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Laschet in the children's interview on "Late Night Berlin" (click here for the broadcast)
Photo: Screenshot / Late Night Berlin / ProSieben
Now, of course, one can be of the opinion that Armin Laschet is, well, a little naive. Because there is probably no other explanation for the fact that the Union's candidate for chancellor allowed himself to be lured into a TV format by the anarcho-moderator and long-time SPD sympathizer Klaas Heufer-Umlauf in order to be asked seemingly harmless questions by apparently harmless minors. Does the man have no media advisors who turn on the TV every now and then?
And after this appearance on Klaas'schen Kinderfunk, one can rightly state: Armin Laschet lacks the will to clearly distinguish himself from his party friend Hans-Georg Maaßen. He lacks the words that democrats should utter in view of this man's candidacy for the Bundestag: A right-wing extremist cannot be elected to parliament, regardless of which party book he has. And Laschet lacks the strength to do what the chairman of a bourgeois party should do with a fellow party member like Maßen: to initiate a process of elimination.
However, to be outraged that Laschet had been sloppy with Pauline and Romeo, the two questioning children, who only asked innocent children's questions, would be a malicious interpretation of what was first in the program "Late Night Berlin" on Pro7 and then was and is to be seen on YouTube. In fact, Pauline and Romeo are undoubtedly two well-rounded minors, but it is highly unlikely that these two could come up with the idea after police actions in the Hambach Forest, after mask deals by Union politicians and after the party-internal dealings with Hans-Georg It was not only reasonable to ask, but to ask critically and downright penetrating. It is just as unlikely, by the way, that the two of them in the SPIEGEL issue, in which they leaf through the opening credits of the clip,have even read a line.
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»Late Night Berlin« interview with Armin Laschet: Kindermund von Katharina Zingerle
No, this is not a children's interview, it is a hit piece, conceived by Heufer-Umlauf and his editorial team to lure the candidate into a trap.
At first it starts harmlessly, with supposedly real children's questions, then it gets uncomfortable.
It is an act of political satire using the format "children ask politicians" - obviously the two children are just talking puppets.
Instrumentalized for a political gag
This is a double disregard: First of all, the candidate, whose expectation was to meet children who actually want to know something about him, the adult politician. And then a disregard for the children who just didn't ask their questions, were able to satisfy their own curiosity, but were instrumentalized for a political gag. In reality, there was never any interest here to find out how Laschet felt about Maaßen or the mask profiteers; it was all about demonstrating how he would react in a hopeless situation.
And his situation was hopeless: a typical politician phrase was inappropriate in this setting. The obnoxious tone he had initially adopted in anticipation of somersault questions was suddenly just as inappropriate. No, it apparently dawned on Laschet - and much too late - that he had been led onto ice. And then he broke in: he got cool and a little impatient. To children. To sweet children! Who just wanted to ask! And there we had it: the campaign excitement of the day. But it isn't.
Armin Laschet simply fell for a satire. It's not a scandal, because it can happen to anyone. But, like any successful satire, it is a win for the Enlightenment: The Union's top candidate marches into a TV studio unprepared for what is in store - and becomes sloppy. This is not good for someone who wants to be chancellor.
