Zoff before the federal election: Hubertus Heil drives Friedrich Merz into the parade

In the final spurt to the federal election, Hubertus Heil (SPD) and Friedrich Merz (CDU) duel with Sandra Maischberger – in the end it crashes.

Berlin – Four days before the 2021 federal election, Sandra Maischberger invites two high-profile representatives of the current government parties to her ARD program: SPD Labor Minister Hubertus Heil and CDU economic expert Friedrich Merz. A combative exchange of blows.

Before Messrs Heil and Merz seal the end of the grand coalition, Maischberger’s commentators’ corner meets: this time it consists of environmental activist Hannes Jaenicke, online journalist Eva Schulz and columnist Jan Fleischhauer. When looking back at the Sunday “Triell”, Jaenicke and Schulz see the SPD candidate Olaf Scholz in front, whereas Fleischhauer praises the “aggressive” Green candidate Annalena Baerbock. In addition, it is about the climate crisis (Jaenicke: “Something has to happen”), the green stigma of the “prohibition party” and the question of whether the “solidarity” (Maischberger) between Scholz and Baerbock promises a red-green government – or, as feared by Fleischhauer, a red-green-red coalition.

“Maischberger. Die Woche “(ARD):” Not like that from above, Mr. Merz “

With the escalation that the Bundestag election campaign is a “duel” between the Union and the Social Democrats, Sandra Maischberger leads over to the panel with Hubertus Heil and Friedrich Merz. The conversation begins leisurely: memories of the youth of the top politicians, a historical look back at the history of the party. “The social democracy, I want to tell you, it has a proud history,” enthuses Heil.

In the debate about a fair tax burden, Friedrich Merz criticized the incomplete abolition of the solidarity surcharge as a “broken tax promise” by the state. Merz sees the burden on the middle class too much, Heil wants to relieve lower and middle incomes and points to the high investment needs of the 2020s. “You and I don’t need a tax cut, Mr. Merz,” says Heil. The speech “Mr. Merz” has done the SPD minister today: “Not from above, Mr. Merz” here, “We don’t have to form a coalition, Mr. Merz” there. “A torrent of speech without end,” says Merz.

“Maischberger. Die Woche “(ARD): It’s like Loriot’s

After a detour about pension policy, the frustration of Maischberger’s final question about the murder in Idar-Oberstein simmers on the television screen. There a man shot and killed a gas station employee because he had advised him of the mask requirement. Maischberger wants to know whether one has to change the way we deal with “lateral thinkers”. Friedrich Merz exercises restraint when it comes to “cross-connections” and also has “normal thinking” doubts as to whether the corona measures can continue for a long time. Hubertus Heil, however, is “horrified” by the “terrible attack”, draws connections to neo-Nazis and assumes that Merz is taking sides with the “lateral thinkers”. “Every sentence I say here is turned around by you,” rumbled Merz, “you are pretty unbearable, as you argue here.” Maischberger puts an end to it. “A very unpleasant discussion with this man,” Merz sums up – “This man is a federal minister and your fellow citizen, Mr. Merz,” countered Heil. Like Loriot.

In the talk with the commentators, Sandra Maischberger wanted to know what to think of the call by the head of health insurance, Andreas Gassen, for a “Freedom Day” end of the corona measures on October 30th. Hannes Jaenicke thinks the suggestion is “bold”, wants to “first ask science” and “wait, then decide spontaneously”. Schulz is “super suspicious” of a set end date for the pandemic, if at all the vaccination rate is decisive. Fleischhauer confesses to being a “shitty bunny”, especially with Corona. He does not really want to believe in the end of the pandemic in spring 2022, as proclaimed by the CDU health minister Jens Spahn. Regarding the discussion about the murder in Idar-Oberstein, the columnist notes: “A number of journalists are turning the discussion upside down in a way that I don’t think is okay.”

“Maischberger. Die Woche “(ARD): Virologist Hendrik Streeck on the pandemic

The Bonn virologist Hendrik Streeck is “surprised” by Spahn’s promise of “herd immunity” in the spring, after all, vaccinated people also carry the coronavirus: “This vaccine is self-protection,” says the expert. He sees Gassen’s demand for a day of freedom as an impetus for establishing the “ultimate goal” of combating corona. “We are in a transition phase from a pandemic to an endemic,” says Streeck. A possible goal could be the further vaccination of the over 60-year-olds, younger ones are not “pandemic-decisive”. Streeck recommends vaccination as a “bulletproof vest in war”, but rejects an indirect vaccination obligation due to the 2G exclusion of unvaccinated people. In general, Streeck misses an interdisciplinary expert council on dealing with the pandemic, which may be convened after the federal election. (Christian Horn)