Was the TV duel against Björn Höcke a good idea for Mario Voigt? Opinions differ. A body language expert explains abnormalities of a different kind.
Berlin/Munich – Will AfD politicians be “posed” in a TV duel – or does the large television election campaign stage, which is now almost traditional in Germany, only promote the normalization of extremist positions? This question polarized before the duel between the right-wing extremist Björn Höcke and CDU state leader Mario Voigt in the Thuringian state elections. And even after the appointment on the TV channel
Welt
on Thursday (April 11th), it does not seem to be completely clarified.
What is clear, however, is that Voigt was under pressure after the much-criticized step into the duel. Just like his opponent Höcke - who, during his appearance in front of a large audience, suddenly paraphrased “remigration” as a repatriation campaign for German citizens abroad and portrayed himself as a family man with a “big heart”. According to body language expert Stefan Verra, the pressure was also clearly visible physically. As well as different behaviors and weaknesses in Höcke and Voigt. Verra
analyzed the body language of the two candidates for
IPPEN.MEDIA .
Voigt hits Höcke’s “vulnerable point” in the TV duel – but balances on a “thin line”
According to Verra, Höcke addressed “dissatisfied people” with his body language. “He immediately turns from the desk to Voigt, he gestures very strongly, his facial expressions are very restless,” explains the expert. “When I speak like that, with these little movements, you can tell that I’m actually angry.” Höcke also reflected impatience. “He would like to interrupt his counterpart whether it is the moderators or whether it is the CDU candidate.” That also indicates dissatisfaction. Höcke “did a lot of things right”, possibly “unconsciously”.
Mario Voigt, on the other hand, provided a “wonderful counterexample”. “He is very, very calm and he celebrates this calm. He is exactly the opposite pole, namely for the people who say to themselves that we have to keep the ball flat.” “He also knows that that has to be his strategy,” says Stefan Verra. "Because right at the beginning he warns Höcke and says, 'You don't have to get nervous right now.'" That's exactly Höcke's "sore point": "It not only seems very aggressive, very attacking, but also very nervous , very restless.”
“Höcke has difficulty looking at his counterpart”
Weaknesses in body language also caught Verra's eye. “Björn Höcke obviously has difficulty looking at his counterpart. By the way, it doesn't matter whether it's the CDU candidate Mario Voigt or the moderators. “He always looks towards the ground, so he avoids eye contact,” analyzed the author and coach. It is probably not a strategy: “Then it would only be observed in phases. But it’s constant with him.”
It is also noticeable that Höcke often struggled for words. “How do you know that? His gestures. He continues to fidget, going up and down. But the words come out very slowly,” explained Verra. Both together suggest that Höcke was under pressure. “If we now look at his nervous facial expressions, we can see that this is a platform that he is not yet very used to.”
Voigt showed very calm body language - but also repeatedly broke into a slight smile while listening. “He’s built very close to arrogance,” said Verra. “He actually has to be careful that this excessive security doesn’t end up in saturation, in self-confidence, where he in turn scares away the audience.” It’s a “thin line”. At the same time, Voigt's calm facial expressions did not seem "intoxicating". “But in contrast to Höcke’s body language, he speaks to the target group for whom Höcke is too aggressive.”
Höcke and Voigt make clumsy gestures in the TV duel - one thing remains clear: "Body language does not provide any content"
Verra also observed failed gestures on both sides. “What is noticeable about both of them is that they often have one hand in their trouser pocket.” In principle, this can seem “confident”. However, Höcke and Voigt used the stylistic device too persistently; That’s not how it “worked”. “Björn Höcke makes an interesting gesture: he appears to be thinking,” but with his fist under his chin, Verra explained another observation. “And he also does it while listening intently to the person he’s talking to.” This can seem “considered” – “however, if you do it a little tensely and in an inappropriate place, it comes across as clumsy.”
Verra emphasized that body language doesn't provide any content: it doesn't seem that "precise". The appearance could still have a key function. “People may no longer know exactly what the respective politician said,” he explains. “But whether he was arrogant or likeable, whether he seemed confident and assertive or not, people will know that very well.” (
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