Last week I was a guest on the TV show “Maischberger”. It was, of course, about the Ukraine war. Norbert Röttgen, CDU man, and Amira Mohamed Ali, left-wing woman, were also invited. Unlike us journalists, they couldn’t afford an either/or, they had to take a stand. Röttgen passionately explained why we must take a firm stand against Vladimir Putin, even if he was threatening to use nuclear weapons. He’s just bluffing that irrational bombings are not to be feared. But the left representative insisted: What if Putin is irrational after all?
The question stuck with me, because it is currently being asked in many conversations. We know that Putin wants to sow precisely this uncertainty, but that alone will not make it go away. The hardened TV debate reminded me of our hardened Ukraine debates. Some say it is treason to show even the slightest doubt about our support for Kyiv, and that it is Ukraine alone to decide when the conflict will end. Others say, just as absolutely, that under no circumstances should Russia be provoked by nuclear power. In the end, however, both sides will have to meet: deterrence, yes. But also mind games as to how the conflict could end. Only: How are they supposed to succeed if shades of gray are no longer possible? These create peace in diplomacy.
Hardly anyone associates mediating tones, even a willingness to compromise, with Greta Thunberg. She’s angry, she’s loud, and she’s guaranteed not to let a bit of a crisis destroy her climate determination. But she has also: grown up. My colleague Jonas Breng met the 19-year-old Swede and she spoke to him more openly than perhaps ever before. That she is sometimes silly, that she often doesn’t stop chatting, that she is “happier” than ever.
Totally normal sentences, but they sound almost outrageous for someone as serious as Thunberg. Can a climate activist be happy, since negotiations are currently under way on how much climate protection we still want to afford in the crisis? And finally, as an editor, we asked ourselves: How should we stage Greta? Angry, face smeared with oil? Or laughing happily, full of confidence? Make your own picture of Greta.
Many domestic helpers in Germany work illegally, avoiding taxes, including in the households of journalists. And: Many entrepreneurs in Germany resort to tricks to make the balance sheet even better. So is it newsworthy when a man employs his domestic help illegally for years and seems to be dealing with wage dumping in his own company? Oh yes, it depends on the man – and what else he says. As President of Gesamtmetall, Stefan Wolf is one of the most powerful employer representatives in the republic.
Collective bargaining is pending in his industry that many others are watching. Wolf preaches renunciation, the employees don’t have to hope for wage increases, nor for warmth in the office given the high energy costs. “It’s better to have two sweaters than no job,” says Wolf. One can argue so pointedly, but shouldn’t one then be personally untouchable? Manka Heise and Christian Esser – new chief investigative reporters at RTL Germany – spent months researching with stern author Tina Kaiser whether Mr. Wolf should be trusted. Your piece should be required reading in the forthcoming metal tariff negotiations.
Yours sincerely, Gregor Peter Schmitz
