The Sunday evening talk show on Erste has a new face. After saying goodbye to Anne Will, Caren Miosga now guides us through the hour after the “crime scene”. At least she succeeded in the first broadcast.
At the end, talk guest Friedrich Merz wishes her much success. Caren Miosga had previously switched to Ingo Zamperoni, who explained what there was to see in the “Tagesthemen”. That’s all that is reminiscent of the previous talk shows on Sunday evenings on the first. In the future, Miosga will host the show, which Sabine Christiansen, Günther Jauch and Anne Will have moderated before her. The concept had not changed since the first broadcast on January 4, 1998.
But now the Sunday evening talk show has been revamped. The new wood look in the studio should have a warm and calming effect. Miosga underlines this in her first broadcast with a petrol-colored blouse and salmon-colored trousers – matching the new studio design. Nothing is left to chance. Unlike its predecessor, guests sit at a table. And for the first time since the outbreak of the corona pandemic, viewers will be sitting in the studio again. It takes a while for this innovation to become noticeable. Only in the second half of the program does the audience occasionally burst into applause. It is difficult to judge whether it is due to what was said, the guests or just getting used to the new show format.
The comeback of “conservative”
The studio has a new design, the guests take a seat at a table.
(Photo: picture alliance/dpa)
In the first half of the show, Miosga has a one-on-one conversation, this time with CDU leader Merz. The former “Tagesthemen” presenter questions him very confidently, although sometimes a little more criticism would have been good for the show. Maybe that will come. Unlike other talk colleagues, the 54-year-old doesn’t interrupt her guests and listens patiently. When talking to Merz, it seems pleasant. Two other guests join us later, and here one would have liked to have noted, at least in sociology professor Armin Nassehi’s remarks, that not all spectators are experts.
The show is actually supposed to be about the CDU’s new basic program, which is to be decided in May. But in view of the current demonstrations against the AfD and right-wing extremism in Germany, the topic has faded into the background. Nevertheless, we learn that the new program is intended to be geared towards the challenges of the future.
“But we also referred to our old principles. We also use the word ‘conservative’ again,” says Merz. The CDU is a conservative, a liberal and a Christian-social party. For Merz, conservative means: “Preserving the good, always being open to the new – and explaining progress.” When it comes to future energy supplies, for example, this means that it cannot be ruled out that Germany will build new nuclear power plants again. “Maybe we’ll go for nuclear fusion, but we’ll go for modern technologies.”
“Assumption of incompetence towards elites”
“I think it’s an extremely encouraging sign of a vibrant democracy that such a large number of people are taking to the streets and (…..) are now really demonstrating for the preservation of our democracy, our constitutional state and our freedom. And I think that “I’m great,” says Merz about the demonstrations of the past few days, in which several hundred thousand people took part across Germany.
The strengthening of the AfD is a challenge for the center of society, including for the CDU and for himself. “Now it is important that the political center of our country stands together and that we make concrete offers from the political center, such as what politics should look like in this country,” says Merz. The CDU politician appeals that you can do something at all levels if you join a political democratic party.
But is that enough? Later in the program, “Zeit” journalist Anne Hähnig analyzes that the success of the AfD is not because its voters did not like the proposals of the established parties. “They actually like them very much, but they don’t believe that the parties have the power to implement these ideas. They think the welfare state is weak.” The AfD and its voters want to strengthen the state by isolating themselves from organizations such as the EU or NATO. Sociologist Armin Nassehi also sees it this way: “I believe that a lot of what characterizes right-wing populist parties is connected to an idea of regaining control over the situation.” Nassehi speaks of an “assumption of incompetence towards elites”.
Merz finally comes back down to earth, i.e. the upcoming elections in Thuringia. Here he is counting on a strengthening of the democratic parties. However, he does not directly rule out cooperation at the state level with the AfD: In the end, this is a matter for the state association. But when it comes to coalitions, he also says with reference to the new Wagenknecht party: “We have specific decisions about the AfD and the Left. We’ll see what decisions we still have to make.”