Stefan Raab, ready to liven things up TELEVISED election debates in Germany have featured fine thrills and spills. In 1980 the beefy challenger, Helmut Kohl, infuriated the cerebral chancellor, Helmut Schmidt, by telling him to set an example to the country’s kindergartens and stop interrupting. Modern politicians do not reach those heights. Angela Merkel is not a natural debater (though she saw off Gerhard Schröder in 2005, as well as a duller challenger, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, in 2009). How will she fare against Peer Steinbrück in the set-piece duel on September 1st?Mr Steinbrück has an acerbic wit which often lands him in trouble. Asked in a crowded press room whether he can rule out a certain policy, he retorts, “Now you want a headline saying ‘Steinbrück doesn’t exclude…’ Well, Steinbrück doesn’t exclude that he eats dog food.” But as the underdog, he must try to score some zingers. Mrs Merkel is likely to stick to her usual television style, of talking soothingly without saying anything.Though audience ratings will be good, many viewers will wonder if the presidential format really fits Germany’s political system. Wolfgang…
