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Talkgast Laschet: At the limit of loosening
Photo: ZDF
Bullfighting is a cultural asset that has few friends in Germany.
Too cruel how the matador hunted down the disoriented cattle.
For a long time it looks as if he is just dancing with his victim, playfully, before blood seeps into the sand of the arena in the end.
This is roughly how Markus Lanz did it with Armin Laschet on Tuesday evening.
Lanz needs a quarter of an hour before attacking.
A quarter of an hour in which he makes himself vulnerable in order to be able to attack better.
He admits that any piece of information "dropped his jaw".
Something that Maybrit Illner, Sandra Maischberger, Frank Plasberg or Anne Will would never say.
When Laschet spoke about vaccinations and dangers, Lanz made a superfluous objection ("Thrombosis, ne?"), Which he had to withdraw immediately: "Oh, no, you mean high risk of infection, sorry".
There are tactical weaknesses that he gives himself.
Like the matador who turns his back on the bull.
"Yes, yes, that was my question!"
With his affable bowing down, he turns the other guests into his auxiliary troops.
Out of the corner of his eye he sees who is nodding, and then says that too: "Mr. Palmer is already nodding!"
Photo: ZDF
And so he finally refers to Angela Merkel at Anne Will - and the CDU chairman in the pincers: »So, now politically, Mr Laschet.
Where were you sitting on Sunday evening when the decisive sentences were made? "
Typical Lanzism.
The announcement that it would now be political, he ties in with the extremely unpolitical question of where the hell Laschet was
sitting
when the Chancellor reprimanded him.
The bull snorts, senses the trap and answers the banal part of the question: "I was looking at Anne Will".
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Angela Merkel at Anne Will: Between oracle and powerlessness by Christian Buß
"Were you at home?" Lanz asks, as if that were the question, and Laschet takes a beating on the innocence: "No, I was in Berlin ..." Lanz: "You were in Berlin?
What did you expect and what did you get? «.
Laschet suspects that there is now no way out and stutters, looking up into the studio sky, shaking his head: "No, well, those who ...", Lanz immediately: "Yes, yes, that was my question!"
Laschet plays the power card.
He spoke for a very long time with the Chancellor, "talked about a lot", which, according to his subtext, does not belong here and is possibly much, much more important than what Lanz would like to talk about.
OK?
"We both have known each other long and well enough"
Not okay.
Lanz shows the clip from »Anne Will«, in which the Chancellor answered her question as to whether Armin Laschet had violated the decision »which he drafted with you« with a clear »Yes!«.
Lanz states: »It was the Chancellor herself who brought NRW into play.
She says for the first time: NRW.
She emphasizes extra NRW «.
That is the hard part, which Lanz immediately and dangerously ingratiates: "And we both, Mr. Laschet, have known each other long and well enough, we look each other deeply in the eye: That was no coincidence."
The hit is on, you can see it at Laschet.
He puts on his Rhenish smile, suddenly meek, and clicks it away: "I think so."
The bull, Laschet, turns to the left, saying that he had telephoned the Chancellor.
Then he remembers that he has already tried that and turns to the right, the matter is going on.
Now Lanz is close enough to stab.
He emphasizes each word individually: “Sorry, you're the new one.
elected.
CDU.
Boss.
Mr. Laschet «.
And this story is linked to him the second Merkel utters it: “I mean, it's about something now.
It damages you «.
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The only reason Laschet doesn't sweat is because he is well made up.
He shakes his head with a smile, as if he knew more: "I don't feel that way."
Lanz insists, Laschet still doesn't feel that way, supposedly, so the moderator switches from the political back to the human: "But you weren't happy about it, Herr Laschet?"
With that he gets him back on his feet, the Prime Minister speaks with comfortingly clasped hands of a “different accent in a small detail”, which Lanz immediately focuses on: “Absolutely.
But not in the evening in front of five million people, on Sunday evening at prime time! ”Laschet tugs at his tie, he's thirsty now.
The thing!
"I'm glad," says the sporty matador, "that you are going to face the conversation here tonight, but again," and now the fatal blow: "There is someone in Munich" who would "smell it when someone is shot «.
He said, "again in public" and "not accidentally either", that it would not do if the federal government and the states maul each other.
"That's true," Laschet beeps and reaches for the water glass.
Lanz has it where he wanted it.
He comes from the reserve and praises his state, he also doesn't need "any instructions" from other prime ministers: "It's like that," he adds and puts the water glass back down.
Silence, then Lanz: "So you are touched?" - "No!" - "Sure!"
"Oh, Mr. Lanz ..."
Lanz offers whether he is "touched" because the values of the CDU are plummeting?
The bull is only too happy to follow the trick and rush to his doom.
Yes, there are »things that annoy people« like »vaccine, masks, tests, the unspeakable Mallorca decision«.
Lanz has counted and looks at his hand: "Everything Bund", so everything is Angela Merkel's fault?
Who has a new darling, Markus Söder?
And: "What has to happen that you do without?".
Laschet weakly: "Oh, Mr. Lanz ...", then Lanz happily: "It's a good question!"
Didn't he, Laschet, "basically break away" with his speech on Monday when he criticized the "sluggishness" of the republic, and wasn't that "a break with Merkel's policy?"
more on the subject
K question in the Union: Nobody calls for Söder.
But nobody calls to Laschet either
Laschet runs on the last cylinders of his joviality.
The only thing missing for a complete crash is the rhetorical stall.
No, he says, that was "an analysis of the country."
Lanz laughing: "It's the same, please, Mr. Laschet, what's the difference?"
He looks like he really wants to know.
His work in this arena is basically done with flying colors.
Now he goes on to the comedic part: "Mr. Laschet, who has ruled for 16 years now?"
"That has nothing to do with it!" Protests Laschet.
"But!"
"No!"
"Yes!" Laughs Lanz, his hand on his chin.
"No, no no, no," whimpers Laschet.
"Not?" Lanz lurks.
"Well," sighs Laschet and runs into the saber again, "it has
something to do
with
that
too ..."
"But!
It's good that we are in agreement on this, ”summarizes Lanz:“ It is an inventory of the work of the Chancellor ”.
Armin Laschet failed to take stock of his own work that evening.
He let Markus Lanz push him to the limits of his work - and beyond.
Perhaps in this broadcast he even finally chatted about his option for the Chancellery.
Of course, it is more difficult to grapple with the owner of the throne than with the pretender.
Nevertheless, one wonders how short the process would be that a Markus Lanz in this form would currently do with Angela Merkel.