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You don’t even know him like that: Markus Söder is silent. In general, the head of the CSU and the Bavarian prime minister have the first word quickly, preferably the last, and among a few. On the question of what measures should be taken against the spread of Corona in March, Söder couldn’t wait to see what consultations with the country’s other leaders and the Chancellor would reveal, but he announced his ideas ahead of time. It’s always like this: Söder runs forward, the others only see a cloud of dust.
Even more unusual was the announcement from the Deutschlandfunk host on Monday morning. The news of the day was the restart of the search for a German nuclear waste deposit. In principle, according to the first interim report of the Federal Association for Final Disposal, about half the country can be considered for a definitive nuclear landfill, based on previous knowledge. And with it seven locations in Bavaria, including Söder’s hometown of Nuremberg. Until now, the Free State has not even wanted to discuss a repository in its own area. It would be interesting to talk to the Bavarian prime minister about whether that will change now. Actually, the moderator said, he had an appointment with Markus Söder for an interview. But sadly canceled.
Doctor Söder and Mister Markus
Markus Söder preferred not to be interviewed. That’s understandable, because you can only lose on this issue. For no politician the debate on repositories is as toxic as it is for him.
The Bavarian prime minister did not speak until noon, trying to disguise his rejection as constructive criticism. The process used now creates enormous uncertainty in the country. In the Free State there are “a lot of questions” and a “large chunk” of skepticism. However, Söder ruled out a Bavarian total blockade; rather, they wanted to incorporate their own scientific perspective and the political weight of the state government and the parties.
Söder cannot give a clear answer to the question whether German nuclear waste could also be buried in Bavaria. He would have to give up the dazzling double role in which he currently enjoys success on the political stage: Doctor Söder and Mister Markus.
On the one hand, there is the father of the country and the head of the CSU, close to the people and only connected and committed to the Free State. To become Prime Minister, this Söder entered into a coalition with the Free Voters and the government contract states: “We are convinced that Bavaria is not a suitable place for a repository.”
It can be assumed that Landes-Söder would have been strictly against a nuclear toilet in the Free State even without this coalition. Nuclear power likes it, but others take the rubbish, which has always been a popular position among local voters, for the implementation of which can be celebrated as a successful defender of the beautiful landscape against the threat of radiation.
On the other hand, there have also been Bundes-Söder for some time, an astonishingly serious politician who has long been interested not only in Bavaria, but in the welfare of the entire republic. This Söder recently made a name for itself with the proposal for a nationwide Corona traffic light. It may be due to the weakness of the other candidates, but most currently even trust Söder as a whole to be the Union’s leading candidate in the federal election campaign and to successfully fight for Angela Merkel’s successor.
So far, Söder has only been able to play this dual role in a reasonably credible way because, when asked, he always denied any national political ambitions. But he always did it so flirtatiously that it was clear to all political observers: Söder naturally considers himself the best candidate for chancellor. But he wants the CDU to ask him to take over this position.
Not suitable for everyone outside of Bavaria
The repository question puts an end to Söder’s comfortable limbo state: it should now show its colors. However, if he is too willing to negotiate or at least open to the possibility of dumping German nuclear waste on Bavarian granite, then he is risking his Bavarian coalition.
The problems with his own party and the voters would be for him. If you stick with the rejection stipulated in your coalition agreement, no one will come up with the idea of promoting you as the next Federal Chancellor. A selfish and populist “Bayern first” politician would be correctly labeled provincial in the election campaign. Söder would not be eligible for anyone outside of Bavaria.
So Söder has to get on with it, otherwise never run away from concise ads. Without blocking, the word is out of the question for a man with national political perspectives, but all the Bavarian weight against the repository. And our own Bavarian investigation, which, not surprisingly, will identify the Bavarian soil as a completely unsuitable deposit after a detailed evaluation. Söder’s warning that “there should be no politically motivated decision” can be understood in this context as internal dialogue.
Bavaria will lead the debate “with patience,” Söder announced. This was cleared up by her coalition partner Hubert Aiwanger, who took part in the sensitive nuclear interview that morning in place of Söder. Aiwanger was able to report without any national political ambition that his free voters were always against nuclear power anyway. And if not, point out that it will be higher if a repository is still being searched.
Apparently, Markus Söder also hopes to slow down the process of searching for a repository, lengthening it, and ultimately sitting down, if not until he retires, at least until after the federal elections. Your political opponents will hardly allow you to get away with these delaying tactics.
