The situation in the morning: the Chancellor and the Gambia coalition

Today it's about the coalition talks in Berlin, about young and very young cabinet members, about the mortal danger in the Ahr valley and the joy of life of Greta Thunberg.

The FDP's yes

Today the last traffic light is to be turned to green so that the coalition talks can begin: After the SPD and the Greens

. A yes is to be expected, after all, in the final paper of the explorations, many liberal concerns emerged (keyword share pensions, relief for companies), and various heart issues of the others were prevented (keyword speed limit, wealth tax, debt brake).

Perhaps some in the FDP party leadership are already thinking that their chairman could end up taking over the key ministry of the federal government: the finance ministry. Over the weekend, the Liberals increased the pressure on this issue. "I can't think of anyone better for this job," advertised Lindner's confidante Marco Buschmann in an interview with SPIEGEL. Wolfgang Kubicki said in the NDR that the FDP would "have the cake on its face" if they did not, by taking over the finance ministry, virtually personally guarantee that the billion-dollar coalition plans could be lifted without tax increases and new debts.

Most recently, the BMF was within reach for the FDP in 2009

when the black-yellow coalition was formed.

But in the end Wolfgang Schäuble took over the department.

This black and yellow cabinet was an interesting mixture: On the one hand, there were very young members like Kristina Schröder, Daniel Bahr or Philipp Rösler, and when I saw them I thought: So now my generation is ruling this country.

On the other hand, there were people like the jovial Brüderle, who at the time already explained on talk shows why the female body unfortunately cannot tolerate alcohol so well because of its "high fat content" - "This is what makes women so attractive!" Too movement was the focus of the first political me-too case, Brüderle, when the then »Stern« editor Laura Himmelreich accused him of sexism.

But today the world is fine, today everything is completely different, one should think. And then the counterexamples come to mind, also in our media industry. For example, the conditions in the »Bild« editorial team, which my colleagues reported on in the spring under the heading: »Birding, promoting, firing«. The "New York Times" has now followed up on "Bild" in particular and the Axel Springer Verlag in general with a large report. The core sentence of media reporter Ben Smith: "The documents I saw paint a picture of a workplace culture that mixed sex, journalism and company cash."

Should you, dear reader, meet someone from the media industry today:

Combined with the fact that the publication of a similar research by the investigative team of the Ippen group was apparently stopped at short notice by the publisher Dirk Ippen - a blatant interference with the independence of the editorial team.

Here you can find the protest letter from the authors.

• FDP traffic light negotiator Buschmann on personal details: "I can't imagine anyone better than finance minister"

Lessons from the Grand Duchy

Today, Chancellor Angela Merkel comes into contact with a traffic light coalition, but not with a German one.

The Prime Minister of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg,

, and he has been leading a government alliance for eight years, as Olaf Scholz will lead in this country in the future: made up of Liberals (Democratic Party), Greens (Déi Gréng) and Social Democrats ( Lëtzebuerger Sozialistesch Aarbechterpartei).

Now the ranking of the Luxembourg coalition partners is different, which is why the Liberal Bettel, strictly speaking, does not lead a traffic light, but a "Gambia coalition".

But in the end, three unequal partners had to come together in Luxembourg in a similar way as in this country.

For Angela Merkel's party, the view of Germany's neighboring country is incidentally not very pleasant:

At the time, Bettel's Democratic Party ousted the conservative CSV (Chrëschtlech-Sozial Vollekspartei) of Jean-Claude Juncker, who is well known in this country, from the government after decades of reign.

Since then, the Luxembourg conservatives have been rubbing themselves against the opposition.

The carelessness after the flood

The reports from the areas of the flood disaster have become fewer, and the federal elections have recently attracted the greatest attention.

.

Now a SPIEGEL team led by my colleague Matthias Bartsch has gone to the disaster regions to report on the reconstruction.

The research shows that the authorities are dangerously generous in approving the new buildings: "At first glance, it is noticeable that the newly calculated flood areas are often much smaller than the areas that were flooded by the Ahr three months ago," it says about in the report.

"After a catastrophe like the one in July, it would be advisable to correct the previous settlement policy."

Almost all of the 9,000 buildings washed away or destroyed in the Ahr Valley alone can be rebuilt.

The authorities' motive is more than understandable: The flood victims should get a perspective and planning security as soon as possible before winter.

The economic pressure is enormous

, because the masses of water have hit popular holiday areas, from the Vulkaneifel to the Moselle valley to the Berchtesgadener Land, and campsites, holiday apartments, guest houses and hotels have been destroyed.

It was the second stroke of fate for the hospitality industry in the flood areas after the corona pandemic.

Who would not understand that politics and administration want to provide quick and unbureaucratic help?

There is still an occasion for media people today to travel to Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler: The German Hotel and Restaurant Association Dehoga has invited to a press conference on the consequences of the flood for the industry.

Does the association have a few bright spots to report?

• Reconstruction after the flood in the Ahr valley: "We have to say clearly that it is dangerous"

The man with no chain

Today the management of the Hotel Westin Leipzig will comment on the Gil Ofarim case.

The subject is becoming more and more delicate: Did the singer just make up the anti-Semitic attack on himself in the Westin?

Wasn't he asked at reception with a look at the Star of David on his necklace: "Pack your star," otherwise he couldn't check in?

Doubts about Ofarim's report in an Instagram video arose early on.

The hotel staff described the incident very differently to the police, and the receptionist even filed a criminal complaint for defamation.

But Ofarim asserted in the SPIEGEL interview: "It was exactly as I said it in the video." And: "I find it embarrassing and sad that I have to justify and explain myself after this incident."

Now it was obviously not exactly the same after all

, and in the end all those who expressed their solidarity with Ofarim and even demonstrated for him in front of the hotel could stand there ashamed: On surveillance images from the hotel camera, via which the »Leipziger Volkszeitung« (LVZ) and » BILD «reported this weekend, Ofarim is clearly recognizable, but not his necklace with the Star of David.

Ofarim now waved in the "Bild

"

It was "not a matter of whether the chain could be seen in the hotel or not.

It's about the fact that I was insulted anti-Semitically. ”Well, of course it's about the former, without which the latter probably wouldn't exist either.

Had Ofarim really invented the incident, or even exaggerated it excessively, it would be a disaster.

For the hotel employee, for example, who, according to "LVZ", has received death threats and has gone into hiding in southern Germany.

But also for society as a whole, because it would be a fatal message to everyone who would like to cool their hearts on the Jews anyway and could instrumentalize the case.

Germany is still struggling with anti-Semitism, and resentment has only grown in the corona pandemic.

How conspiracy theorists used the virus to stir up anti-Semitism, especially in social media, will be discussed by the Institute for Freedom of Faith and Security in Europe, which was initiated by the Conference of European Rabbis, in Brussels today.

But Gil Ofarim made one true statement in his SPIEGEL interview: »I would like to be cleared up.

I think there is a problem with our education. "

• Anti-Semitism accusation Gil Ofarim: Video recordings from the hotel apparently raise questions

Winner of the day ...

... is the singer

.

Few of the stars of the 80s and 90s are likely to knock today's teenagers off their feet.

But now a video is circulating by climate activist Greta Thunberg, how she played a boisterous karaoke and dance interlude at a benefit concert, of all things, to Astley's catchy tune "Never gonna give you up".

The fact that Astley was able to inspire Thunberg, who otherwise often appears a little cool, to this casualness makes him a clear winner.

The singer commented on the dance performance on Twitter with "fantastic" and thanks in Swedish.

I would like to recommend our new newsletter to you: »The situation: Inside Austria«.

The latest news from the night

• Police union calls for controls on the German border with Poland:

  The number of illegal crossings is growing: The Federal Police union has therefore spoken out in favor of temporary controls on the border with Poland.

  Otherwise a "collapse" threatens

• "We won't let you get away with it":

  Steve Bannon should have testified to the Capitol Storm Processing Committee - but Donald Trump's ex-advisor ignored a subpoena.

  Now the panel sent a clear message

• Outsider Peter Marki-Zay will challenge Orbán in 2022:

  In the parliamentary elections in Hungary, the opposition mayor Peter Marki-Zay will run against Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

  He announced that he wanted to repeal controversial Orbán laws

The SPIEGEL + recommendations for today

• Follow-up to the lockdown: Why lawsuits against corona measures are successful in court

• History of Medicine: The Cabinet of Horrors in the Attic

• The eventful life of Patricia Highsmith: Too smart, too unconventional, far too addicted to life

• Asterix translator on his work: "Most of the jokes are from me"

I wish you a good start to the day.

Your Melanie Amann