Unconventional thinker “bothers Laschet’s appearance – he can be questioned at close range
Union Chancellor candidate Armin Laschet (CDU) was disturbed during an election campaign. In the Thuringian state capital Erfurt, opponents of the corona measures repeatedly intervened on Friday. There were whistles and boos, but also applause for Laschet’s reactions to it and his clarification that the Union would not work with the AfD.
Suddenly a man storms onto the stage, as can be seen on videos on social networks. Laschet holds his bodyguards back with the words “Let him go”. The man is the “bus driver Thomas Brauner” known in the “lateral thinker” scene, as he calls himself on the Telegram news platform. He had already triggered outrage in the past with Holocaust comparisons.
The man is already starting to talk, slightly out of breath and obviously a little excited, can already be heard over the Laschets microphone. The CDU politician takes a step to the side and says: “First, calm down, second, ask a question.” Then he holds out his microphone to Brauner. The two men are only a few inches apart – So no trace of distance. Of course, Laschet doesn’t wear a mask in this situation, neither does Brauner.
Brauner complains as the “father of three children” about the Thuringian state government. This plans a fine for parents whose children are not tested at school and are not considered to have recovered or are not vaccinated. This regulation is initially to be tested in a two-week test phase. Brauner asks: “If we are in a pandemic that is not good for all of us, why do I force the children to go to school?”
When he wants to continue speaking, Laschet moderates the request and sends it back to the audience. “You are now going back behind the barriers and I will answer your question,” says Laschet. You couldn’t let everyone on stage. “Everyone understood the question.” Brauner says, “His aim is to encourage me in my decision as to where to put my cross”. The question, according to Laschet, “is a legitimate one”. Brauner interrupts Laschet again. He says he thinks it’s nice that an event is organized here, “where you can get into a bit of a dialogue.” Otherwise you are in the marketplaces, says Laschet.
Then he answers Brauner’s question. Because of the unclear situation of those returning from traveling, masks have to be worn at the schools at the moment, explains Laschet, initially still booing, refers to the responsibility of the state of Thuringia and its Prime Minister Ramelow (left) and then says: “A vaccination requirement or pressure on children, yourself I refuse to be vaccinated. ”The audience can hear: “I’ll take you at your word, Mr. Laschet.” Laschet responds promptly: “You can do that. I will give you the number from the Chancellery “ – has solved the laughs on his side and the certainly not easy situation without bodyguards or police.
Some users on Twitter do not find the incident so funny. “Unbelievable”, writes the SPD health expert Karl Lauterbach there. Laschet let himself be yelled at by a lateral thinker without a mask at a distance of 20 centimeters. That is not close to the citizens, “just stupid”. Others, however, praise Laschet’s quick-wittedness in the short message service.
Laschet spoke of the incident in Potsdam on Saturday and argued that one had to listen to the people. Otherwise the social climate would be even rougher than it already is. “Karl Lauterbach reproaches me for that, says that you are not allowed to talk to these people and that again poisons the climate.” Lauterbach refused to accept this argument. “I have not criticized him for allowing himself to be yelled at by a lateral thinker. Except that he lets himself be yelled at without masks from a distance of 20 cm, ”wrote the SPD politician.
