D.During his visit with Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in July in the flood areas in North Rhine-Westphalia, he then CDU candidate for Chancellor Armin Laschet apparently laughed at jokes with a party colleague. The “Kölner Stadtanzeiger” and the editorial network Germany (RND) reported on Thursday with reference to information from bystanders. The publication of the recordings of the heartily laughing chancellor candidate in the crisis area is considered a turning point in the federal election campaign.
As reported by “Stadtanzeiger” and RND, Laschet jokingly criticized the district administrator of the Rhein-Erft district, Frank Rock (CDU), who was standing next to him for welcoming the Federal President. Mr. Steinmeier ”and not with“ Mr. Federal President ”. Rock replied to Laschet that he was so surprised that Steinmeier “is also as small as you”.
According to the report, the two CDU politicians were not aware that they could be seen in the background of a TV broadcast of the speech by the Federal President in Erftstadt, which was badly hit by the flood disaster. Steinmeier’s speech could not be heard acoustically either.
Laschet, then Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, was heavily criticized for the admission. Both he and Rock quickly apologized. However, the polls that had been good up to then for the Union parties collapsed and did not recover. The election in September was won by the SPD and its candidate Olaf Scholz.