Sometimes talk shows on TV can be surprising, especially if you come across a new format. In this case, it was a talk show hosted by Thaddeus, called “Lang und Breit.” It lasts one hour and is indeed quite thorough, serious, and fair. Yesterday—or rather, the day before yesterday—he interviewed a woman, a very tough woman from the world of economics. I had never seen her before, and it was a highly interesting discussion about weapons production in Germany. This woman, Susanne Wiegand, has been a well-established manager in this field for several years, holding leading positions in major firms like Rheinmetall and RENK, a company that produces engines for tanks.
She has a natural charisma, and I wonder why such women are not in politics. She was serious, had a clear worldview, and I would say she is quite capable of going into politics. She is not only a woman of economics—she is a political one as well. We should try to get her into politics to avoid disasters like the one caused by the former defense minister.
At the moment, she doesn’t hold a top-level position in one of the big firms, so there may be a chance to recruit her for political responsibilities—nothing below the level of a minister or something comparable. If the SPD is once again seeking gender balance, this would be a chance to achieve it without repeating past mistakes.