Olaf Scholz had a kind of traffic light premiere speech in the Bundestag on Thursday.
That was quite tame - the style criticism of the CDU could also have been Angela Merkel.
There are reasons for that.
Berlin - A breath of history seemed to waft through the Bundestag early in 2021: Angela Merkel's last government survey, Angela Merkel's last government declaration - a farewell on installments to a 16-year chancellor's era could be seen.
Those who wanted to see it that way could follow a new start in installments on Thursday: Olaf Scholz presented the corona plans of the traffic light parties to the newly constituted parliament. It was a very strange constellation. Because of course the SPD candidate for chancellor did not (yet) speak as chancellor. And not even as head of a shadow cabinet, because the Bundestag does not know this structure.
Accordingly, the new President of the Bundestag Bärbel Bas (SPD) introduced the speaker as follows: “Federal Minister Olaf Scholz for the Federal Government”.
What was meant was the Federal Government of Merkel.
Even if the CDU Chancellor Party is anything but satisfied with the plans of Merkel Minister Scholz, as it later made clear in a rather loud Corona debate.
But first a somewhat tired Scholz had the floor.
And disappointed expectations of a massive Chancellor appearance.
Olaf Scholz: Tired chancellor candidate speaks to Corona - first sentence is dry
Instead, Scholz's first sentence, as the proclaimer and defender of a common plan of the traffic light parties, was: “The virus is still among us and threatens the health of the citizens To be able to protect the health of citizens. "
The director of the live broadcast on the Phoenix broadcaster repeatedly fades in the health minister Jens Spahn, who is still disempowered by the draft law - who follows the speech with apparently rather heavy eyelids and sometimes scratching his head.
But Scholz also seems a little bit tired, at least dark circles seemed to be recognizable.
It is possible that the traffic light top negotiators were busy for a long time the previous night.
Traffic light coalition: Scholz's first almost Chancellor speech?
Why the SPD leader appeared so cautious
If you order a tour from him, you get a tour, Scholz once declared as Hamburg's First Mayor.
In his speech in the Bundestag, however, it is less about strict guidelines than about room for maneuver.
"I understood it to mean that many countries have set out," says Scholz and means: towards 2G.
That is "good progress".
In fact, Scholz and the traffic light will have to involve the federal states anyway and take them with them.
That is probably one reason for the very tame speech.
"The Chancellor and I agree" that "there will also be a very classic conversation between the Federal Government and the Prime Ministers of the federal states," says Scholz - the announcement for a good, old Corona summit.
"That is what we need now for the country to pull together."
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Olaf Scholz in conversation with FDP leader Christian Lindner - the traffic light partners also had to be satisfied with the Corona speech.
© Political-Moments / www.imago-images.de
The second reason is that the traffic light is anything but dry - and that the SPD, Greens and FDP are also opening certain rifts in the fight against corona. You have “worked together to the insight that free tests are necessary,” says Scholz and FDP boss Christian Lindner nods. On the other hand, the liberals are seen as 2G skeptics. This is probably one of the reasons why this option remains open to the federal states. On the other hand, there is no mention of partial vaccination requirements, a topic of the Greens. Possibly grist to the mill of those who already see the FDP as a big coalition winner.
In any case, Scholz must carefully navigate through the sensitivities of his coalition partners in the future.
And it sounds a little bit scholzomatous - like in that external attribution that accused the SPD General Secretary at the time of reproducing the same word dances over and over again.
In any case, Scholz presents himself as a friend of rather complicated relative clauses: "That is what we need, that the country ..." - and so on.
Corona vaccinations: Scholz appeals - and explains a first "weighing decision"
The future chancellor will only be a little more emotionally and rhetorically powerful on safe ground: the appeal to the unvaccinated. It is clear that "it will happen that many citizens become infected," he says. “And we know what the consequence will be: Very, very many of those who are not vaccinated will become infected. And many of those who will become infected will get sick. And of those who get sick, some will struggle for their lives in the intensive care units of our hospitals, ”he warns.
A "weighing decision" is necessary.
At the end of it stand “to take care of the lives of these citizens with all our possibilities.
We have to offer protection for the health of all citizens. "Scholz concluded his speech with a vaccination appeal:" Get vaccinated, it is important for your health and it is important for our country. "
Corona dispute in the Bundestag: Brinkhaus tears up traffic light plans - Greens counter with harsh words
The first reply is due to the alleged new opposition faction of the CDU and CSU.
The floor is not taken by one of the favorites for the CDU chief post, but by the re-elected parliamentary group leader Ralph Brinkhaus.
In terms of volume alone, it makes a completely different appearance.
“That is a denial of reality!” He shouts with a view to the planned end for the epidemic situation.
“The countries are being deprived of options for action, that's not possible!” Says Brinkhaus.
At the same time, a plan mentioned by Scholz for better hospital financing is not in the draft law.
"The delivery was not clean here," complains the Union parliamentary group leader.
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After Olaf Scholz tightened the tone: Ralph Brinkhaus on Thursday in the Bundestag.
© Kay Nietfeld / dpa
The following debate could certainly be called lively: Spahn himself claimed that an end to the epidemic situation could be ensured and at the same time nothing prepared, the Green (still) parliamentary group leader Katrin Göring-Eckardt railed shortly afterwards. The Prime Minister's Conference itself also called for a legal framework - and unlike the Merkel government, they are now in the Bundestag and debating the proposals. The Union-led federal government also missed the conversation with those unwilling to vaccinate. Now they cannot simply steal away, Göring-Eckardt complains with harsh words: "That is shabby and irresponsible."
It remained unclear whether Brinkhaus also positioned himself for a grip as Union chairman.
In any case, it was a gallop for a new role as opposition leader, possibly lasting several years.
Brinkhaus' style criticism of Scholz's appearance sounded a bit as if it could have been an opposition replica of the long-term chancellor over the past 16 years: "That was more of a description of the state than a powerful political statement," he held against Scholz.
But after all, he was already the winner of the election on the Merkel's heir's ticket.
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