The broadcast is about to escalate: Merz takes a wrong turn - Maischberger has to intervene

Maischberger also offers another election campaign.

Before the federal election, Friedrich Merz and SPD Minister Hubertus Heil have an exchange of blows.

As the last issue before the federal election, presenter Sandra Maischberger announces her weekly talk in the first on Wednesday evening pregnant with meaning.

And in fact, the election campaign in the ARD group is rocking up again.

In the “election duel”, in which Maischberger asks political opponents to talk, CDU front man Friedrich Merz and Labor Minister Hubertus Heil do not hold back with personal attacks.

Heil quotes Merz inaccurately several times, which annoys him.

At the end of the broadcast, the virologist Hendrik Streeck analyzes the current corona situation and the prospect of the coming spring as well as a possible vaccination requirement.

The fatal attack by an extremist and suspected Corona opponent on a 20-year-old student at a gas station in Idar-Oberstein is also a topic in the talk.

"Maischberger.

The week "- these guests discussed with:

• Hubertus Heil (SPD)

  - Federal Minister of Labor

• Friedrich Merz (CDU)

  - member of Armin Laschet's "Future Team"

• Prof. Hendrik Streeck

   - Director of the Institute for Virology at the University of Bonn

As experts:

• Hannes Jaenicke

   - actor

• Eva Schulz -

  anchorwoman of the radio format "Deutschland3000"

• Jan Fleischhauer -

  Focus

  author

The panel of experts also takes the election campaign as a topic and does not keep behind the mountain with the respective personal preferences.

Hannes Jaenicke, for example, sees a lot of climate innovation power for the economy in the bans demanded by the Greens - just like Chancellor candidate Annalena Baerbock.

The committed actor mentions the introduction of CFC-free refrigerators and the catalytic converter in the automotive industry as examples.

Fleischhauer subtle arguments against it - even if a bit off the topic - that the green bans would also know that they do not like - "for example the ban on cannabis!"

Hubertus Heil and Friedrich Merz squabble in front of the camera at Maischberger

The exchange between Hubertus Heil and Friedrich Merz *, on the other hand, was less humorous. The conversation begins in a relaxed, conversational tone, one grins at the youth in which Merz was out on the moped with long hair and would have fit nicely in the "Juso" corner. While Hubertus Heil, who comes from a conservative family, was seen in a jacket by the Jusos for a “Young Union spy”. But when it comes to specific election campaign issues, the good mood suddenly ends.

There is hardly a topic where Merz and Heil find a common denominator. “Elections for 16-year-olds?” Maischberger knocks off the candidates. Heil is for it, Merz against it. Abolish private health insurance? Heil is in favor of the conversion into a citizen insurance, Merz wants to leave everything as it is. Home office entitlement for employees? Federal Minister of Labor Heil is in favor, the commercial lawyer Merz against.

Merz's tone is sharper when it comes to solos.

Here, too, Merz is for the final end, Heil wants to keep the levy for higher earners.

Merz is visibly outraged: "That is unfair, dishonest and unworthy of a tax legislator!" Heil plays the ball to the Chancellor and sneers: "You shouldn't throw that after Angela Merkel".

And Merz bites: “You know exactly that the CDU part wanted it and you blocked it!” He counters.

Heil gets personal: “It is common knowledge that you have problems with Ms. Merkel,” he throws at Merz's feet.

When it comes to the subject of "Corona deniers", Heil becomes unfair and attacks Merz personally

The issue of “lateral thinkers” threatens to escalate. When asked about his attitude to the act in Idar-Oberstein, Merz is dismayed by the scene and briefly describes an unpleasant encounter during his campaign appearance in Görlitz, Saxony. Heil understands this wrongly and accuses Merz of seeking proximity to the scene and allegedly criticizes the lack of consternation. Merz hits the ceiling: "Every sentence I say here is turned around by you," rumbled Merz, "you are pretty unbearable, as you argue here."

This is not the only unobjective exchange between the two of them.

When it comes to tax increases, the minimum wage, and especially pensions, things get emotional between the two of them.

Merz railed against Heil with sentences like: "Well, with the man it's really terrible".

While Heil gives the head teacher: "Not so from above, Mr. Merz!"

Moderator Maischberger has to intervene several times.

"Now he must be able to answer, Herr Heil," she tries to curb the flow of the minister's speech.

And "Mr. Merz is sitting there ..." when the minister begins to talk about the adversary.

In the direction of Merz, Maischberger makes it clear: "Sorry, Mr. Merz, is that also possible"?

Virologist Streeck is in favor of maintaining the 3G rule and against the indirect compulsory vaccination

In the end, the air is thick. "Very unpleasant discussion with this man," Merz can not resist the comment at the end. Heil barks back: "

This

man is a federal minister and your fellow citizen, Mr. Merz." In the end, the irony brings the two together again a little. Maischberger: "I have the feeling that the grand coalition has actually come to an end here." Both of them have to laugh in agreement.

After so much trouble, the following conversation with the virologist Streeck seems like pure harmony. The announcement by CDU Health Minister Jens Spahn, who predicted the end of the pandemic for spring 2022, is just about to happen to Streeck. The virologist makes it clear that herd immunity can no longer be achieved, but that the pandemic would in fact soon become an epidemic and that a number of measures could actually become obsolete.

Streeck speaks out against compulsory vaccination and in favor of maintaining the 3G instead of the 2G rule.

A vaccination, however, is like a “bulletproof vest in war”, which he would recommend, especially with regard to the coming winter half-year.

Otherwise, Streeck would like an interdisciplinary expert advice to deal with the pandemic and the development of a goal for the long-term handling of Corona as well as more precise data collection.

Conclusion of the “Maischberger.

The week "talks

With "Maischberger" the election campaign shows its most aggressive side on television so far.

So far, none of the politicians had shown such nakedness in front of the camera like Heil and Merz.

The CDU man clearly showed his greatest weakness again: his emotionality.

Heil insisted on provoking and sometimes fell out of the role himself.