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Annalena Baerbock speaks at the Green Party conference
Photo: Steffi Loos / AP
The longer the election campaign, the more often one has the impression that sexism has become a blanket accusation - mostly against those who dare to criticize the green candidate for chancellor.
This is difficult insofar as mistakes and dealing with them are part of politics.
What is even more problematic, however, is that those who constantly denounce sexism are increasingly undermining the term.
The real problem is played down by inflationary allegations.
That sexism and misogyny still exist in politics and in public has become more than clear in the election campaign. Annalena Baerbock became the object of hate for an anonymous internet mob. As is so often the case with women in public, the attacks on her often had a sexual component. Her appearance was degraded, photos with her head mounted on a naked body were spread as a supposed »youthful sin«.
But even in the less dark corners of the public debate, it quickly became apparent how ubiquitous sexism still is.
Baerbock's candidacy was announced by the ARD “Tagesthemen” on Twitter with “It's a girl”, in a trilogy, Union candidate Armin Laschet Baerbock interrupted with an old-fashioned “Now but slowly”, and Baerbock was later generously attested by a journalist that she was an "ambitious lady" and at least had the potential to be an "undersecretary of state".
The quota woman, the infantilization as an over-ambitious girl - all these sexist stereotypes can be found in dealing with Baerbock.
Female power is not normal
The fact that women are treated differently and perceived differently by the public became clear at the latest in the TV trials. After the debates, Baerbock was always rated as the "sympathetic one", but not as the "competent one". And that although, according to various fact checks, she actually made the fewest mistakes in the trialles. That is probably no coincidence either. Studies show that women are perceived as less competent when they act forcefully. And that men are often judged to be more capable simply because of their appearance.
These mechanisms are probably so visible in the election campaign because Angela Merkel is withdrawing.
For a long time it was the fig leaf for sexism in politics.
Her presence acted as an element of self-assurance that the disadvantage of women cannot be so bad if she has been at the top for so long.
But Merkel's achievement was ultimately less about normalizing female power than about making the public forget that she is a woman.
That is why it is so important to see this election campaign as a sign and to learn from it.
It has not changed for women in politics in the past few years.
But too little has been done - and that should be mentioned again and again.
However, one urgently needs to differentiate.
Because, of course, the media, for example, should reflect on this question as to whether they sometimes focus more readily on the mistakes of the young woman than on those of the elderly gentleman.
Is it okay to ask Baerbock at the end of an interview, as she explains to her children that the Greens may have gambled away their chance of consistent climate protection in the election campaign, while Laschet was at the same point about where he was going to watch the European Championship finals will.
Or whether it is not a questionable reflex to call for the next best man as a replacement if the candidate makes mistakes.
The sexism battering ram
But it must also be possible to criticize women politicians for mistakes without being labeled sexist or even misogynous. One can find it problematic that Baerbock did not report her additional income without wanting to deny her any competence. And you can find it unwise to shake a half-baked book off your sleeve without this being an attack on the candidate as a person or woman.
If, however, mainly green supporters carry accusations of sexism like battering rams in front of them in order to knock any criticism out of the way, this not only prevents an open debate about errors in politics.
Those who then so readily condemn sexism make it difficult to talk about it - because inequality suddenly only acts as a pretext to cover up one's own mistakes.
A differentiated view, where criticism ends and sexism begins, falls victim to feelings of personal concern.
This is tricky, precisely because the unequal treatment of women is still so widespread in many places.
It therefore takes a clear view of the structures behind it - instead of a debate in which the term sexism increasingly degenerates into a defensive phrase.