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Final repository is coming: Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU)
Photo: Frank Hoermann / Sven Simon / imago images
You don't even know him like that: Markus Söder is silent.
In general, the CSU boss and Bavarian Prime Minister has the first word quickly, preferably the last, and in between a few.
When it came to the question of which measures should be taken against the spread of Corona in March, Söder could not wait to see what the consultations with the other country leaders and the Chancellor would reveal, but announced his ideas in advance.
It's always like that: Söder rushes forward, the others only see a cloud of dust.
All the more unusual the announcement by the radio host on Monday morning.
The news of the day was the restart of the search for a repository for German nuclear waste.
In principle, according to the first interim report of the "Bundesgesellschaft für Finallagerung", around half of the country can be considered for a final nuclear landfill, according to previous knowledge.
And with it seven locations in Bavaria, including Söder's hometown Nuremberg.
So far, the Free State has not even wanted to discuss a repository in its own area.
It would be interesting to talk to the Bavarian Prime Minister about whether that will change now.
Actually, said the moderator, she had an appointment with Markus Söder for an interview.
But unfortunately he canceled.
Doctor Söder and Mister Markus
Markus Söder preferred not to be interviewed.
That is understandable, because he can only lose on this topic.
For no politician is the repository debate as toxic as it is for him.
The Bavarian Prime Minister did not speak up until noon - trying to disguise his rejection as constructive criticism.
The process now being used creates enormous uncertainty in the country.
In the Free State there is "a lot of questions" and a "large portion" of skepticism.
However, Söder ruled out a total Bavarian blockade; rather, they wanted to incorporate their own scientific perspective and the political weight of the state government and the parties.
Söder cannot give a clear answer to the question of whether German nuclear waste could also be buried in Bavaria.
He would have to give up the dazzling double role in which he is currently enjoying success on the political stage: Doctor Söder and Mister Markus.
On the one hand, there is the father of the country and the head of the CSU, who is close to the people and is solely connected and committed to the Free State.
In order to become Prime Minister, this Söder entered into a coalition with the Free Voters, and the government contract states: "We are convinced that Bavaria is not a suitable location for a repository."
One can assume that the Landes-Söder would have been strictly against a nuclear toilet in the Free State even without this coalition.
Nuclear power likes, but others take the rubbish - that has always been a popular position with local voters, for the implementation of which you can be celebrated as a successful defender of the beautiful landscape against the threat of radiation.
The repository question ends Söder's comfortable state of limbo: He should now show his colors.
On the other hand, there has also been Bundes-Söder for some time, an astonishingly serious politician who has long been interested not only in Bavaria, but in the well-being of the entire republic.
This Söder recently made a name for itself with the proposal of a nationwide Corona traffic light.
It may be due to the weakness of the other candidates, but a majority currently even trusts Söder as a whole to be the top candidate for the Union in the federal election campaign and successfully fight for the successor to Angela Merkel.
So far, Söder has only been able to play this dual role reasonably credibly because, when asked, he always denied any national political ambition.
But he always did so coquettishly that it was clear to every political observer: Söder naturally considers himself the best candidate for chancellor.
But he wants to be asked by the CDU to take over this post.
Ineligible for everyone outside Bavaria
The repository question ends Söder's comfortable state of limbo: He should now show his colors.
However, if he shows himself too willing to negotiate or at least open to the possibility of dumping German nuclear waste in Bavarian granite, then he is risking his Bavarian coalition.
Trouble with his own party and the voters would be for him.
If he sticks to the rejection stipulated in his coalition agreement, then no one will come up with the idea of promoting him as the next Federal Chancellor.
A selfish, populist "Bayern first" politician would rightly be labeled a provincial in the election campaign.
Söder would be ineligible for anyone outside Bavaria.
more on the subject
Searching for a nuclear waste repository: The One Million Years QuestionAn analysis by Susanne Götze
So Söder has to muddle through, otherwise never to shy away from pithy announcements.
No blockade, the word is out of the question for a man with national political prospects, but the whole Bavarian weight against the repository.
And our own Bavarian research, which, hardly a surprise, will identify the Bavarian soil as a completely unsuitable deposit after a detailed assessment.
Söder's warning that there should be "no politically motivated decision" should be understood in this context as a self-talk.
Bavaria will lead the debate "with patience", announced Söder.
This was made clearer by his coalition partner Hubert Aiwanger, who instead of Söder took part in the sensitive nuclear interview that morning.
Aiwanger was able to report, without any national political ambition, that his free voters were always against nuclear power anyway.
And otherwise point out that he will long ago be of old age if a repository is still being sought.
Apparently, Markus Söder also hopes to slow down the process of finding a repository, drag it out and ultimately sit out - if not until he retires, then at least until after the federal election.
His political opponents will hardly let him get away with these delaying tactics.
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