At the presentation of the coalition agreement, the nervous SPD man slips into his new role.
He has to hold together a government that has will but no common experience.
Munich - For the fact that the new government wants to be an alliance for the future, this picture is pretty dusty. Olaf Scholz is almost through with his speech when he remembers 1924. At that time, the first traffic light was set up on Potsdamer Platz in Berlin. Everyone was skeptical, but today, almost 100 years later, traffic lights have become indispensable. "My aim as Federal Chancellor is that this traffic light alliance will play a similarly groundbreaking role for Germany."
You can easily find the punchline rickety, but on the other hand nobody expects Olaf Scholz to be lively.
It is simply his attempt to give the first red-green-yellow alliance at the federal level a long-term perspective right from the start.
There is good, hesitant applause in the hall, perhaps not for the picture, but for the message.
“The traffic light is on,” says Scholz, as if someone had doubted it.
Chancellor Scholz wants to "enjoy" Esken
It is a special appearance for the future Chancellor *. Not only because - after weeks of super-discreet negotiations - he can finally present the contents of the coalition agreement * between the SPD *, the Greens and the FDP *. But also because a transition phase is now symbolically ending. In the end, Scholz made himself scarce and justified this with the fact that he was not even in office yet. He still isn't - but on Wednesday he will slip into the new role for the first time. "Let me enjoy it," says SPD leader Saskia Esken next to him: "Federal Chancellor * Olaf Scholz."
How seriously he takes this performance can be felt right at the beginning.
The 63-year-old is the first to speak * - but not through the traffic light.
"Corona has not yet been defeated, unfortunately," he says and promises that his government will do everything to get the country through the winter well.
He reminds of the new 2G and 2Gplus rules and names other measures.
Among other things, a permanent crisis team in the Chancellery *, a care bonus, and a vaccination turbo are planned.
+
The future Chancellor and the core team: Olaf Scholz (2nd from left) on Wednesday in Berlin between Christian Lindner (left), Annalena Baerbock and Robert Habeck.
© Michael Kappeler / dpa
Scholz is nervous - Habeck whistles Esken back
That sounds gripping in terms of content, but noticeably restrained in tone. Scholz, actually an old political machine, is noticeably nervous, rigidly fixates his manuscript, gets tangled. The coalition members next to him can understand that - they are hardly any different. When Esken started to speak, she whistled Green boss Robert Habeck gently but audibly back. "Annalena's turn," he says. And Esken replies: "Is that so?"
And yet: You are all trying to put the often-invoked spirit of awakening into words.
Habeck calls the coalition agreement a "document of courage and confidence".
The negotiations were exhausting, a lot was expected of each other, but in the end contradictions were overcome.
FDP leader Christian Lindner describes the talks in a similar way.
“We are united by the common will to overcome the status quo.” He feels humility before the great task.
And Scholz, you got to know him all over again in the talks: "He will be a strong Federal Chancellor."
Baerbock was "fed up with it" during the negotiations
You can feel a little fatigue in all of this, the past four weeks are deep in their bones for all of them. The initial euphoria soon gave way to the tough negotiation reality. In the meantime you have been “fed up”, said Greens co-boss Annalena Baerbock recently. But then it worked. It will be one of the big tasks for Scholz to keep the alliance stable.
It will not be easy, especially since an important issue is explosive: Until recently, it was controversial how the “decade of investments” that Scholz announced should be financed without incurring new debts at the same time.
The new partners probably don't know for sure yet.
When asked about this, Scholz referred to private investments on Wednesday and then passed on.
Lindner, soon to be finance minister, does not want to add anything to Scholz. Habeck replies somewhat gruffly: “We know exactly how we are going to pay for it.” But he does not want to reveal it.
(mmä) * merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA
List of rubric lists: © Michael Kappeler / dpa