2023-08-22 02:54:13
The economy is starting up again everywhere, only in Germany it’s dead: lousy mood, lousy numbers, lousy prospects! Only the sayings are great again. Talkmaster Louis Klamroth (33) asks anxiously: “The economy is lame: How will Germany become top again?”
The guests
Katharina Dröge (38, Greens). The faction leader has perfected the traffic light principle: downplaying problems, still praising the bad situation and always blaming others.
Jens Spahn (43, CDU). The parliamentary group leader is once again taking a beating from the left-green liberals, most recently because of his massive criticism of the devastating German asylum policy.
Johannes Vogel (41, FDP). The party vice turns on the green family minister: “Lisa Paus does not seem to have understood the core of every welfare state: First, what can be distributed must be generated!”
Christian Kullmann (54). The “Evonik” boss Christian Kullmann raises the alarm: “In Germany we pay the world’s highest prices for electricity and energy!”
Professor Jens Suedekum (47). The economist advises Economics Minister Robert Habeck.
Catherine Kuenne (40). The qualified special education teacher runs a bakery and served the chancellor a bee sting there.
Some understand more about politics, others more about economics. Who provides information, who only sayings? The Zoff-O-Meter also pays attention to quiet sounds!
Darkest picture of the situation
Manager Kullmann starts right after the whistle like the “Evonik” kickers from Borussia Dortmund: “What makes many people bitter is that Mr. Scholz, when he campaigned for a majority for the SPD in the election campaign, promised an industrial electricity price of four cents. He forgot his promise!”
“Evonik” boss Christian Kullmann is angry
Photo: WDR/Dirk Borm
Spahn plays the ball vertically forward: “The only thing that’s growing is the unemployment rate,” the CDU vice rages. “The insolvency figures are increasing, but there is still no sign of growth. Economics and finance ministers argue like tinkers. There’s a lot of noise, but no boom anywhere.” Boom!
Rustiest lightning rod
The traffic light defenders are sticking to their tried-and-tested guilt diversion strategy: “We inherited a heavy mortgage from 16 years of CDU government,” grumbles Green parliamentary group leader Dröge. The fact that her boss Olaf Scholz was Minister of Labor and Social Affairs at the time and then Minister of Finance keeps her under the counter.
“For many years, it has been creeping down,” said FDP Vice Vogel. Spahn gets angry: “After two years of traffic lights, you have nothing to do with the economic situation in the country?” He scoffs.
But Vogel even goes one better: “Angela Merkel didn’t drive on sight, but on wear and tear!” he thunders at his brother “Jens”. The Union-FDP coalition 2009-2013 ends up under the carpet.
Johannes Vogel (41, FDP)
Photo: WDR/Dirk Borm
also read
Most Failed Counterattack
Spahn’s accusation is a “cheap counter”, judges the FDP man scornfully and then quickly switches to statesman: “The situation is too serious not to look at where the problem comes from and what can we do to solve it ?
own goal! “Sorry, then do it!” Spahn tugs at the liberals. “The economy and finance ministers have been arguing every day for two years. Whether it’s nuclear energy, tax increases, the price of industrial electricity. You can agree on smoking weed, but not on growth.” Bam!
Well-deserved nose-click
Vogel wants to step in again: “I just contradicted Jens Spahn when he tried to make cheap points that didn’t correspond to the depth and seriousness of the situation,” he grumbles again.
But the talk show host has taken the criticism to heart, which recently certified him as more polished than edge, and pushes his chest out: “I have the feeling that YOU are making cheap points now, Mr. Vogel,” he snubs the FDP man . smack! Spahn and Kullmann grin at each other.
Loudest accusation
Vogel promptly dared a test of courage and got involved in the duel between the Minister for Economic Affairs and the Minister for Family Affairs about promoting growth and basic child security: “Competition among the Greens must not stand in the way of the country’s competitiveness!” he warns the traffic light colleague to his right.
And, the FDP man continued: “In any case, we need economic growth for all government spending! Because what can be distributed must first be generated!”
Vogel’s harsh verdict: “Therefore stopping the (growth opportunity) law is an irresponsible mistake that should be resolved quickly before we get back together in the Bundestag.” Horrido!
Scariest comparison
“I find this navel-gazing debate within the coalition exciting,” says CEO Kullmann. Laughter in the audience!
But then the Evonik boss lets out his anger about the sluggish German industrial policy: “Six billion relief! Compared to the $400 billion that the American government is putting on the table, that’s like going after Godzilla with a water gun.” Bang!
Most Generous Ideas
“Six billion euros is a drop in the ocean,” complains Habeck consultant Südekum. “We’re talking more about an additional 100 billion every year by 2030, otherwise we won’t be able to transform the economy.”
Economist Prof. Jens Südekum (47)
Photo: WDR/Dirk Borm
Vogel calls for more speed and fewer taxes so that more profits remain for investments. Here the Habeck professor lets the cat out of the bag: he wants the economy to be “credit-financed” in the first place, i.e. to boost it on credit. Heidewitzka!
Most accusatory bill
Billions for large companies that are already earning stupid and stupid anyway? Kullmann pulls his chin strap tighter: “Terms like ‘corporations are plastered with money’ are pure polemics!” rumbles the Evonik boss.
Then the manager bangs his fist through the air: “It’s true that the chemical industry pays 50 billion in taxes every year!” he calls out. “That’s every second euro that goes into retirement as a subsidy from the Minister of Labor!”
Most surprising confession
Kullmann scoffs at the politicians in the panel discussion: “I am impressed by the rhetorical quality of the parliamentarians! Without the industry that is being talked about so condescendingly here, there would be no electromobility, no wind turbines, no vaccine against Corona!”
“I think it’s great that the Greens are walking this path with us,” adds the group boss, “and I’m quite sure that the FDP will also get on the path where the Greens are already.”
Hallelujah! Vogel jumps, doesn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
most legitimate concern
Baker Künne from Hanover puts the enraptured talk back on her medium-sized company’s head: “You can see everywhere that the companies are closing because they just can’t make it,” she reports, visibly depressed.
Caterina Künne (40) runs a bakery
Photo: WDR/Dirk Borm
Because, according to their complaint: “Our problem is that if the industry gets an industrial electricity price, we will simply no longer be competitive.”
Most amazing explanation
Klamroth wants to know exactly: “Would Mrs. Künne benefit from the subsidized industrial electricity price?” he asks.
“In principle, medium-sized companies also get the industrial electricity price,” Dröge lectures, “because there are two criteria: energy-intensive above a certain threshold and international competition.”
Green parliamentary group leader Katharina Dröge guest at “Hard but fair”
Photo: WDR/Dirk Borm
Most amazing evidence
How please, internationally, with seven branches for a bakery in Hanover? Booming scornful laughter in the audience. “I’m not right now!” the baker explains with amusement.
“Exactly,” agrees the Green against their own logic. “Especially in the bakery industry, there is now the case that the majority does not fall under the term ‘international competition’, but some of the big companies are actually on the list that get these perks.”
But that’s exactly the problem! Dröge absolutely does not want to recognize that she is now talking nonsense like Habeck with his legendary Klopper “Companies are not insolvent, they just stop selling.”
The topic on Monday evening: “The economy is lame: How will Germany become top again?”
Photo: WDR/Dirk Borm
Brazen claim
Vogel can only shake his head helplessly, but Dröge defiantly continues: “That’s why you have a very special case,” she wants to make Künne believe. Special? Even though the problem affects the overwhelming majority of German bakeries? groan!
“Otherwise, the criteria are very clear,” insists the Green Party. “There are many medium-sized companies that are also affected because they are also in international competition.” Just not as bakers.
Thinnest excuse
“But then your government is in favor of only big bakeries that are internationally involved,” Künne marvels, “and the small artisanal bakeries around the corner won’t exist anymore.” Sustained applause from the audience!
Answer Dröge: “That doesn’t mean that we don’t want to relieve the burden on small and medium-sized companies. For example, we have completely abolished the EEG levy, thereby providing massive relief for small and medium-sized businesses, which the CDU has not done for many years.” Groaning! The evil CDU! Over this old-fashioned commodity the cloak of Christian charity.
quote of the evening
Louis Klamroth:
I am the moderator, Mr. Spahn!
Conclusion
Confused duels, rude distortions, loud false claims, serious concentration errors (Klamroth: “Herr Dröge”): That was a talk in the “Hot oven, pale rolls” category.
#Hard #fair #Cheap #electricity #international #rolls #politics