Chancellor is now associated with the phrase "autism." - Apologizes Strack-Zimmermann
Another day, the well-known European contender, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (65, SPD), publicly spoke of the European candidate for the FDP, Christiane Strack-Zimmermann (51), as a harsh dictator with nearly robotic like behaviors. Afterwards, on Thursday, she decided to apologize, but not to the Chancellor, but to those who are affected by the disease.
She admitted her mistake as she became carried away and made a comparison that hurt those with autism. She was sorry for having gone too far with her comments and the trouble it caused. "It brings me great sorrow, and for that, I'm sorry. I'm in touch with many individuals who are affected."
Unfortunately, it's too late as there was a lot of backlash, and the question remains: Will the Eurofighter bring down her own FDP?
Her own supporters are worried, too. They believe that by attacking others in such a way, it's not the party's opponents being harmed, but rather the party itself.
At the moment, despite a costly campaign and large campaign posters with the party's leader, the FDP only holds 4% in the surveys, a 1.5% drop from the previous European election in 2019. Although there is no 5% threshold in the European election, the FDP would then send fewer MEPs to Brussels.
Known, but not popular
Binkert, the pollster from INSA, states that due to her behavior, Strack-Zimmermann is gaining recognition, but not necessarily in a positive manner.
The evidence for this lies in the current INSA numbers. Strack-Zimmermann has a recognition percentage of 88% (a "respectable number"), but only 16% of the respondents have a positive view of her - twice as many (32%) have a negative view of Strack-Zimmermann. "What's particularly worrying is, this way of expressing herself doesn't resonate well with prospective FDP voters from the middle class," says Binkert, the INSA boss. And this can negatively impact the party as a whole.
Another INSA survey additionally shows that even within the FDP voter base, Strack-Zimmermann doesn't rank first among the most well-loved politicians. In second place is Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (64, SPD). "A politician from the opposing party is actually more admired than your own party member," concludes Binkert. Not a promising start at all.
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