160 years SPD: The anniversary is a topic in the “heute journal”. When it comes to former chancellor Schröder, moderator Slomka has to interrupt her interview guest, SPD leader Mützenich, with a laugh.
Berlin – Finally party mood in the SPD. After the last rather strenuous weeks in the traffic light coalition, marked by the Graichen affair of the Greens and the dilemma surrounding Habeck’s heating law, there is once again a reason for the Social Democrats to raise their glasses with joy. The party is celebrating its 160th birthday these days. On May 23, 1863, the German Workers’ Association was founded in Leipzig, which later became the SPD. Today, said 160 years later, the party celebrates its remarkable existence for three days.
On the day of the anniversary itself, May 23, 2023, the “heute journal” also decided to honor this special day. Including an interview by moderator Marietta Slomka with the SPD parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich. Despite the celebratory day, he couldn’t get out of the affair without asking critical questions. Mützenich initially had to put up with questions about the postponed Bundestag consultation on the planned new heating law. Only at the end did the conversation turn towards the anniversary – albeit less congratulatory, more critical.
Slomka interviews Mützenich on the SPD anniversary: Former Chancellor Schröder is also a topic in the “heute journal”
In the center: Gerhard Schröder again. Since the beginning of the Ukraine war, the ex-Chancellor has caused shakes of the head several times with his closeness to Putin and statements about the brutal actions in Ukraine. And although Schröder is one of Germany’s four SPD chancellors alongside Willy Brandt, Helmut Schmidt and current chancellor Olaf Scholz, the 79-year-old was apparently ignored at the celebrations.
“In today’s festive speeches, a social-democratic chancellor was no longer mentioned at all: Gerhard Schröder,” Slomka began critically in conversation with Mützenich. Mützenich played the clueless. He “didn’t hear at all during these festivities that someone wasn’t mentioned,” said the group leader. Referring to the “great tradition” of the party, he stated: “Not every name can be read out.” A sentence that was apparently like a bad joke for ZDF presenter Slomka.
In the “heute journal” Mützenich avoids the Schröder question – presenter Slomka snorts in surprise
Slomka immediately interrupted the SPD politician’s remarks, already spluttering. “This is a Federal Chancellor, Mr. Mützenich, a former one. No ‘every name’”. Laughing, her features slipped a little over the statements of Mützenich. However, the SPD leader continued undeterred. You have to be careful to appreciate history, “and not individual people. We are a membership party, over 400,000. That makes you proud. Many of us don’t pay attention to our own sensitivities, so to speak, but to what they can achieve with the Social Democratic Party”. Mützenich still does not mention the name Schröder.
The status as a kind of “persona non grata” in the SPD has meanwhile increased for Gerhard Schröder in recent weeks. Among other things, there was a great stir when the ex-chancellor celebrated “Victory Day” in the Russian embassy on May 9th. His wife Soyeon Schröder-Kim even lost her job because of attending the festival. However, his misconduct was not enough to expel him from the party. In mid-May, the SPD arbitration commission decided that Schröder could remain in the party. (han)
#Slomkas #face #slips #laughing #heute #journal #SPD #leader #talks #Schröder