Markus Söder was already Shrek and the cartoon hero Homer Simpson. He posed as Marilyn Monroe, the acting beauty, and Gandalf, the character from “Lord of the Rings”. When the Franconian Fastnacht in Veitshöchheim invites you to dance and the Bavarian radio broadcasts live, the father of the country is in his element. “I missed it,” says Söder, who was last in Veitshöchheim in a tuxedo in 2019 and, like all other fools, had to take a break due to the pandemic in the past two years.
Apparently it wasn’t easy to find the right costume this year when the cameras for what is by far the most watched TV show on Bayerischer Rundfunk are aimed at him: “The green sticks to you, you can’t get rid of it” , said Söder – so it couldn’t be a Shrek again. It was the same with yellow, he remembers his evening as Homer Simpson, when he couldn’t even eat or drink properly. As a punk, he didn’t fit in the car because of his bold figure and had to take the minibus.
Probably not only because the year 2023 is being counted and a state election is due in October, Söder decided on a costume with far-reaching consequences for this Friday: As a “tribal elder” he wanted to give Bavarians guidelines and orientation and guide them through the crises of the time. In times of war and inflation, pure slapstick is not really appropriate.
This time, the task is no problem for make-up artist Armin Häfner from the Nürnberger Schauspielhaus, who has been the Prime Minister’s carnival companion for many years. Häfner needs less than an hour and a half to complete Söder’s transformation. Gray beard, gray wig, vintage shirt and cape. The costume is “very airy underneath,” says the tribal elder of the Bavarians.
Markus Söder with his wife Karin Baumüller-Söder (l) and Nuremberg’s Lord Mayor Marcus König (CSU), who disguised himself as Harry Potter, and his wife Anke.
(Photo: Daniel Karmann/dpa)
Nuremberg’s Lord Mayor Marcus König sat in the cloakroom next door – and turned into Harry Potter. “The underdog who saves everything in the end,” says König. Whereupon the tribal elder, i.e. Söder, immediately used his authority and rebuked the sorcerer’s apprentice: “Don’t exaggerate, don’t challenge!” Harry Potter’s wand is also much shorter than his walking stick.