[ad_1]
Navalny Reports
“You don’t feel pain, but you know you are dying.”
When Alexej Navalny describes the moment when the neurotoxin began to act on him, he was sitting on a green sofa in SPIEGEL’s office in the capital. It is still dark outside, it is shortly after 6 am on Wednesday yesterday, the Russian opposition politician gives my two colleagues Christian Esch and Benjamin Bidder their first big interview after the attack early in the morning.
Navalny looks excited, jokes, laughs a lot. At first glance, it is not seen that this man was in a coma for days and was about to die. However, when he tries to help himself to a bottle of water, he only succeeds with great effort, his hands shake a lot.
The bodyguards accompany Navalny around the clock and pay attention to details: the bottle of sparkling water that we placed on the table for the interview guest was selected by one of the officers from the many bottles in the editorial refrigerator. The random choice increases the feeling of security.
Navalny spoke for almost two hours, also saying who he suspected was a murderer: “I affirm that Putin was behind the crime and I have no other versions of the crime.” Navalny also announced that he would return to Russia. “My job now is to remain the type who is not afraid. And I am not afraid!”
You can read the great interview with Navalny from 9 am on SPIEGELPlus or on Friday in the new SPIEGEL magazine.
Advice on EU councils
In the case of Navalny, the EU could show that it is more capable of acting than it is credited with. If today the European heads of state and government meet a week late for the special EU summit, then the poison attack on opposition politicians will also be on the agenda. Germany had stressed that when it came to the question of how to react to the attack, it had a European response. The only question is whether Europe will ever be able to agree on an answer.
Other topics for the two-day summit: relations with China, the escalation of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, demands for sanctions against Turkey and the contentious role of Cyprus.
Happiness sounds different.
Scheuer fights
There are serious suspicions in the room: Federal Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer may have violated the budget and procurement law when planning the car toll. And later, after the project was declared illegal by the Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ), he allegedly lied to Parliament. It can be assumed that the CSU politician will vehemently reject these accusations when he testifies today before the Bundestag’s toll investigation committee. If allowed.
It is possible that the minister no longer has a turn today, because the Union parliamentary group has put the former Secretary of State for Transport, Gerhard Schulz (nickname “Mr. Maut”) on the list of witnesses, in addition to those who are already in her: the representatives in a consortium should operate the toll and now wants compensation from the federal government.
Attention will probably focus on the question of whether the operators have offered the minister to wait until the ECJ has issued its opinion before signing the toll contract. Scheuer is said to have refused. Instead, he pushed for a contract to be signed before the European judges made their decision. And that’s despite advisers warning him not to rush.
Today Scheuer denies that such an offer existed by the operator. “No, there was no such offer,” he said in the Bundestag.
If traders stick to your point of view, today could be a showdown. So word for word would be. Then at least you would know: someone lied.
Winner of the day
… are virologist Christian Drosten and Heinsberg District Administrator Stephan Pusch, who today receive the announced Order of Merit from the Federal President along with 13 others. During the crown crisis, they both showed what good communication means. Drosten constantly explaining himself and his science. He led us determinedly, sometimes doggedly, through the thicket of the latest knowledge. Hardly any other scientist has gone to such lengths to explain it, especially through his podcast. Knowing that their permanent presence also offends and triggers hatred.
Pusch also communicated a lot and stayed authentic. So he made no secret of his anger when a football match between Dortmund and Mönchengladbach was allowed to take place with spectators in March while schools and kindergartens were closed at the same time. “Of course, I would have liked to have explained it in more detail,” Pusch said. The district administrator impresses with his carefree honesty, not just the citizens of his district.
Win cards
I would like to draw your attention to an event from our SPIEGEL Live series, which, rarely these days, takes place not only virtually but also completely analog, of course with strict hygiene and distance rules.
“Eat what suits me” is the motto for tomorrow afternoon, Friday, October 2, 2020, at 7:30 p.m. at the Urania Berlin.
My colleague, SPIEGEL editor Markus Deggerich, talks to his guests about the new kind of dining room. Eating is much more than eating food: it is love, family, home, science and a business.
Also on the podium are:
-
CC Gambeex: As an artist and cook, he runs the Berlin slow food restaurant “Ponte Carlo” since 2008.
-
Andre Göbel: Co-founder of cornditorei “Knalle”, which has reinvented popcorn as a successful startup (including great taste).
-
Markus Wältring: Great chef of Westphalian regional cuisine, whose Corona family business did not survive.
-
Maria Bögge – You haven’t written a cookbook, you don’t have a blog, and you don’t participate in TV cooking shows, but as a mother, gardener, and family cook for over 80 years, you know all about old cooking tricks and smart storage, beyond accumulating yeast and toilet paper. We give away 5×2 cards. If you want to participate in the event, please email us at [email protected]. You can find more information here.
The latest news of the night
-
Claims from our own ranks: Republicans criticize Trump for not distancing himself from racists. Donald Trump did not want to condemn the racists in the television duel with Joe Biden. That is why he now criticizes his own party.
-
The Cologne singer was allowed to get out of jail early in Turkey: The accusation was belonging to a terrorist organization. In November 2018, the German-Kurdish singer Hozan Cane was sentenced to six years and three months in prison in Turkey. His release has now been ordered.
-
Several missiles fell near Camp Erbil: The attackers attacked the international coalition camp in Erbil. No one was reportedly injured in the rocket fire.
The SPIEGEL + recommendations for today
I wish you a good start to the day.
Your Martin Knobbe
