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Former family minister Spiegel
Photo: Bernd von Jutrczenka / dpa
That the king has two bodies is one of the oldest insights in politics.
There is the biological human who sleeps, eats and sits at the cabinet table (or goes on vacation).
And there is the functionary, the representative of divine power on earth, the embodiment of the principle of dominion.
This has not changed to this day, even if it can be complicated for some politicians in democracies to separate the office and the person - not least because the offices are only assigned for a limited period of time - and you have to be prepared to return them and return to private life.
And social networks have made all of this even more difficult.
The resignation of Federal Minister for Family Affairs Anne Spiegel, 41, shows how difficult it is.
After weeks of being under pressure because of her poor crisis management during the Ahr Valley flood disaster, she spoke up on Sunday with a video statement, some of which were remarkable – but perhaps nothing as much as the question: who was actually speaking?
The human being?
The minister?
Or somehow both?
A moment to remember
She decided to take an unusual step, Spiegel began her explanation that she would reveal things from her private life.
Then, in a shaky voice, she related how the organization of her life had slipped out of her hands over the past year.
That she, with four small children and a husband who had recovered from a stroke, not only did the job of Minister for Family Affairs in Rhineland-Palatinate and took over the top candidacy of the Greens, but also temporarily headed the Ministry of the Environment - and how much her family was overwhelmed by it.
Which is why she went on vacation in the middle of the Ahr crisis.
So far everything was still in the frame.
A politician made a mistake and admits it.
The statement towards the end became interesting.
At the very end of her speech, after a few seconds' pause, Spiegel looked to the side as if a consultant were standing there and said: "Do I have to do anything else?" Then, as if to himself: "Now I have to tie it up." Then she took another breath, looks back into the camera and – apologized.
It was a memorable moment.
Not only because Spiegel missed the last opportunity to get out of their miserable situation with their heads held high and resign.
Mainly because he showed that there is no longer anything beyond the staging.
Politics has also become a show, image production for social networks.
Even the most personal confession that a politician can make today is interwoven with the question of how.
The duty to misbehave
The Spiegel video is the definitive breakthrough of the social media age in politics.
Yes, the vast majority of politicians have Twitter accounts: but even if the question often arises here as to who is actually tweeting, the private individual or the official, this is usually just the extension of the political dispute to another platform.
The Anne Spiegel case continues: she acted like a pop star – without overdoing it that different rules apply to celebrities than to politicians.
The entertainment world operates on the simple principle of outrage and forgiveness, mistakes and regrets.
Misbehaving is part of the job description of pop stars, actors and other clowns.
That helps the audience to find their way in the world, to define themselves.
It allows to distribute attitude marks.
Has anyone said anything that is not allowed to be said?
Or is it allowed to say it?
Should he or she be ashamed?
The great moments of this sphere are the meltdowns.
When Kanye West goes nuts on Twitter.
When Will Smith slaps Chris Rock at the Oscars.
When Britney Spears gets her hair shaved off.
At some point, the tearful apology or the therapy stay follows - and the rehabilitation.
Until the next scandal.
That's how it works with pop stars.
It's their business.
But pop stars have no power.
They draw their power of persuasion from their ability to be credibly wrong.
They will then be gladly forgiven for that.
It doesn't work that way for politicians.
In fact, Anne Spiegel's statement was something of her Britney-at-the-barber moment.
Politicians are of course also allowed to be wrong – but they should never give up sovereignty over their actions.
Then that damages your office.
The example of Robert Habeck
There are politicians who have mastered this game.
Robert Habeck, for example.
When he speaks up on his Instagram account from Qatar and explains that it doesn't feel good to be ordering liquid gas from the sheikdom, it's a gesture of sovereignty.
Habeck describes a dilemma he finds himself in and what it "does to him," as the new German language of authenticity puts it.
But he explains it from the position of the one who takes on the dirty job to get it done.
Spiegel, on the other hand, has exposed her weakness.
The weakness of their family situation, their excessive demands and the mistakes that resulted for them.
That may be sympathetic - in the sense of celebrity logic.
It doesn't work for a politician.
Celebrities thrive on getting their heads under water and resurfacing regularly.
A minister has to keep him up.
That is why she is trusted to bear the responsibility of the office.
Or not anymore.