For those who were born in the early 1980s, the term “Chancellor” was closely linked to one name throughout their childhood and adolescence: Helmut Kohl. And so narrowly that it was almost written down in the head (at least in the case of the author of these lines) as one word: Federal Chancellor Helmut Kohl. And it was not uncommon for the Tagesschau to start with just that word: “Chancellor Helmut Kohl said this”, Chancellor Helmut Kohl did that”. For 16 years, since taking office in 1982.
Until the eternal chancellor – the unofficial title established itself over time – was replaced in 1998 by Gerhard Schröder. Helmut Kohl, who died in 2017, still holds the record for the perpetual chancellorship. Angela Merkel was able to stay in office just as long in years, but in the end it took a few days to catch up with or even surpass her former political foster father.
The 3 p.m. edition of the “Tagesschau” on Thursday probably caused many viewers to “throw back” to this period of Kohl’s chancellor years. Spokesman Claus-Erich Boetzkes introduced the program as follows: “Hello, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the ‘Tagesschau’. It’s really not a smooth start to the new federal government in times of the pandemic. Already on his first day at work he switches Chancellor Kohl with the Prime Ministers.”
There he was again, Chancellor Kohl, of course it should have been Chancellor Scholz. Olaf Scholz has been the ninth person in this office since Wednesday. When Boetzkes, born in 1956, moderated his first “Tagesschau” in 1997, Kohl was actually still chancellor.
ARD took the slip of the tongue with humor. The broadcaster posted the clip on social networks with the words: “Like if you still know it”. According to the numbers of hearts and click thumbs under the posts, there were or are still quite a lot. You must have experienced a déjà vu: Chancellor Helmut Kohl was back for a brief moment.
Would you like to know which people will lead the country under Chancellor Olaf Scholz in the future? The gallery shows it.
