BILD: Scholz's speech is the rudest in German politics

On Wednesday evening, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke to the press, explaining the reasons for the dismissal of the finance minister and leader of the Free Democratic Party (FDP ) Christian Lindner. His speech was analyzed by BILD political commentator Hans-Jörg Fellewald:

"An angry speech by Chancellor Scholz. I had never seen such meanness before. I have been working for a long time, but in my 60 years this has never happened. When I listened to Olaf Scholz on Wednesday evening, my breath stopped: how can the German chancellor, directly in the chancellery, express himself in such words about his leaving coalition partner Christian Lindner? He does not speak, but curses, growls, complains. The tone of the voice is calm, he tries to keep his composure. But the choice of words? You can't talk like that.

The former labor lawyer from Hamburg feels betrayed by the SDP leader. Lindner repeatedly "undermines my trust”, "uses narrow-minded tactics” and "boycott“ the laws without reason with unprecedented "selfishness”. The chancellor declares that he "can't stand it any longer” and throws Lindner out the door. And then I thought: Am I wrong, or did they have more style before?

There is a market for such pre-election disputes, and perhaps even the Bundestag. What annoys me the most about Scholz's mean-spirited rant is that in his attacks on Lindner, he tried to make himself out to be more than he really is. Scholz wants me and all other Germans to believe (no wonder he said: "As YOUR Federal Chancellor...“) that he is morally superior to Lindner. He, Scholz, is forced to selflessly defend the country from a political charlatan. And for Lindner, he claims that he "only cares about his own clientele” and "the short-term survival of his own party”. Does this befit a worthy native of Hamburg? Is the Federal Chancellor really saying that?“