Honors bestowed - Stoiber is awarded a political prize and requests a vote of approval.
Edmund Stoiber, a past premier of Bavaria and CSU leader, accepted the Politikaward for his lifelong work in Berlin. The event took place a day after the disappointing European election by the traffic light party. Stoiber, then 82 years old, used the opportunity to seek a vote of confidence from Federal Chancellor Scholz of the SPD. "This is a fundamental concern for me," he said.
If you manage to win nationwide elections with only 14 percent and face challenging tasks, that isn't satisfying enough. Despite this, 84-year-old Franz Müntefering, former SPD chief, disagreed with Stoiber. "Our Germany has a guiding culture, and that's the Basic Law. The Basic Law doesn't mention anything about hygiene; that's what the kitchen is for," he said.
Pistorius Receives "Politician of the Year" Award
The Politikawards, organized since 2003 by the magazine "Politik und Kommunikation" together with Quadriga University, recognize exceptional politicians. This year, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) got the title of "Politician of the Year."
Also, he opposed the call for a new Bundestag election by the Union. "Why do we need another election?" he questioned. "The Bundestag election was in 2021 and the next one will be in 2025. Even if you lose elections in between, you don't lose your legitimacy."
Awards for Lang and Friedländer
In the celebration hosted by journalists Alev Dogan and Hajo Schumacher in Berlin, around 300 politicians, journalists, and representatives from companies and institutions joined. Ricarda Lang received the "Rising Star of the Year" award. The 102-year-old Holocaust survivor, Margot Friedländer, was awarded an honorary recognition. The jury, consisting of 24 individuals from various social backgrounds, justified the decision by stating, "Her lifelong commitment to the culture of memorialization and fighting every form of racism and antisemitism, as well as her efforts to promote reconciliation among Jewish and non-Jewish Germans, serves as an inspiration for us all."
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Stoiber's political prize acknowledged his decades-long contribution to German politics in Berlin. Despite the CSU's poor performance in the recent European elections, Stoiber sought approval from Chancellor Scholz. Contrarily, Franz Müntefering, former SPD head, argued that Germany's values were rooted in its constitutional law.
Pistorius was recognized as 'Politician of the Year' at the Politikawards. He dismissed calls for an early Bundestag election, citing the 2025 deadline. Meanwhile, at the same event in Berlin, Lang was named 'Rising Star of the Year', and Holocaust survivor Friedländer was honored for her lifelong efforts against racism and antisemitism.
Moving forward, Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced plans to expel severe offenders from Germany. His stance on potential Afghan deportations was also clarified to the public. Moreover, a year filled with climate records and extreme weather events was highlighted as a norm. Lastly, Hamas urged Israel to adhere to a truce agreement, underscoring the ongoing geopolitical tensions.
