Why Olaf Scholz is suddenly the German Frank Underwood

As a unscrupulous politician, Olaf Scholz rarely noticed in the recent past. It is sometimes forgetful, for example when it comes to the Cum-Ex scandal. These days, however, the Chancellor shows himself from his cool side, literally works “Bad Ass”, as the USA says, so tough. Scholz is reminiscent of a well -known series character.

For example, when he drives to the TV duel with the CDU Chancellor candidate and opponent Friedrich Merz on Sunday. Scholz sits in the back of the black chancellor sedan, wrapped in darkness. Next to him, only the outlines of his wife Britta can be recognized seriously. A sight like a mafia boss, or Frank Underwood from the Netflix series “House of Cards”. Only Scholz ‘friendly facial expression messes up the gangster appearance. Markus Söder would comment: “Grin not so slurry again, Olaf!”

But Scholz is not only reminiscent of Underwood in the limousine. As part of the reporting on the Bundestag election in the ARD, the SPD politician speaks to a journalist of the public broadcaster and drains diligently on a fitness device. A user titles the video with “Frank Unterholz in the House of Cards”-a word-for-word translation for “Frank Underwood in House of Cards”. In the Netflix series, the fictional US politician, played by Kevin Spacey, can be seen in his basement in some scenes on the rowing machine.

However, Scholz does not look as treasury and dangerous as Underwood in sporting activity. He also takes it a little calmer, has his own pace. After all, he needs enough breath to answer questions. “I want to stay Chancellor because I want to make sure that our country is still doing well,” says the 66-year-old meaninglessly, in the best Scholz manner. And the Underwood man has already evaporated.

“That we will win the future and make sure that we do not play the things we have to do against each other,” the chancellor continues. He also wants to guarantee good pensions, care and health care, more investments in the infrastructure. “How fit are you?” Finally, the ARD journalist asks. Scholz ‘answer is brief this time: “I feel fit.”

But Scholz is not the only German politician with a penchant for publicly effective rowing. The former finance minister Christian Lindner, with whom the Chancellor disputed so badly in the failed traffic light government, came to him years ago. One rowing device can also be seen in one. At that time, Lindner wrote about sporting New Year’s resolutions.

For Scholz, on the other hand, the new year is politically concerned with everything. The decision about his future is imminent: On February 23, Germany will choose a new (as Scholz hopes, old) Chancellor. The Underwood policy should not copy the still an office holder, but more of the coolness of the American series character would be good for him until the election.