Those of you who know some German could perhaps follow the scandalous episode of Bavarian politics that was splashed across the pages of the country’s newspapers in recent weeks. For those who could not decipher the rumblings of this local earthquake, which shook the foundations of the so-called “Lederhosen and laptop” biotope in Germany’s most beautiful region, I will give an executive summary:
After a recent announcement of his grudging retirement from politics, Bavarian Minister President Edmund Stoiber has become the undisputed superstar of comedy pages across the internet with his stuttering lyrical stylings. Stoiber’s underlings, however, are already tussling for the picked-over remains of his political dynasty. The veteran party soldiers have been see-sawing between testaments of loyalty, statements of solidarity, and outright character assassination. Meanwhile, a previously unknown female politician named Gabriele Pauli coolly exposed the seedy insider dealings of the reigning CSU-powers, who traded jobs for favors. In response, one of Stoiber’s cronies, Michael Höhenberger, went behind the scenes to try to dig up dirt to discredit her. He even went so far as to question her neighbors about her alcohol consumption. When the shady behavior came to light, the dumbfounded public rubbed its eyes in disbelief, the political media rightfully gloated over the comeuppance of this delusional political caste, and...yes, and? And nothing. Everything is staying the way it was. The same old names are being whispered in the back rooms of politics. Political posts have long since been allotted, and the nod of approval on Party Day seems to have supplanted the democratic process. Just as before, it seems, certain private indiscretions will be allowed in the course of political dealings.
What does this all teach us? As citizens, we can obtain a certain amount of amusement from this nightmarish fiasco. To sate your taste for intelligent entertainment, genuine content, and quality recreational activities, however, there is no better resource than the pages of Munich Found.
On that note, enjoy our March edition!
