TV debate
Traffic light men at Maybrit Illner: demonstrative unity after days of bickering
The debate at Maybritt Illner may not have been so harmonious for a long time
© ZDF / Svea Pietschmann
Apparently you’ve argued enough. After 30 hours of debates behind closed doors, the SPD, Greens and FDP at Maybrit Illner deliberately presented themselves as harmonious.
Was the country saved or just the government? After the marathon meeting of the traffic light coalition, Maybrit Illner managed to get the heads of the SPD, FDP and the Greens together at one table so that they could explain their 16-page paper to the nation: “A compromise instead of a master plan – the traffic light dispute really settled ?”
Maybrit Illner’s guests
Christian Lindner (FDP), party chairman and federal finance minister
Lars Klingbeil (SPD), party chairman
Omid Nouripour (Greens), party leader
Eva QuadbeckRND Editor-in-Chief
Theo collhead of the ZDF capital city studio
The discussion
That evening, three party leaders are sitting on a talk show – all men! – and they almost always allow themselves to be talked out of, they talk calmly, almost factually, yes: they even praise and support each other. Better not to ask her at all! This is how the discussion at Maybrit Illner works. Two journalists constantly appear as explainers of the world, although they were not present at any of the coalition negotiations that lasted for days. They unknow, they can imagine things or not, they measure how long negotiations should or may be, who can now call themselves “winners” and “losers” and oracle how everything will probably continue in a few weeks or months will go. In between, the moderator still tries to sow a little argument, which is why Robert Habeck is constantly quoted without being allowed to express himself.
Christian Lindner states “that all coalition partners can be satisfied with the result” and that the Greens are not the losers they are now often considered to be. Lars Klingbeil says something similar. And Omid Nouripour can say that one has “taken a step forward” in climate protection, but that the ambitious, i.e. necessary, climate protection goals cannot yet be achieved – and to be honest, nobody can contradict that. He also says that he, that is, his party, does not want to take anyone’s car and/or tear the running gas heater out of the house. And all three say that the public tone in the coalition recently was a bit too “shrill”, Lars Klingbeil speaks of the “communication situation” and even the FDP leader remains deliberately nebulous so as not to attack anyone in his coalition. At the same time, Lindner wants to “adjust the ambition level of the heat transition” to what is considered socially or even “image” compatible.
Not even FDP Transport Minister Volker Wissing can cause a dispute here, even if Omid Nouripour says several times that the transport sector must do more to protect the climate. But even Lindner says: “We have a problem with traffic.” But this problem is also the citizens. Only when it comes down to money in the end does the potential for contradiction arise in the intimate circle, but then there is no more time for that, so that Lindner’s eternal dictum in particular sticks in one’s mind that there should be no new debts and no tax increases.
The special moment
The party leaders in the group in particular try to be very serious, which is why they constantly talk about their responsibility for the country and its citizens. Yes, everything is a little stately when they talk. Only once does Christian Lindner have to laugh. When Ms. Quadbeck comes up with the rather skewed comparison, he and Robert Habeck behaved “like a dog and a cat” to each other. Or maybe she just doesn’t have any pets.
The realization
With fewer journalists in the guest group, talk shows are often better because they are more insightful.
The conclusion
For the time being, peace has returned to the traffic light coalition. But you basically knew that before the show.