Despite the ongoing criticism, SPD General Secretary Lars Klingbeil praised CDU Health Minister Jens Spahn.
And an FDP politician takes over the helm.
“Markus Lanz” on Wednesday evening will, among other things, deal with the chaos surrounding the mask affair, which is currently being hotly debated in the Bundestag. Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) is particularly criticized. The specific allegation: The Ministry of Health is said to have bought inferior protective masks without an EU certificate in spring 2020. To make matters worse, the goods ordered from China were insufficiently checked. Later it was planned to distribute the non-certified masks to the homeless and facilities for people with disabilities.
Spahn, on the other hand, firmly denies that the masks are inferior.
Rather, he sees joint responsibility in the SPD.
Reason enough for ZDF presenter Markus Lanz to follow up on his guest, the SPD General Secretary Lars Klingbeil.
However, he is tame and cautious - and to everyone's surprise even praises his political opponents.
"Markus Lanz" - these were his guests on June 9th:
Lars Klingbeil
- SPD General Secretary
Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann
- member of the FDP federal executive committee
Anne Hähnig
- “Die Zeit” journalist
Dirk Heinrich
- Head of the Hamburg Vaccination Center
In the broadcast on June 9th, the SPD politician admits with a relaxed smile that one “has to acknowledge without envy” that Jens Spahn “always puts himself in the limelight”.
A surprising statement, because Klingbeil recently ranked among the sharpest critics of Spahn in the mask affair.
SPD politician and general secretary Lars Klingbeil criticizes the mask affair around Jens Spahn: "Inhuman"
At “Markus Lanz” the ZDF presenter reads quotes on Wednesday that make the extent of the allegations against the health minister clear.
For example, the SPD co-leader Saskia Esken recently spoke of a “moral decline in the Union”.
And even Lars Klingbeil called Jens Spahn's behavior “inhuman” a few days ago.
So it's no wonder that Markus Lanz asked the General Secretary.
He defends himself half-heartedly and makes it clear that his criticism only applies in the event that the allegations against Jens Spahn prove to be true.
Zeit
journalist Anne Hähnig adds briefly: "I am almost sorry for the SPD."
Lanz does not give up and criticizes Klingbeil and the SPD for poster slogans in the election campaign in Saxony-Anhalt such as: “You don't gamble with our health”.
The ZDF presenter explains in the same breath that the SPD has distanced itself from its voters.
Lars Klingbeil countered calmly: "Nonsense".
Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann takes on "Markus Lanz" (ZDF) with the moderator: "You really always interrupt!"
Then Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann (FDP) takes over the helm of the show. When asked whether she could rule together with Klingbeil's SPD after the federal election, Strack-Zimmermann seriously denied. The politician is also confident and eloquent when it comes to other political issues on the occasion of the prevailing election campaign. Compared to guests like Klingbeil, Strack-Zimmermann even seems so self-confident that she provides a slightly different highlight at the end of the show. When Markus Lanz interrupts Marie-Agnes with a hasty question, she says slightly smugly: “You really always interrupt. Do you make the home with your wife too? ”With that she even upsets the eloquent ZDF presenter, who can only stammer:“ This is now a somewhat private topic. ”
"Markus Lanz" - the conclusion of the show
At “Markus Lanz” things get chaotic on Wednesday evening.
A cautious Lars Klingbeil does not have much to contribute, while FDP politician Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann gradually takes the lead over the course of the ZDF broadcast and has a fight with Markus Lanz about who can interrupt whom most often.
At the end of the broadcast, the SPD general secretary also managed to make the guests present laugh.
When Markus Lanz announced: “I think Olaf Scholz will come to us next week”, Klingbeil countered dryly: “I thought Karl Lauterbach would come over again.”
