Admittedly, it initially looked as if the appearance of quasi-Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) at Joko and Klaas would be the clear surprise coup of this television evening. And of course, it’s all a very good thing. But those who later zapped into public law were rewarded with an equally stable appearance by the 81-year-old Joachim Gauck, who is still mentally flexible.
While Scholz spoke to Geigengefidel at Prosieben, the Federal President a. D. first fight through the big tattoo at Maischberger. A clip remembers how he let the military musicians play “You have to go over seven bridges” when he left. The whole thing is of course a wink in the direction of the tattoo that is pending in Merkel’s honor (Nina Hagen, color film, you know). “Yeah, well, we all laughed about it too,” is Gauck’s brief comment.
On to the next topic, Corona, what else. In the past, Gauck had made rather different statements in this regard: Sometimes he called for more tolerance for lateral thinkers, sometimes called anti-vaccination opponents “lunatics”. When asked about the latter, Gauck said at Maischberger: “That wasn’t my best form of the day.” Sponge about it, because what follows is a former Federal President in very good shape.
In response to Maischberger’s question as to whether Corona divides society, Gauck replies that two forms of division have to be weighed up: those that unvaccinated people are currently fueling with their refusal to take part – and those that would result in compulsory vaccination. “And if we do that, Ms. Maischberger, we will see something very clear: The division that we have now is treating a large part of the population badly. The division will be when we have a stronger obligation to vaccinate would benefit society as a whole. ” In principle, he could imagine compulsory vaccination, says Gauck later, “We have had the experience that this form of interference does not erase the rights of citizens.”
“There is a form of tolerance that consists of direct conflict”
Nonetheless, Gauck thinks, you have to endure people who think differently: “There is a form of tolerance that consists of direct disputes. As in sport, the opponent is someone who you want to defeat according to the rules.” Art break. “And we may want to win.” Smile.
The former Federal President would like to see leadership from those in power “not because of the fact that I am a powerful guy, but because of the arguments put forward by the majority of experts”. Could you see it as a swipe at the traffic light negotiators, or against the NRW Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst, who had previously rummaged around on the program when asked about the full football stadiums.
At the end of the day Gauck bravely endures the obligatory sentence completion round (“Oh, that again”), then he briefly talks about the great-grandchildren and his Christmas party, which this year he may only want to celebrate as a couple. “Nice too,” he thinks. “Nice too,” agrees Maischberger.
Kathrin Müller-Lancé: Kathrin Müller-Lancé would like to say that she is only in the Arte media center. But then she likes to look exclusively at RTL to see what the celebrities are doing.