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German satirists Martin Sonneborn (left) and Nico Semsrott of the German “party”. Image: EPA / EPA
Interview
Satirist Martin Sonneborn ruthlessly judges von der Leyen
This week the trial began against the alleged masterminds of the attack on the editors of the satirical magazine “Charlie Hebdo” in Paris. 14 defendants are on trial and must answer for the murder of twelve people who were killed by several hitmen in Paris in January 2015.
The beginning of the process is observed far beyond the borders of France. Because what is being negotiated here is much more than murder. The attack was not only aimed at Charlie Hebdo’s editorial team, but also at freedom of expression and freedom of the press in the Western world. Mohammed’s published cartoons were seen as the background to the devastating attack on the editorial team at the time. As a result, a debate arose around the world, including in Germany, on the question: What is satire allowed and how free is it really?
He knows what the situation is about freedom from satire: Martin Sonneborn was the editor-in-chief of Titanic and has been a Member of the European Parliament for the satirical party “The Party” since 2014. In an interview with Watson, he explains how the attacks on Charlie Hebdo’s editorial team changed the way we handle satire, what responsibility satire has, and why he misses Martin Schulz and Elmar Brok.
Watson: How has satire changed since the attacks on Charlie Hebdo in 2015?
Martin Sonneborn: I would say that much of the industry has become more cautious. For example, before it was rare that after the attacks, the authors or cartoonists did not want their names in some articles.
Has the satirist’s humor also become more cautious?
I hope not. In any case, I have no scissors on my head.
A poster commemorates the attack on the satirical magazine “Charlie Hebdo”. Image: keystone
Many rights invoke artistic freedom when they offend people online and say it is satire. To what extent have satirists like Jan Böhmermann opened the door to right-wing trolls with their poem Erdogan?
I get angry over a lot of stupid things on the internet that are often masquerading as satires. Satire is an art form that not everyone can master. Right now the term is being misused for all the nonsense. From crude insults by the AfD to the nomination of Olaf Scholz as a candidate for chancellor, it is all satire. That can’t just be due to Böhmermann …
At the beginning of the trial, Charlie Hebdo put the same cartoon of Mohammed on the cover that presumably caused the attack at the time. Is that a satire or a mere provocation?
The editorial team wanted and had to position itself. I would qualify it as a satirical tease that shows that you continue to hold your flag and do not let yourself fall.
Thousands of people now protested against the reissue of the cartoons. Where are the limits of satire?
There is no single answer to this question. We used to have a job on Titanic to push the limits every month. And in all possible directions. If I remember the reactions, the insults and the complaints, we did too … Smiley.
Does satire bear any responsibility?
Clear. Why should satirists, unlike Watson’s bakers or editors, be exempt from this?
In times of Eurosceptics and Brexit, is it still legitimate to poke fun at the bureaucratic jungle in Brussels or is it playing into the wrong hands?
If you mean me, I rarely make fun of bureaucracy. More about the discrepancy between the proclaimed democratic ideal of the EU and the nationalist, antisocial and purely economic actions of its organs. In Bulgaria we currently have a similar situation to Belarus, nobody cares. Hungary is the first dictatorship in the EU. Is anybody doing anything about it? The Navalny case is extremely opaque, but it is decidedly instrumentalized against the construction of Nord Stream 2. When will a team of doctors bring Julian Assange from the British prison to the Charité?
How safe do you feel as a satirist in Brussels?
Pretty sure. I would feel even more confident if the EU Commission could provide an overview of the situation of the crown in the member states and create a comparable database.
How has everyday parliamentary life in Brussels changed since Elmar Brok is no longer a member?
There is less yelling in the hallways, there are fewer flying shoes, and no one wants to hit my throat. It’s a shame, we always wanted a tuba to walk through Parliament behind Elmar; I hope you visit us again.
Is there a successor to your nemesis in the EU Parliament?
One or two conservatives tried, but the steps left by Elmar Brocken are relatively large.
And how much do you miss Martin Schulz?
Very. Politically, he’s too conservative for me, but he just empowered himself in crises, stood in council meetings, council, those are the idiots in Europe, 27 country leaders who think nationally instead of European, uninvited at the door and you have them Position of Parliament – the most democratic part of the EU institutions – outlined. Or simply showing the boundaries to Victator Orban and the madman of the Bosphorus. The new Speaker of Parliament, Sassoli, is sadly, like Mrs Von der Leyen at the head of the Commission, a pale imitation without much impact.
How much attack surface does Ursula von der Leyen offer?
Too. No idea, few convictions, no power in the EU Parliament, he promises everyone everything they want to hear. He had an apartment built in the Berlaymont building, where he isolated himself with a clique of predominantly German consultants. Kai Diekmann’s agency, formerly “Bild-Zeitung”, wrote him the Twitter entries. Do not go from Europe to Leyen!
Ursula von der Leyen. Image: keystone
In 2015 it was not yet possible to buy the Titanic at the parliamentary kiosk. Are they there now?
I do not think so. I am the publisher, I receive my copy every month.
The interview was conducted in writing. Martin Sonneborn’s responses were posted unchanged.
