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Putin's war reveals how tired our chancellor has become


The fact that Olaf Scholz suddenly seems so tired and so touched is due to Putin's war. And the burden he is placing on the German chancellor. But there are other reasons as well. Two, to be precise.

How exhausting it can be, how tiring it can be to spend all one's energy on not letting oneself be made "crazy" could now be seen with the chancellor. After this Scholz solo show on Maybrit Illner [a talk show format on German state TV, Skybird], the FAZ judged that every question was a "threat to his psycho-hygiene.

For a year now, Olaf Scholz has been saying that he has a concept from which he will not be dissuaded. The only problem is that important people don't understand it. The most recent example: the chancellor says the debate about fighter jets for Ukraine "makes no sense. And a day later, London says it is preparing a "ring swap" so that Poland, for example, can supply Ukraine with old Mig-29 fighter jets, which it will replace with NATO jets.

These 365 days of war have also left their mark on Scholz

Scholz is thin-skinned, he always has been, you could see that with all the Cum-Ex inquiries. The second trait is his self-assurance, one can marvel at that, but it was exactly this steadfastness against all odds that carried him into the chancellorship. Crisis situations bring out the true qualities even of leaders. These 365 days of war have also left their mark on Scholz. If you will, Putin's war reveals how tired the chancellor has become.

It's not that something new has emerged in him, it's just that what has been there for a long time is coming to the fore. Scholz said at Illner that he basically sleeps little. And there he also looked the way you look when the burden of war has simply worn you down. Why is this so striking right now?

Because there are two "players" in particular in this Scholz "game" field who are so different from him. On Twitter, more and more people are asking where Scholz hid Boris Pistorius for a year. It's a compliment, and after Pistorius's solo appearance on Markus Lanz, it was also completely clear why the new defense minister could become the "shooting star" of the traffic light government.

Pistorius' passion and dedication is what people want to see right now in all their uncertainty

Pistorius communicates with somnambulistic confidence. He is simply not afraid to make a mistake. He is disarmingly honest. And most importantly, he explains why he really enjoys doing this "****ty job." Out of a desire for responsibility, probably also as a desire to be on stage.

Passion and dedication, that's what people want to see right now. In all their uncertainty. The population is divided, you can see it in every survey, which only means: What is needed most right now is orientation. And now there is this self-confident Boris Pistorius from self-confident Osnabrück, and he provides what is needed most right now.

One example, compared to Scholz: Unlike the chancellor, Pistorius doesn't even try to push away the difficult fighter jet issue, but simply says: We don't have any that we could hand over to Ukraine. And to the question that Scholz now refuses to answer, even when asked several times, Pistorius answers crystal clear: Ukraine should win.
Annalena Baerbock makes mistakes, but she proves her "passion for job"

The second minister who is so strikingly different from the chancellor is Annalena Baerbock. She wears her heart on her sleeve, and that's why she makes outrageous mistakes that she has to pick up again afterwards. Like this "at war" with Russia. Or the "360 degrees" (instead of 180 degrees) around which Putin would have to turn. With such a thing she makes herself ridiculous with many, but with most something else prevails - her devotion. "Passion for job," is what the Yanks call it.

The US Secretary of State Anthoy Blinken is her fan, one could witness it at the security conference in Munich. Ukraine asked her to speak last before the UN General Assembly vote. And she did it really well. "Very cleverly," foreign policy expert Thomas Jäger, who also writes for FOCUS online, thought afterwards - how Baerbock avoided a vote on Russia. By making the vote on the aggressor Putin a vote on the United Nations Charter.

So in the end only questionable, because Russophile countries like North Korea and Nicaragua still openly stood by Russia's side. 141 pro-votes - if we wrote yesterday that Baerbock would get a certificate in New York, then we must also say today after the certificate award: Goal achieved. Two plus (because there were no more than last time).

If you want to convince, you can hardly do it better rhetorically than Baerbock

Baerbock's speeches are not cool analyses, but warm-hearted narratives from life and from her own experience. If you want to convince, you can hardly do better rhetorically. Baerbock introduced her speech at the United Nations like this:

"45 seconds. That's how long it takes Russian missiles to reach Kharkiv after you hear the sirens. I have met teenagers in Ukraine for whom counting to 45 is part of daily life... "

So it's no wonder that Boris Pistorius and Annalena Baerbock are now perceived as an alternative to Olaf Scholz. Whereby Pistorius has placed himself in the judgment of the population still before Baerbock. The difference between the Social Democrat and the Green: Pistorius has not yet made a mistake.

And with him, you notice the dedication, but also: the renunciation of exuberance. Instead, self-reflection: "I could never have imagined that I would have to spend billions on weapons in such a position." Plus the clear renunciation of party-political "bashing," which military expert Carlo Masala likes so much: "That's how an honest explanation of the Bundeswehr's development over the past 30 years, not one aimed at blame and shame, works." No party still had external security on the screen, Pistorius had said disarmingly honestly. And people feel: for this top job, this is probably the more appropriate attitude.

Baerbock and Pistorius go "all in," Scholz pursues reinsurance policy

The war aims, by the way, are not a trivial matter, as Scholz is trying to wipe away. It may yet become decisive. For anyone who, like Baerbock and Pistorius, wants Ukraine to win shares its war aims. Those who, like Scholz, say that Russia must not win and Ukraine must not lose are keeping everything open. Baerbock and Pistorius go "all in," while Scholz pursues reinsurance policy. He calls what Americans and Poles perceive as hesitancy "prudence.

Prudence is the formula Scholz needs to keep the more fearful part of the population with him. But prudence is also the formula Scholz needs to keep his own store, the SPD, in line.

Will "prudence" carry Scholz for another 365 days?
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