently filling halls in Germany and Austria with his performances. He calls himself a “peace researcher” and pretends to answer the important questions of our time in his lectures.
