Judith Rakers (44) was supposed to moderate this year's Semper Opera Ball on February 7th alongside Roland Kaiser (67). But the "Tagesschau" spokeswoman canceled after honoring the highly controversial Egyptian ruler Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (65) with the golden order of St. George. Now her successor has been determined: TV presenter Mareile Höppner (42) will lead through the evening alongside Kaiser.
"With Mareile Höppner, a good acquaintance and friend of the Opera Ball is returning," Ballverein boss Hans-Joachim Frey (54) said in a statement that was published on the ball's official Facebook page, among other things. "She is a wonderful host for the anniversary ball and we are very much looking forward to working together again," continued Frey. Höppner had already moderated the ball alongside Guido Maria Kretschmer (54) in 2016.
Höppner also has a say in the statement: "There was a lot of hustle and bustle around the opera ball this year. From this everyone learned its lessons, showed attitude and that was important. And yet one thing should not be forgotten. In the end, this ball is an evening for the people of Dresden. And I know how much this ball means to people. " The 42-year-old has been presenting the ARD tabloid magazine "Brisant" since 2008.
Rakers waives "any fee"
"Tagesschau" spokeswoman Judith Rakers announced last Wednesday that she had asked the ball club to terminate her moderation contract. She "offered to waive any fee" – "even for work already done," says a post on Instagram. In another post, she writes today: "In order to be transparent in the end, I would like to inform you that I have now signed the termination agreement on the part of the Opera Ball Association. So I consider the process to be complete."
The MDR transmits the ball
Rakers had previously been backed up for her decision. The broadcaster MDR has "full understanding" for their decision to "submit their moderation". "The MDR didn't make the decision easy, but decided to broadcast the Semper Opera Ball," says the statement. "Freedom of the press and freedom of expression are an indispensable value for us. That is exactly what we will express clearly in our broadcast (…) and take a critical look at the award and the current human rights situation in Egypt. At the same time, we will be working with the ball club in the future critically put to the test. "
Kaiser continues to participate
Co-moderator Kaiser also announced the consequences after the award to al-Sisi. The singer announced on Wednesday via Facebook that he would moderate the ball. The opera ball had previously apologized for the award ceremony to al-Sisi and described it as a "mistake".
Kaiser writes: "The award of the St. Georg Order of the Dresden Semper Opera Ball to the Egyptian ruler Abdel Fattah al-Sisi contradicts everything that I stand for as an artist and as a person. I distance myself from it with the greatest emphasis. If I had known beforehand, I would not have agreed to take part in the event. I take note of the apologies from the Semper Opera Ball Association. You and the assurance that the award ceremony will in no way be part of the program were a basic requirement for me to be able to maintain my Thinking about participation, "said the 67-year-old.
After talking to partners, friends and the MDR, he ultimately "decided to host the Semper Opera Ball – not in spite of, but perhaps because of, this incident," said Kaiser.