Prime Minister - A second mainstay after politics? Markus Söder sings on "Inas Nacht"
A singing Markus Söder, revealing glimpses of his youth and a surprising confession: After his "Dancing Queen" performance at the Abba Museum in Stockholm a few months ago, the Bavarian Minister-President appeared on the show "Inas Nacht" on ARD late on a Thursday night. And he had to prove his singing abilities there, or at least try to.
Markus Söder sings a song by Freddy Quinn
"I'm really nervous about this, because I can't really sing," Söder said with affected nervousness. "I hope it won't be too embarrassing." And then he sang "Sie hieß Mary-Ann" by Freddy Quinn with a deep voice. His parents had sung it to him endlessly on their endless trips to Italy, and because it suited his voice: "I'm not the top soprano." He could build a second pillar of support next to politics with this, he joked afterwards. (Find a video of Söder's singing performance in the ARD Mediathek here)
Otherwise, Söder reported from his youth: "I was really shy back then." He had a "definitely shitty haircut" and a pimple on his face. And later? "In the military service, I was already a bit of a wild one," Söder said as Ina Müller showed an old photo. Today, he is "very strong and very stable." But also hypochondriac, "full of it" even.
Söder's children find his media presence embarrassing
In fact, Söder's talk show appearances and social media posts, which aim for as many clicks as possible, make him talk about himself more often than his political daily and government work. Because he manages to make it into the media regularly – which in turn regularly brings him the accusation of being nothing but self-promotion. For example, people remember less from his trips to Sweden and China – but rather the Abba performance or his visit to the Pandas.
So Mueller once asked his children how they evaluated his behavior. Söder admitted: Regarding his social media activities, they had already said "Oh Papa, really, what's that now?" But he just kept going anyway.
The news of Markus Söder's late-night singing debut on "Inas Nacht" spread like wildfire on social media platforms, with Germany's youth expressing their excitement using platforms like Facebook. This unexpected performance drew attention not only to Bavaria's Minister-President but also to his political party, the CSU.
The Bavarian leader's appearance on a late-night talk show is a stark contrast to the serious image typically associated with politicians in the Bundestag. His love for music, as demonstrated by his rendition of Freddy Quinn's "Sie hieß Mary-Ann," has led some to question if he could consider a career in entertainment, should his political journey come to an end.
The media in Germany, including NDR, have been meticulous in covering Söder's unexpected turn to television. In fact, they've been captivated by his charm and his spontaneous humor, revealing a more endearing side of the stern Bavarian.
However, Söder's media presence has raised eyebrows among some people, particularly his children. They find his frequent appearances on talk shows and online posts a tad embarrassing, despite their father's attempts to maintain that it's all in good fun.
Markus Söder's unexpected love for singing, particularly on live television, might be seen as a refreshing change in the stale political landscape of Germany. Through his appearance on shows like "Inas Nacht" and his passion for music, he's managing to connect with a younger generation that often finds politics dull and tedious.
