Political Ash Wednesday
Klingbeil wishes for more controversy - and has glitter plans - Germany's Vice Chancellor wants glitter—and livelier political debates
Klingbeil Calls for More Debate—and Has a Glitter Strategy
First, the northerner apologizes for his lack of dialect—then he goes on the offensive at Germany's Political Ash Wednesday. If Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil has his way, politics could soon get a lot livelier.
Klingbeil is pushing for more robust debate in German politics. "We need more of the pub-table spirit," he declared at the Bavarian SPD's Political Ash Wednesday event in Vilshofen. In a democracy, he argued, differences must be made clear—sometimes even with sharp words—but ultimately, unity must prevail.
The SPD leader also has a plan for when tensions run too high. He's taking inspiration from the life motto of Dorothee Bär: "When life gets tough, just sprinkle some glitter on it." Now, he wants to make that the unofficial motto of coalition committee meetings. "So if you see Jens Spahn walking around one day after a coalition meeting with his face covered in glitter, you'll know what happened. That was me," the vice chancellor quipped.
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