Enlarge image
Baerbock in the audience discussion: What moves people
Photo:
Axel Heimken / dpa
It is perhaps the riskiest format for a candidate for chancellor: In the ARD »election arena«, Green leader Annalena Baerbock answers questions from the audience.
Do not ask journalists, but the hosts Andreas Cichowicz and Ellen Ehni, NDR boss and WDR boss, respectively, call out - which can lead to unpredictable moments.
How did Baerbock fare?
the initial situation
In the »election arena« people should be able to ask unfiltered questions.
In the best case, it is hoped that it will be harder to wriggle out of it because you are facing someone who has been affected.
This has resulted in remarkable moments in the past, especially with Angela Merkel: when a gay man asked her why he was not allowed to marry;
when a young nurse confronted her;
when a girl threatened with deportation burst into tears.
In the worse case, such formats get lost in special interests and questions that cannot be answered by a chancellor candidate - and that give her the opportunity not to have to answer quite as precisely.
Baerbock takes part in many such so-called town hall formats, and you can now see her sovereignty.
She routinely asks counter-questions, which probably looks less routine if you don't see it all the time, and thus keeps the conversation a little longer.
So the expectation of the party was: appear relaxed, appear approachable, appear solid, correct the bad image.
The setting
The moderator and moderator apparently have no order, no dramaturgy, they simply call up who comes into view.
Nor does it appear as if the questions have been selected beforehand.
Again and again people are in the picture who are very committed.
This also leads to duplication: two men ask how Baerbock is using renewable energies to prevent supply bottlenecks.
A young woman asks about the "2G" rule (access in certain cases only for vaccinated and convalescent people), complains that it creates a two-class society and then, when asked by Baerbock, says that she doesn't think the vaccine is safe.
One gets the impression that in truth she didn't want to hear an answer at all.
The topics
The evening begins with a question about the speed limit of 130 on motorways - Baerbock defends the demand very clearly - and ends with the question of how the Greens wanted to pay for "all of this", coupled with criticism of the wealth tax.
In between, the following are discussed:
Care: Baerbock wants more caregivers and better working conditions
Police: Baerbock wants more caregivers and better working conditions
Pension: Baerbock did not even mention the »citizen fund« as a new form of bundled private provision
Nuclear weapons: should disappear from Germany
In addition, help for artists, public transport (Baerbock wants to expand it), the conversion of stables and a complaint about difficult-to-read product information on food.
So: a colorful ride through everything that drives people in their everyday life.
The strongest moment
Baerbock's strongest moment begins with the most unusual moment on the show: a young man in a shirt and tie gets the floor.
"First of all, I would like to say briefly: Frau Baerbock, you have really great shoes," he says.
Then he complains that he searches and searches, but cannot get an apprenticeship position, also because of his Turkish name.
It quickly becomes clear that he is not making a general point, but wants support, so that it was less about politics than advocacy, and the moderator tries to moderate: “You said, briefly.
We want others ... "But Baerbock slows them down:" I think it's a very important topic.
Because that's something that a lot of people experience. "
She creates the impression that she is not uncomfortable having to deal with this outbreak.
That she can't help (she lets the phone number impose on her), but really sympathizes.
The weakest moment
Baerbock never really gets into serious trouble. Which is probably also due to their role. Merkel always approached people in such formats as the Chancellor, that is, as the person responsible. Baerbock is simply a candidate who, in case of doubt, cannot be held liable for anything that is bad and, on the contrary, can accuse the government of having done too little. Whatever she does over and over again.
What is striking, however, is Baerbock's fear of confrontation.
On the one hand, it appears facing and without any arrogance, it does not disgrace, it does not intimidate - this is another reason why these formats work for them.
On the other hand, she can't even bring herself to state briefly: The corona vaccines have been extensively tested, used millions of times and are safe.
She does advertise vaccination, but without even countering the doubts that the questioner justified with her feelings.
The bottom line
It was not a bad evening for Baerbock: no mistakes were made (often only obtrusively said "with a view to"), no scenes were created that would linger on her. She also remained confident in dealing with people who obviously already knew what they were thinking. However, it is questionable whether the undecided now know better what the Greens want. Baerbock tends to get lost in the small parts of politics at times. This format, which is as small as possible, is therefore also a problem. There is little space for context. But this is not only due to Baerbock.