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"Mother and son-in-law": Söder remembers Merkel's SMS in difficult times - "with wisdom"

2022-05-20T03:22:14.737Z


"Mother and son-in-law": Söder remembers Merkel's SMS in difficult times - "with wisdom" Created: 05/20/2022, 05:18 By: Stefan Sessler, Christian Deutschlaender, Georg Anastasiadis Prime Minister and Merkur: Not always without tension, but hopefully exciting for the readers. Markus Söder (55, CSU) at the interview appointment in the press building. © Marcus sleep Söder and the south: What is t


"Mother and son-in-law": Söder remembers Merkel's SMS in difficult times - "with wisdom"

Created: 05/20/2022, 05:18

By: Stefan Sessler, Christian Deutschlaender, Georg Anastasiadis

Prime Minister and Merkur: Not always without tension, but hopefully exciting for the readers.

Markus Söder (55, CSU) at the interview appointment in the press building.

© Marcus sleep

Söder and the south: What is that supposed to be?

When Frank Markus Söder gradually rose in politics, there were already reservations.

Munich – The proud Upper Bavarians, who almost always provided the prime minister by virtue of an unwritten rule of eternity, initially viewed the evangelical Nuremberger with skepticism.

Some learned: He is more like us than expected.

Markus Söder looked for proximity.

When he fought his way up to prime minister in 2018, he already had his strongest supporters in the south.

We have now met him for a detailed discussion about the desire for freedom and frustration in Upper Bavaria.*

Markus Söder and his little declaration of love to the south of the Free State

Prime Minister, may we have a small Upper Bavaria question and answer session with you?

What is your favorite place in the region?

I've never worked anywhere else than in Munich - first at Bayerischer Rundfunk, then in the state parliament, then in various ministries and now in the state chancellery.

My second center of life besides Nuremberg is therefore Munich and Upper Bavaria.

But my favorite place is and remains the Chiemsee.

It's been like this since I was a child.

I think the environment is wonderful - combined with a high quality of life.

In summer, I also love to swim in the Upper Bavarian lakes.

They are clear and you have a fabulous panorama.

I always have my bathing suit with me when I'm out and about here.

I've swum pretty much every Upper Bavarian lake.

The Upper Bavarians are a special people.

Is there one quality that you particularly appreciate about the people here and one that bothers you?

The closer you get to the Alps, the more liberal the people are.

Upper Bavarians are generally very liberal and sometimes a bit anarchic - in a positive way (laughs).

Yes to a strong state, but at the same time maximum self-determination.

It's a mix that I appreciate very much.

Upper Bavarians are friendly, open-minded and very attached to their homeland.

In addition, the old Bavarian is passionate and sometimes romantic and almost never resentful.

I have a broad back.

Sometimes maybe too wide.

Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder

You were born in Nuremberg.

How different are the Franks?

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The Upper Bavarians have a lot of self-confidence.

This is not the same for all Franconians.

Upper Bavarians are quicker to inspire, while Franconians are a bit more reserved and shy.

You can see that in me (grins).

If we look at all these characteristics, then your temperament is rather Upper Bavarian, isn't it?

I believe I have all of these qualities within me.

I have to, too, because I want to understand and represent as many of the country's children as possible.

But of course not all people in Bavaria are the same.

Many things have changed, mainly due to the enormous influx.

If you sit down in a tavern in Garmisch, you will meet old-timers in traditional costume and hats, but also newcomers who ask: "Hey, hey, where are the best bread rolls please?"

Markus Söder: "Bavaria has become a melting pot"

How do you perceive the change in the region?

Bavaria and especially Upper Bavaria are like the USA: People come to us from all over the world.

Bavaria has become a melting pot.

At the same time, no other federal state has such a high level of identification with the country as here.

Many new Bavarians become Bavarians of conviction in a very short time.

That too is a secret of the white-blue success story.

You won't find that anywhere else.

The changes are omnipresent.

But there are also downsides – a house or an apartment in the area is unaffordable for most.

Today's Upper Bavaria is no longer the Upper Bavaria it was 30 years ago, when I first came here to work.

The enormous influx has changed many things.

For many newcomers from all over Germany, Upper Bavaria is like California when it comes to economic and digital sustainability.

Others, on the other hand, consider Upper Bavaria more like Florida, because almost every wealthy pensioner from Germany is considering spending the rest of their life here.

Of course, this also creates problems, because in many areas real estate prices are rising so much that even locals can hardly afford to own property.

We have to take even better countermeasures.

Upper Bavaria also caused you difficulties.

The vaccination rate was particularly bad in some areas - and the criticism of the corona measures was particularly loud.

There is a traditional liberality that affects the entire Alpine region.

This is also the case in the Allgäu, in Austria or in Switzerland.

When King Max I Joseph introduced compulsory vaccination against smallpox in 1807, resistance was also greatest in the south.

So this is not an entirely new development.

This is a phenomenon that has existed for centuries.

Chic people or regulars?

What Söder prefers

If you had the choice for one evening: champagne with the chic crowd in Bogenhausen or rather to a regulars' table with a few grumpy Bavarians from the country?

Definitely regulars.

I like that better.

I can also with all grumblers (laughs).

And at the regulars' table, it is appreciated if you have a clear attitude.

You are a fan of the 1st football club Nuremberg.

But you also like FC Bayern.

For whom does your heart beat more?

They don't play each other that often these days.

The club is unfortunately in the second division.

If it comes to a duel, the sympathy is of course with Nuremberg.

But FC Bayern is a figurehead.

As a proud father of the state, I can say: if FC Bayern is doing well, then the state of Bavaria is doing well too.

I get asked about the club all over the world.

I recently caused a great deal of uncertainty at the video conference call with the other German prime ministers.

We always have background images in the State Chancellery: Bavarian mountains, lakes, landscapes.

Last time it was the Allianz Arena.

I could actually see the shock on the faces of the other Prime Ministers - because the Allianz Arena is a symbol of Bavarian strength, for others there is not much to gain here (smiles).

How do you read our newspaper?

In the original?

As an ePaper?

Or are the most important articles printed out for you?

The bad things that are in Merkur about me are reported to me immediately by my press spokesman (laughs).

Basically, I read the newspaper in the evening when it comes out.

I only read digitally now.

Between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. I look at all the relevant newspapers, starting with Merkur and tz, of course.

What do you read first?

Always politics.

I also read a lot of economics at Merkur because there is a lot of local economics in it.

And I read the Bavarian section of Merkur – I often find out about appointments and events here that I then attend.

You recently asked us about a letter to the editor, page 28, placed bottom left, rather small.

Why do you read letters to the editor so carefully?

You can tell what issues are on people's minds.

In letters to the editor, I keep finding indications of how citizens think about various topics.

This can be Corona, wind power or socially relevant worldviews.

If you had one wish.

Which Merkur headline would you like to read about yourself?

(Thinks for a long time) "Markus Söder - will easily achieve the absolute majority for the CSU".

But that this is in a comment could remain a pious wish.

Söder and Merkel: "My relationship with her was changeable"

Over the years you have developed a good relationship with Angela Merkel.

Do you know how she is?

I have SMS contact with her.

She has now retired from politics.

My relationship with her was changeable.

I used to be skeptical, especially because of the migration policy.

But during the Corona period, I really appreciated that she courageously supported our Bavarian position.

And as with all great politicians, you can learn a lot.

In difficult moments – for example at the peak of the pandemic – she sometimes sent me a kind of Confucius text message, i.e. with wisdom, to my cell phone.

That often helped in difficult times.

"My relationship with her was changeable": Markus Söder received Angela Merkel in 2020 at Chiemsee.

At the time, this was also seen as a gesture of reconciliation.

© Peter Kneffel/dpa

We heard again and again that she actually wanted you to be her successor and not Armin Laschet.

Is that correct?

I don't want to say anything about that.

These are internal things.

But I think we worked very well together.

In the Corona period, some had the impression that there were "mum" and the son-in-law, who were leading the country through difficult times together.

In difficult moments, Angela Merkel sent me Confucius SMS with wisdom.

Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder

The state elections are in a year and a half.

If the result is good - won't the chancellor candidacy in 2025 be an issue again after all?

no

For CSU chairmen, this chance only comes once in a lifetime, if at all.

And that's when the CDU has no candidate who imposes itself.

That was the case with Strauss and also with Stoiber.

In my case, the CDU leadership decided differently than the base.

For me the chapter is closed.

I am not a substitute chancellor, but Prime Minister of Bavaria.

Actually, history shows again and again: A member of the CSU belongs in Bavaria.

When you look back over the past year, is there anything you would do differently today?

(Thinks) We didn't manage to make it sufficiently clear that from Bavaria we wholeheartedly supported Armin Laschet's candidacy.

You are a politician who leaves few indifferent.

Some celebrate you, others are annoyed by Markus Söder.

Why is that?

It was no different with Strauss and Stoiber.

You can't run a state like Bavaria like Saarland.

Bavaria is big and strong and full of contradictions.

Bavaria has one of the most Dax companies of all federal states, our gross domestic product is as large as that of Saudi Arabia and larger than that of Portugal, the Czech Republic and Greece together.

In addition, we are the land of digital champions and the Munich region is developing into the Silicon Valley of Germany.

What do you like about yourself?

And what do you still have to work on?

As Prime Minister, I have a big mission: I want to continue writing the great history of Bavaria in a positive way.

I believe I can make decisions and I'm not afraid of responsibility.

In a football game, I would probably not be afraid to take the decisive penalty in the last minute – even though I know that you might get kicked out of the stadium afterwards.

I also have a broad back – sometimes this cross is maybe too wide, my children say.

But over the years one becomes milder, more relaxed and calmer.

Maybe that will happen to me at some point (laughs heartily again).

Interview: Stefan Sessler, Georg Anastasiadis and Christian Deutschländer

*The interview with Prime Minister Markus Söder will appear on Friday, May 20th, in the 140-page special supplement of our newspaper on the occasion of the "75 years of Münchner Merkur" anniversary.

You can read a word of welcome from the publisher Dirk Ippen here.

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2022-05-20

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