As of: February 21, 2024, 5:09 p.m
By: Hannes Niemeyer
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“Markus Lanz’s” talk is about the death of Alexei Navalny.
A ZDF correspondent chooses critical words, but no one objects.
Berlin – The end of February marks the second anniversary of Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine.
A lot has happened in the Ukraine war since then, but the areas of conflict surrounding it are also smoldering.
The fronts are more hardened than ever, not least since the death of probably the most famous critic of Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin a few days ago.
The Alexei Navalny case was of course also discussed in the “Markus Lanz” group on Tuesday evening (February 20).
Katrin Eigendorf, ZDF correspondent, also joined the broadcast live from the Ukrainian capital Kiev.
“You got to know him,” Lanz says of his TV colleague, who then gives her assessment of the mysterious death of Russian opposition leader Navalny.
Eigendorf reports on her experiences from 2011, at protest weddings in Russia.
She experienced Navalny there as a charismatic speaker.
“He could inspire people,” she reports.
The correspondent also praises Navalny’s “tremendously important role for the Russian opposition.”
ZDF correspondent Eigendorf described Navalny as a populist on “Lanz”.
© Screenshot ZDF
ZDF correspondent talks to Lanz about theories about Navalny's death - then she calls the Kremlin critic a "populist"
Eigendorf praises Navalny’s death as “a sign that makes the country particularly frozen.”
However, there are constantly new theories about what exactly could have happened - it was recently said that Russia apparently had new plans with Navalny's body.
Now there is also speculation as to whether Moscow “has negotiated a possible prisoner exchange for Navalny,” the ZDF reporter continued.
According to her, this theory raises the question of whether the death may have been unplanned.
Western politicians and Navalny's widow are now speaking offensively about an “assassination”.
Eigendorf currently sees “more questions than answers”.
The critic's death has not yet affected the ongoing war.
The correspondent explains that it “had no significance in Ukraine,” where the death was treated with a “certain indifference.”
In the midst of the speculation, Eigendorf came up with a very specific opinion about Navalny in the Lanz talk.
Lanz alludes to Navalny’s “phase that was very much characterized by nationalism.”
According to reporter Eigendorf, the late critic was “very difficult to evaluate in terms of his political stance.”
According to her, he was “not someone who followed a political version,” but rather, according to her, Navalny was “a populist” who “actually always adopted the popular ideas with which he believed he could attract attention.” .
Navalny “not someone who has pursued a political vision”: CDU politician horrified by Lanz’s statement – “ZDF should be ashamed”
A steep thesis about a person who was considered the face of the resistance against the Putin regime.
Striking: Nobody in the Lanz group contradicts or responds to the clear words.
Moderator Lanz also ignores the statements and simply leaves them in the room.
Instead, he discusses the subject of Avdiivka and Ukraine's withdrawal from the long-contested city with ZDF correspondent Eigendorf.
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A scene that did not go unnoticed by those watching on TV.
“Lanz and ZDF reporter Eigendorf denounce the freedom fighter as a 'nationalism with right-wing extremist phases' and as a 'populist'.
ZDF should be ashamed,” wrote Frank Helmenstein, CDU politician and mayor of the city of Gummersbach on X (formerly Twitter).
“That’s outrageous,” said another viewer.
Meanwhile, theories about the death of the Kremlin critic continue to spread.
Mysterious visits, for example, sparked new rumors about Navalny's death.
(han)