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Panelists Baerbock, Scholz, Laschet (on the monitor in the background), Lindner: "We don't hear Mr. Laschet"
Photo: Kay Nietfeld / dpa
For Christian Lindner it is definitely a satisfaction: This afternoon, the FDP leader is finally on a par with the candidates for chancellor from the Union, the Greens and the SPD.
Lindner is allowed to discuss with Armin Laschet, Annalena Baerbock and Olaf Scholz for one hour at the Federal Association of Energy and Water Management.
The association calls its discussion format "Next Chancellor Talk" - although Lindner himself was not given the title of candidate for chancellor by his own party and was sent into the race to succeed Angela Merkel, the BDEW invited the FDP chairman to do so.
Since the Liberals were recently on a par with the SPD in a survey by the Forsa Institute, Lindner has felt equal to the Social Democrat Scholz.
On this late afternoon, he can now also compete with Union Chancellor candidate Laschet and Green opponent Baerbock.
It is about the most important topic of the federal election campaign: the question of how the parties want to achieve the climate change without completely overwhelming the citizens and taking the economy with them.
The BDEW represents over 1900 companies from the German energy and water industry.
The fact that the current main management is in the hands of the long-standing Green member of the Bundestag Kerstin Andreae is proof of how far her party has now arrived in the middle of society: Her predecessors were the former FDP leader Stefan Kapferer and the CDU politician Hildegard Müller .
But will the Greens now also make it into the Chancellery?
This question will be clarified on September 26th at the earliest, at the BDEW it is first about what energy policy ideas Baerbock and her competitors have about the Merkel legacy for Germany.
Who is doing how this afternoon? Are there any surprises - and where do the opponents particularly clash? The overview:
Biggest exchange of blows
Doesn't exist, the opponents discuss very objectively. Only Baerbock and Laschet deliver a few minor taunts. The Union candidate counters the statement by the Greens that their party drove the grand coalition to phase out coal. "The Greens had nothing to do with it," says Laschet. He negotiated the compromise with the SPD Prime Minister Stephan Weil. Baerbock and Laschet also clash when it comes to Nord Stream 2 and the expansion of renewable energies. When the CDU boss Laschet interrupts, Baerbock reacts a little irritated: "Maybe I should finish the sentence."
Both want to visibly reinforce the impression that there is only one duel in the fight for the Chancellery, they largely ignore the SPD candidate Scholz.
Lindner also has a minor role.
The FDP leader and the Social Democrat appear sovereign in their contributions, but there is hardly any direct confrontation with the other candidates.
The biggest glitch
Already with the triell that Laschet, Baerbock and Scholz recently delivered at the WDR Europaforum, it was a disadvantage for the Union Chancellor candidate just to be connected.
This time, too, an important meeting of the state parliament prevents the North Rhine-Westphalian Prime Minister from being there live in Berlin, he can be seen in his office in the Düsseldorf State Chancellery - but now the CDU chief remains completely silent for the time being.
"We don't hear Mr. Laschet," said the moderator several times when it was the Christian Democrat's turn for the first time.
You can see Laschet moving his lips, but he cannot be understood.
Memories of the digital CDU party congress in January are awakened when the delegate Hans-Werner Adams tried for minutes and in the end in vain to make himself understood.
But it doesn't get that bad: Laschet's tone is there quickly.
The biggest surprise
The four top politicians rarely agree on this afternoon - but it comes as a surprise that they are then on the subject of planning and approval procedures.
Speeding up the process is a favorite demand of the FDP, and the Union has repeatedly advocated building climate-friendly projects and pipelines more quickly, and the Social Democrats have now also followed this line.
Only the Greens are often more cautious, especially when it comes to citizen participation, when it comes to the demands of the competition.
Perhaps it is also due to a corresponding appeal by BDEW President Marie-Luise Wolf in the group that Baerbock finally also assures that he wants to accelerate the planning process in any case.
The funniest moment
The water glass on the white desk in front of the green boss is in acute danger when it is Baerbock's turn. Because the chancellor candidate of her party speaks again and again so committed that she begins to row with her arms. Several times it goes by the glass by a hair - but in the end it stops.
