00:00:00
[Music]
00:00:06
the task ahead for Olaf Schultz might
00:00:08
seem straightforward keeping his job as
00:00:11
German
00:00:12
[Music]
00:00:13
[Applause]
00:00:18
Chancellor but this man has other
00:00:21
plans and there are five other
00:00:23
politicians also hoping to Triumph in
00:00:25
the upcoming elections following a
00:00:28
campaign that is anything but
00:00:33
straightforward who will manage to win
00:00:35
the people's confidence confidence that
00:00:38
has been lost in recent
00:00:43
years most people no longer trust
00:00:45
politicians because they've often been
00:00:47
deceived I haven't been able to explain
00:00:50
government policy to people for a long
00:00:54
time is there anything you regret at
00:00:56
this point
00:01:00
no I've made some difficult decisions
00:01:03
and they put people through a lot
00:01:05
there's been a loss of
00:01:07
trust there are so many people wanting
00:01:09
to become Chancellor it's crazy they're
00:01:11
all fantasizing about their dream
00:01:14
job running as a candidate for
00:01:16
Chancellor is an enormous
00:01:19
step there's a huge challenge ahead of
00:01:21
us and we have to rise to it because if
00:01:24
we don't then in four years time our
00:01:26
democracy May no longer be
00:01:28
functional function
00:01:30
[Music]
00:01:41
yet Germans confidence in their
00:01:43
government has been dwindling for some
00:01:45
time but it reached a low point last
00:01:48
year what happened in November 2024
00:01:51
brought about a fundamental change in
00:01:53
the political
00:01:56
landscape photographer Clemens Bean
00:01:59
documented a series of meetings in the
00:02:01
federal chancell between Olaf Schultz
00:02:04
and then still Finance Minister
00:02:06
Christian
00:02:06
[Music]
00:02:14
Lindner one evening I suggested to
00:02:16
Chancellor Schultz that if we couldn't
00:02:18
agree on a New Economic and financial
00:02:19
policy if we couldn't figure out a
00:02:21
budget together then it was time for new
00:02:26
election he asked if my free Democratic
00:02:28
party would quit the co before the
00:02:30
following Wednesday I told him
00:02:35
no were things still open at that
00:02:39
point from my point of view yes which
00:02:42
was why I asked for the
00:02:44
meeting that's why I asked when we were
00:02:47
discussing the details of the
00:02:49
budget whether the rumored exit was
00:02:52
planned for a specific day on this or
00:02:54
that date
00:02:57
[Music]
00:03:00
it was my attempt to bring about an
00:03:04
understanding two days later the leaders
00:03:06
of the government known as the traffic
00:03:08
light Coalition due to the colors of the
00:03:10
social Democrats the greens and the free
00:03:13
Democrats met for a cabinet
00:03:16
[Music]
00:03:21
meeting right up until that Wednesday
00:03:24
around midday I was still hoping that we
00:03:27
would reach agreement
00:03:30
I believe that many of my Minister
00:03:32
colleagues had no feeling at all that
00:03:34
this might be the last cabinet meeting
00:03:36
of the Coalition in that particular
00:03:42
lineup journalist Robert P dug into the
00:03:46
last days of the traffic light Coalition
00:03:48
and discovered Revelations that would
00:03:50
later cause quite a stir after their
00:03:54
publication he found out that the free
00:03:56
Democrats or fdp had been planning to
00:03:59
exit the C coition for
00:04:04
weeks what was new to me was how
00:04:06
actively the FTP had plotted this
00:04:09
move it was a deliberate even scripted
00:04:12
plan to break up the
00:04:15
government since the end of September
00:04:17
the leadership of the fdp had held
00:04:19
several meetings in various
00:04:21
constellations and developed a plan to
00:04:23
quit the government it was an
00:04:25
orchestrated
00:04:28
move in the leaders of the Coalition
00:04:32
held a meeting on that fateful Wednesday
00:04:38
evening what ensued was nothing less
00:04:41
than a
00:04:43
showdown I'm standing here outside the
00:04:45
chancell where the Coalition is
00:04:47
negotiating its
00:04:48
future it's no longer a question of
00:04:50
whether the government will collapse but
00:04:54
when Chancellor Schultz held a press
00:04:56
conference and made the bombshell
00:04:58
announcement
00:05:01
[Music]
00:05:03
I have asked the German president to
00:05:05
dismiss the Minister of
00:05:06
Finance too often Christian Lindner has
00:05:09
blocked laws on unreasonable
00:05:12
grounds too often he has engaged in
00:05:14
Petty party political tactics too often
00:05:18
he has broken my trust dear fellow
00:05:20
citizens I would have liked to have
00:05:22
speared you this difficult decision
00:05:30
shortly after the Chancellor's
00:05:32
announcement Christian Lindner struck
00:05:35
[Music]
00:05:40
back his carefully prepared statement
00:05:43
proves that Olaf Schultz was no longer
00:05:45
interested in reaching a viable
00:05:47
agreement but rather in a calculated
00:05:50
split in the
00:05:58
coalitional the morning after the
00:06:00
Coalition collapse all eyes were on the
00:06:02
leader of the opposition friederich MZ
00:06:05
were his party the Christian Democratic
00:06:08
CDU to win the new election he would be
00:06:13
[Music]
00:06:20
Chancellor ladies and gentlemen as of
00:06:22
last night the traffic light Coalition
00:06:24
is
00:06:27
history the day began yesterday with the
00:06:30
news that Donald Trump had won the
00:06:31
presidential election in the
00:06:36
US what does it mean that this happened
00:06:38
to be on the same day that the
00:06:40
government in Germany fell
00:06:45
apart people here are now looking at us
00:06:47
myself included even more closely and
00:06:50
asking themselves the question are they
00:06:52
up to the job will they do a better
00:06:55
job 5 days after the coalition's
00:06:58
premature end Vice Chancellor and
00:07:00
economics Minister Robert Harbeck
00:07:02
traveled to Lisbon by government
00:07:04
airplane for a web technology conference
00:07:07
he had just announced his intention to
00:07:09
be the green Party's candidate for
00:07:12
[Music]
00:07:14
Chancellor in Lisbon he already seemed
00:07:16
in fighting spirit and ready for the
00:07:18
election
00:07:20
campaign start of something get up
00:07:23
straighten the back do Sunday believe in
00:07:26
the future
00:07:28
[Music]
00:07:35
his flight back to Berlin was postponed
00:07:37
due to his brand new government plane
00:07:39
breaking
00:07:40
down Harbeck had to stay an extra night
00:07:43
in Lisbon missing important appointments
00:07:45
in the German
00:07:53
capital a replacement aircraft arrived
00:07:56
the next
00:07:57
morning that's messed up your schedule
00:07:59
you were supposed to be speaking in
00:08:01
Berlin right now right the chancellor is
00:08:04
making a statement and I was supposed to
00:08:06
be speaking too anel bearok will do it
00:08:09
instead and she'll do a great
00:08:12
job harbeck's bid for the chancellorship
00:08:15
got off to a rocky start and his green
00:08:17
party has lost considerable popular
00:08:19
support since joining the government
00:08:22
meanwhile earlier in the fall the
00:08:24
far-right populist alternative for
00:08:26
Germany or afd had made significant
00:08:29
gains in Regional State elections could
00:08:32
Alice vital succeed in doing the same
00:08:35
across the rest of the country vdal was
00:08:38
Keen for the party to put her forward as
00:08:40
its candidate for
00:08:53
Chancellor vital wasted no time laying
00:08:56
into what was left of the coalition
00:08:58
government as as well as the opposition
00:09:00
led by frederich
00:09:05
MZ we volunte we want peace in Ukraine
00:09:09
we don't want arms deliveries we don't
00:09:11
want tanks we don't want
00:09:13
missiles we don't want tourist missiles
00:09:16
for Ukraine that would involve Germany
00:09:18
in the war I say to Fred MZ if he really
00:09:22
wants to supply weapons then he can also
00:09:24
volunteer to fight and not hand over our
00:09:27
soldiers to this suicide
00:09:30
he should go there himself along with
00:09:32
har with Anton H with
00:09:35
analina they should go to Ukraine
00:09:37
themselves and leave our people and our
00:09:39
soldiers in
00:09:43
peace sacked Finance Minister Christian
00:09:46
litner was at pains to shift attention
00:09:48
away from the Coalition collapse
00:09:50
criticizing the economic and climate
00:09:52
policy of his former government partners
00:09:56
[Applause]
00:10:02
Germany is taking a unique approach to
00:10:05
climate and energy
00:10:07
policy we are the largest economy in
00:10:10
Europe we are abandoning nuclear energy
00:10:13
and yet we want to be climate neutral 5
00:10:15
years earlier than other European
00:10:20
countries I think that's a religious
00:10:22
goal but not a physically achievable
00:10:27
one anyone who thinks that global
00:10:29
warming is a religious idea has not
00:10:31
understood that it's about physics and
00:10:34
if Germany doesn't do its bit Europe
00:10:36
won't do its bit and then how are we
00:10:38
supposed to go to India and Indonesia
00:10:40
and say guys we have a problem you need
00:10:42
to stop building Coal Fired power plants
00:10:45
they'll just look at us and say why when
00:10:47
you've just ditched your climate
00:10:49
targets it was now the end of November
00:10:52
and Christian lintner's recent past
00:10:55
caught up with him
00:10:57
[Music]
00:11:22
inter
00:11:34
the fdp did not pursue a plan that was
00:11:36
aiming towards breaking up the
00:11:40
Coalition the coverage of various
00:11:43
indiscretions was of course used by our
00:11:45
political opponents in particular the
00:11:47
SPD and greens to cast doubts on our
00:11:55
motives the small town of schmalenberg
00:11:57
in Western Germany suddenly found itself
00:12:00
in the spotlight Chancellor candidate
00:12:02
Friedrich matz was seeking the
00:12:04
nomination as the cdu's direct candidate
00:12:07
for the local
00:12:12
constituency mats likewise ped scorn on
00:12:15
his Rivals economic and climate policy
00:12:18
especially the
00:12:20
[Applause]
00:12:20
[Music]
00:12:28
greens pumps and electromobility are
00:12:30
examples of how a misguided and messed
00:12:32
up Economic Policy have driven this
00:12:34
country into recession for the second
00:12:36
year
00:12:40
running the state should not be deciding
00:12:42
how we heat how we drive how we eat how
00:12:45
we
00:12:46
live it's our task as politicians simply
00:12:49
to ensure sound General conditions for
00:12:52
everyone Fredick meths was selected with
00:12:55
almost 100% support but recent
00:12:59
developments overshadowed his success
00:13:02
the revelations surrounding the fdp
00:13:04
continued to haunt the political
00:13:07
[Applause]
00:13:11
landscape what we saw with the fdp has
00:13:13
shaken many people's confidence it
00:13:16
cemented The Narrative that the
00:13:17
established Democratic parties are no
00:13:19
better than the
00:13:20
others that's the narrative that the afd
00:13:22
likes to push that the fringes like to
00:13:24
push that the political Elite is
00:13:27
basically deciding politics in back room
00:13:29
and lying to the public and that of
00:13:32
course has shaken confidence in
00:13:33
democracy as a
00:13:39
whole the social Democrats were
00:13:41
struggling with their own crisis of
00:13:43
confidence internal division over
00:13:45
whether Olaf Schultz should even lead
00:13:47
the party into the election further
00:13:50
damaged their performance in the
00:13:53
polls the damage for Olaf Schultz is
00:13:56
that in addition to the lack of faith
00:13:58
that exists in the pop and that can be
00:14:00
seen in the polls it has become clear
00:14:02
that large parts of his own party no
00:14:05
longer believe in this candidate for
00:14:09
Chancellor there was a demand from the
00:14:11
party's Youth Organization for Change
00:14:13
and also from other parts of the SPD in
00:14:16
the upcoming election campaign what are
00:14:17
you planning to
00:14:22
change I don't think they meant that I
00:14:24
should change into someone else but that
00:14:26
the campaign should get started and it
00:14:28
is
00:14:30
despite the internal Discord the party
00:14:32
did its best to present itself as a team
00:14:36
while one relatively new party has a
00:14:38
very different approach the Zara varen
00:14:41
conect Alliance economically left-wing
00:14:44
but culturally conservative is just one
00:14:46
year
00:14:48
old at the presentation of its election
00:14:50
campaign it was clear that this is a
00:14:53
party revolving around one person its
00:14:56
founder and leader
00:15:01
[Music]
00:15:05
asked which other party she had most in
00:15:08
common with the first thing vgan connect
00:15:10
mentions is the afd's migration
00:15:17
policy I was one of those who said back
00:15:20
in 2015 and 16 that this naive welcome
00:15:23
culture would lead to enormous
00:15:26
problems first of all it was considered
00:15:28
racist to even say that there are
00:15:30
islamist parallel societies that there
00:15:32
is also a problem with radical islamism
00:15:35
that there's a problem with failed
00:15:37
integration you weren't allowed to say
00:15:39
any of that and then the afd came along
00:15:42
and did say it and got into the bundist
00:15:44
because all the other parties refused to
00:15:46
address these
00:15:47
issues and now all of them the CDU most
00:15:51
of all maybe not the greens but
00:15:53
definitely the SPD have also changed
00:15:56
their tune
00:15:59
the question is whether people will buy
00:16:00
that to many Zara varen connect is a
00:16:03
charismatic figure and she's not short
00:16:06
of autograph hunters in its focus on a
00:16:09
single person the party clearly differs
00:16:11
from its
00:16:14
[Music]
00:16:19
Rivals are we on time are we running
00:16:25
late most people no longer trust
00:16:27
politicians because they often been
00:16:29
deceived by
00:16:30
them this election campaign is no
00:16:32
different the SPD is promising to do the
00:16:35
exact opposite of what it's always done
00:16:38
not credible the CDU is promising huge
00:16:41
tax cuts but doesn't say how it plans to
00:16:43
finance it it wants to comply with the
00:16:45
debt break and increase armaments it
00:16:47
doesn't add
00:16:48
up in mid December all the candidates
00:16:51
were present in Parliament the bundestag
00:16:54
chancellor Olaf Schultz had called a
00:16:56
vote of confidence which he expected to
00:16:58
lose
00:17:01
the plan was that it would pave the way
00:17:03
for early elections leading the polls
00:17:06
the center right CDU and its Regional
00:17:09
Bavarian sister party the
00:17:12
CSU Alice vital was waiting to seize her
00:17:15
chance the afd is in second place in the
00:17:18
polls so theoretically power would be
00:17:21
within her reach but at this point none
00:17:24
of the other parties were prepared to
00:17:26
form a coalition with the afd for the
00:17:29
foreseeable future vital knew she'd have
00:17:31
to make do with a supporting
00:17:34
role before the vote of confidence on
00:17:36
this historic day Schultz criticized his
00:17:39
former Finance Minister lintner for
00:17:42
planning to deliberately break up the
00:17:46
Coalition politics is not a game ladies
00:17:49
and
00:17:50
gentlemen joining a government requires
00:17:53
moral
00:17:56
maturity anyone who joins a government
00:17:59
Bears responsibility for the whole
00:18:02
country the way you address the fdp and
00:18:05
Christian Linda in particular this
00:18:07
morning ah yes and so respectful that
00:18:10
response from you
00:18:17
too Mr Chancellor it's not just
00:18:20
disrespectful it's sheer
00:18:27
impertinent I'm if you think about why
00:18:29
the government failed the term vote of
00:18:31
confidence is extremely loaded because
00:18:34
ultimately we had no confidence in each
00:18:37
other and people deserve politicians and
00:18:40
policies they can
00:18:43
trust many people in Germany want
00:18:45
politics to change but you can't assume
00:18:48
that everything will change after the
00:18:49
election we truly hope that the various
00:18:52
political forces will realize that we
00:18:54
cannot continue with the failed
00:18:56
approaches of the past
00:19:00
the real problem is that the established
00:19:02
parties from the right to the left have
00:19:05
gradually lost the confidence of the
00:19:07
population and that needs
00:19:20
fixing December the 16th was a day of
00:19:23
disillusionment in Berlin the attempt to
00:19:25
form a government with three very
00:19:27
different partners had gone badly
00:19:32
[Music]
00:19:40
wrong and the problems were mounting
00:19:43
shortly before Christmas Olaf Schultz
00:19:45
traveled to Brussels for a European
00:19:47
Summit Europe's heads of state and
00:19:49
government were deeply
00:19:55
unsettled Donald Trump will be back in
00:19:58
just over weeks and with it being
00:20:00
unclear what he wants people here are
00:20:02
feeling
00:20:03
nervous including Vadim zinski would
00:20:07
Donald Trump as president stop
00:20:09
supporting his country would he Force
00:20:11
Ukraine to
00:20:13
[Music]
00:20:16
capitulate Olaf Schultz had a delicate
00:20:18
task ahead of him an important direct
00:20:21
phone call with Donald Trump it will be
00:20:24
their second conversation since the US
00:20:26
election in November
00:20:29
[Music]
00:20:33
could he persuade Trump to continue his
00:20:35
support for
00:20:37
[Music]
00:20:42
Ukraine the phone call with the US
00:20:44
president elect lasted 20
00:20:47
minutes do you know more about Donald
00:20:49
Trump's intentions after this call Donal
00:20:54
TR for me both our conversations have
00:20:56
been very important and also the
00:20:59
communication between our
00:21:02
advisers because I can now well imagine
00:21:05
developing a coordinated policy and
00:21:07
approaching this as a Joint
00:21:11
Task what was the mood like on these
00:21:15
calls both phone calls were very
00:21:19
friendly after the phone call with Trump
00:21:21
Olaf Schultz seemed satisfied enough
00:21:24
even so the poll suggested that his
00:21:26
chances of remaining Chancellor are
00:21:32
slim been I'm confident about the
00:21:35
outcome of the
00:21:37
election I've often observed that the
00:21:39
last few meters are decisive whatever
00:21:42
the
00:21:47
predictions so far I've always been
00:21:50
successful when I've
00:21:51
stood plus it'll be February and my
00:21:55
greatest electoral success to date was
00:21:57
also in February
00:22:01
[Music]
00:22:03
the next day a murderous attack sent
00:22:05
shock waves through
00:22:07
[Music]
00:22:10
Germany six people died and around 300
00:22:14
were injured when a car plowed through a
00:22:16
Christmas Market in
00:22:18
magor at first the motives behind the
00:22:21
attack were unclear but it immediately
00:22:24
triggered a heated political
00:22:27
debate Olaf schz and opposition leader
00:22:30
friederick MZ both rushed to the scene
00:22:32
of the
00:22:37
attack such terrible events can all too
00:22:40
easily be exploited by
00:22:43
politicians especially those who tend
00:22:45
towards right-wing populism let's
00:22:49
say that's why it's very telling that
00:22:52
although this terrible attack was
00:22:54
carried out by someone who is critical
00:22:56
of
00:22:57
Islam some people are claiming that it
00:22:59
was an islamist
00:23:05
[Music]
00:23:07
attack two days after Schultz and MZ
00:23:10
Alice vital also traveled to magur
00:23:13
although it had already been established
00:23:15
that the attacker was an atheist and a
00:23:17
Critic of Islam vdal claimed the
00:23:19
perpetrator was an Islamic
00:23:23
terrorist dear people of
00:23:26
mberg we are gathered here to
00:23:28
commemorate the victims of an act of
00:23:33
[Music]
00:23:35
Madness an act that exceeds what anyone
00:23:38
here would consider
00:23:41
[Music]
00:23:44
possible an
00:23:46
act carried out by an
00:23:50
islamist that is simply a lie it's a
00:23:54
terrible attack carried out by someone
00:23:57
who is profoundly
00:23:59
Disturbed the afd shoehorns everything
00:24:02
into their narrative which cannot be
00:24:04
rationally
00:24:06
explained it's their ideology and
00:24:09
everything that doesn't fit is made to
00:24:14
fit in January the afd held its Party
00:24:17
Conference in Reza Saxony more than
00:24:20
10,000 protesters also turned up
00:24:23
delaying the start of the
00:24:25
event although there had been many power
00:24:28
struct and Leadership changes within the
00:24:30
afd during its 12year history Alice vdal
00:24:34
appears to have a firm grip on the party
00:24:38
leadership she's like a figle for this
00:24:40
party because she's a woman a lesbian
00:24:43
she has slightly darker skinned children
00:24:46
and yet she still stands for the
00:24:49
afd so if you accuse it of being
00:24:51
homophobic or misogynistic or racist it
00:24:54
can always say well what about Alice WID
00:24:59
at the Party Conference vitals tone and
00:25:02
choice of words Were
00:25:03
[Applause]
00:25:09
Striking this is a clear message to the
00:25:12
whole world Germany's bordies are closed
00:25:15
my
00:25:16
friends they are
00:25:24
closed and let me tell you if it's going
00:25:27
to be called remigration then let's say
00:25:32
[Applause]
00:25:36
it it's not just the word but also the
00:25:40
way it's used that reminds me of the
00:25:42
word
00:25:45
deportation it's aggressive full of
00:25:51
hate it exploits an existing problem to
00:25:54
whip up anger against all people in
00:25:56
Germany with a migration
00:26:02
background when I hear the word and in
00:26:05
that tone sends shivers down my
00:26:09
spine the next election will be in 2029
00:26:12
and then the next in
00:26:15
2033 133 in German history was
00:26:23
enough yeah does that says a lot more
00:26:26
about Fred M and his level of Education
00:26:29
than it does about the
00:26:30
afd so I won't
00:26:36
comment robet Harbeck is campaigning his
00:26:39
own way reaching out directly to the
00:26:42
people visiting voters in their homes
00:26:45
and supporting campaign Volunteers in
00:26:48
pedestrian
00:26:52
zones we need to turn around this
00:26:54
depressed downbeat mood always blaming
00:26:56
others into a more positive attitude
00:26:59
saying yes there are problems perhaps
00:27:01
bigger than we've seen for
00:27:03
years but we're not giving
00:27:10
up like the others Harbeck has a strong
00:27:13
social media presence which helps to
00:27:16
boost his
00:27:18
visibility can you send those photos to
00:27:20
Max the ones you just took with your
00:27:23
cell
00:27:24
phone let's see what they can do with
00:27:27
them
00:27:30
I'll show you the pictures I
00:27:38
took H
00:27:42
funny social media is playing a bigger
00:27:45
role than ever in this election campaign
00:27:48
Elon Musk has been openly supporting the
00:27:50
far-right
00:27:52
afd Elon Musk Elon Musk is voicing his
00:27:55
political opinions fair enough
00:27:59
Germany Will Survive but what is a
00:28:02
problem is that he is the richest man in
00:28:04
the world and his assets include
00:28:09
x if his tweets have a lot of reach
00:28:12
because of selective use of
00:28:14
algorithms and afd content is boosted
00:28:17
more than spbd greens and CDU
00:28:20
content then that is a problem for our
00:28:27
democracy all the candidates on the
00:28:29
campaign Trail have been making
00:28:30
appearances in large
00:28:36
venues here in Lubec Harbeck has
00:28:38
Enlisted the support of current foreign
00:28:40
minister analina bebok the greens front
00:28:43
runner in the last election now it's
00:28:46
harbeck's turn here also addressing his
00:28:48
party's rejection by the Christian
00:28:51
democrats there yet anyone these days
00:28:54
who excludes certain parties from
00:28:55
Coalition negotiations is going to
00:28:58
breaking a promise or is making this
00:29:00
country increasingly difficult to
00:29:05
[Applause]
00:29:14
govern the greens campaign strategy is
00:29:17
mainly a response to criticism of the
00:29:22
greens because from all sides rightly or
00:29:26
wrongly they're accused of Po
00:29:28
that don't take into account the
00:29:30
concerns of ordinary
00:29:32
people that they're
00:29:37
elitist the party's election campaign
00:29:39
hadn't gone well while Harbeck got
00:29:41
bogged down in a debate about social
00:29:43
security contributions the greens were
00:29:46
shaken by an internal Scandal involving
00:29:49
fake harassment claims against a member
00:29:51
of
00:29:52
[Applause]
00:29:54
parliament meanwhile the afd was
00:29:56
becoming the CDU main rival and
00:29:59
friederich MZ had to decide on a
00:30:01
strategy and whether to go on the
00:30:06
offensive then another attack occurred
00:30:09
the perpetrator being an Afghan Asylum
00:30:12
Seeker reignited the immigration
00:30:24
debate the German Chancellor does not
00:30:26
have the same power to in such a case
00:30:29
the way a US president
00:30:31
can but our constitution means he does
00:30:34
have an instrument at his disposal and
00:30:36
that is the authority to issue
00:30:38
directives I have decided to do
00:30:40
something that has never been done
00:30:41
before in the history of postwar
00:30:44
Germany on the first day that I in
00:30:46
office if the voters in Germany agree I
00:30:49
will instruct the ministry of the
00:30:50
Interior to carry out checks at all
00:30:52
German borders and to thw all attempts
00:30:54
to enter Germany illegally
00:30:58
in Germany there is the basic law and
00:31:00
there are treaties that EU member states
00:31:02
have
00:31:03
signed so you cannot simply announce
00:31:06
you'll Implement a plan
00:31:11
that according to the law you cannot do
00:31:15
and that could be overturned by the
00:31:16
Constitutional court and other courts
00:31:39
you know what this means fredi matz is
00:31:41
breaking the so-called firewall against
00:31:43
the
00:31:45
afd this is the standard discussion that
00:31:48
puts me in a situation where I am no
00:31:49
longer allowed to do anything in the
00:31:51
bundist that might have afd
00:31:54
support honestly I don't care
00:31:58
anyone who doubts my stance on the afd
00:32:00
should please listen to my
00:32:02
speeches we don't work with them and we
00:32:05
don't govern with them we don't discuss
00:32:07
joint motions with
00:32:10
them a few days later in the bundes tar
00:32:13
a non-binding motion put forward by the
00:32:15
CDU to toughen migration measures was
00:32:18
passed in Parliament thanks to backing
00:32:21
from the afd who could barely believe
00:32:23
their luck
00:32:25
[Music]
00:32:29
this is the start of a new era right now
00:32:32
and we are in the Forefront the forces
00:32:35
of the
00:32:37
afd if they gave us a majority then
00:32:39
that's
00:32:42
[Applause]
00:32:45
regrettable but no one can deny freely
00:32:47
elected members of the bundestag
00:32:49
including my group the right to put
00:32:51
motions to the vote that we believe in
00:32:58
2 Days Later his bill failed
00:33:01
spectacularly frederich MZ wanted to
00:33:03
weaken Alice vital afd did his maneuver
00:33:07
in fact strengthen
00:33:09
them the election campaign took on a
00:33:12
completely new dynamic as the scale of
00:33:15
the challenges awaiting the next
00:33:16
government became
00:33:18
clear
00:33:20
immigration the
00:33:22
economy climate
00:33:24
change failing
00:33:26
infrastructure and the lingering threat
00:33:28
and fear of
00:33:31
[Music]
00:33:35
War what have your biggest defeats and
00:33:37
greatest successes
00:33:41
been to me the Russian attack on Ukraine
00:33:45
Remains the biggest
00:33:47
challenge it threatens the peace that
00:33:49
has reigned in Europe for
00:33:51
decades it changed everything that's the
00:33:54
biggest problem for Germany for Europe
00:34:02
but we did the right thing I managed to
00:34:05
establish a special fund for our
00:34:07
military and we're spending more on
00:34:09
defense but not neglecting what matters
00:34:11
for the
00:34:14
future that's a good thing
00:34:20
too the supply of weapons to Ukraine
00:34:23
will also be an issue for the next
00:34:25
government regardless of who is
00:34:29
Chancellor we need a common European
00:34:32
response in my opinion it would have
00:34:35
been better from the outset if we hadn't
00:34:37
taken our queue solely from the US but
00:34:40
had taken a common stance especially
00:34:42
with France and Britain with regard to
00:34:44
the supply of cruise
00:34:47
missiles it's sheer Madness Russia would
00:34:50
probably see it as a declaration of war
00:34:53
because these missiles have to be
00:34:54
programmed by German soldiers and if
00:34:56
German soldiers program missiles that
00:34:58
can go deep into Russia to Moscow or
00:35:00
Target Russian nuclear arsenals then
00:35:03
we're at War I think that's completely
00:35:10
irresponsible and there's yet another
00:35:12
major challenge awaiting the next
00:35:14
government and
00:35:18
[Music]
00:35:19
leader he name it Donald Trump what do
00:35:21
you think of Donald Trump they say he's
00:35:23
a businessman and so were you maybe
00:35:26
there'll be some common ground
00:35:29
yeah we do at least have the same
00:35:31
professional
00:35:32
experience or let's say a similar
00:35:35
professional
00:35:37
background you weren't in real estate no
00:35:41
and I haven't done a lot that Trump has
00:35:43
done but we do perhaps have similar
00:35:46
experiences outside of politics we
00:35:48
aren't career
00:35:50
politicians what have you got in
00:35:52
common well working professionally
00:35:55
everyday life working transatlantically
00:35:57
working in the
00:36:00
US I was chairman of the supervisory
00:36:03
Board of the German branch of the
00:36:04
largest US asset
00:36:09
manager I also understand the way
00:36:11
Americans do
00:36:13
business that helps me to understand how
00:36:16
Trump thinks and
00:36:19
acts so you're confident that you get on
00:36:22
with Trump Don
00:36:27
have to you're missing
00:36:29
this all the candidates for Germany's
00:36:32
leadership paid close attention to
00:36:34
Trump's speech on his inauguration
00:36:38
[Music]
00:36:44
day so what did they make of what he had
00:36:47
to
00:36:50
say Were you invited no does that bother
00:36:54
you not being invited or not being there
00:36:56
both
00:36:58
neither the Golden Age of America begins
00:37:01
right
00:37:05
now I will very simply put America
00:37:12
First
00:37:14
this I'm glad to hear this it makes me
00:37:17
proud for the United States that it now
00:37:20
has an astute president who above all
00:37:23
and crucially doesn't see the interests
00:37:25
of Americans as secondary but puts them
00:37:32
first well the afd has said very clearly
00:37:35
that it's prot Trump and that's why it's
00:37:37
not a party that represents our
00:37:39
interests because German interests are
00:37:42
different from us
00:37:44
interests an afd that runs after Trump
00:37:47
is betraying the interests of the people
00:37:49
here in
00:37:51
Germany mention here first I will
00:37:55
declare a national emergency at our
00:37:57
Southern
00:38:02
border all illegal entry will
00:38:05
immediately be halted and we will begin
00:38:08
the process of returning millions and
00:38:10
millions of criminal aliens back to the
00:38:13
places from which they came and I will
00:38:16
send troops to the southern border to
00:38:19
repel the disastrous invasion of our
00:38:25
country you would never use the word
00:38:27
Invasion would
00:38:28
you I would not for good
00:38:34
reason I suspect that if you were to ask
00:38:36
the majority of the population in
00:38:37
Germany they wouldn't have a problem
00:38:39
with this word
00:38:42
why because in Germany what with the
00:38:46
large number of immigrants we've seen in
00:38:48
recent
00:38:49
years the feeling in the cities and
00:38:51
towns is probably closer to Trump's view
00:38:55
than to the balanced objective and at
00:38:57
terms used
00:39:01
here invasion is language used to
00:39:04
describe enemies who want to be back he
00:39:07
wants to send the Army to deal with
00:39:10
them I don't think it's wise for people
00:39:12
who want to be in government in Germany
00:39:14
to critique the language used by a
00:39:16
foreign Head of State in the
00:39:19
media things can be quoted back to you
00:39:21
when you're in office and our overriding
00:39:24
interest is to keep the relationship
00:39:26
with the United States of America
00:39:27
healthy and
00:39:31
intact we don't get to choose our dance
00:39:33
Partners as it were who governs where in
00:39:36
the world is decided by the people there
00:39:38
if we're talking about democracies and
00:39:40
not by
00:39:42
us it might get a bit wild not a Fox
00:39:45
Trot but more hip hop and rock and roll
00:39:48
right we ready for rock and
00:39:53
roll none of the candidates running for
00:39:56
Chancellor seem intimidated by the
00:39:59
responsibility in fact it's what
00:40:01
galvanizes
00:40:04
them why do you want to remain
00:40:09
Chancellor I want to remain Chancellor
00:40:11
because I want to make sure that our
00:40:13
country remains in good shape that we
00:40:15
can cope with the future and we don't
00:40:17
squabble over what needs to be
00:40:20
done for example more security versus
00:40:23
good pensions good nursing and
00:40:25
Healthcare more investment in
00:40:28
infrastructure peace and security are
00:40:30
Central
00:40:32
issues how fit are you I feel
00:40:42
fit a simple question Mr Ms why do you
00:40:46
want to be
00:40:50
Chancellor because ultimately I feel
00:40:52
responsible for our country
00:40:57
I feel I can do it that people trust me
00:41:00
to do it and I don't want to sh the
00:41:04
responsibility I've always said that I
00:41:06
don't need former Chancellor written on
00:41:08
my
00:41:09
gravestone but I have a duty to this
00:41:12
country should be on your gravestone
00:41:15
it's not up to
00:41:18
me that's your EP it's not up to me what
00:41:21
it says got it that's not what drives me
00:41:25
having this title what drives me is
00:41:27
wanting to improve things seeing what we
00:41:30
can do to make Germany
00:41:35
better who will be the next German
00:41:38
chancellor who is up to the job it
00:41:41
remains a question of belief and a vote
00:41:44
of confidence
00:41:50
[Music]
00:42:03
[Applause]
00:42:04
[Music]
00:42:06
[Applause]
00:42:07
[Music]
