Talk present common Ralf Stegner: “I can handle shitstorms, but it stops when my family is threatened” | EUROtoday

SPD politician Ralf Stegner spoke in an interview with “Zeit Magazin” about his experiences as a visitor on speak exhibits. He is invited there as a result of he might tackle a sure position: “It is not those who are responsible for a topic or who the party leadership would like to sit there who are invited. But rather, for example, those who can stick to their opinion even in the face of strong headwinds.” According to a rating, Stegner was a visitor on speak exhibits twelve instances in 2024 and the identical variety of instances in 2025. This places him in eighth place – behind politicians like Sahra Wagenknecht and Kevin Kühnert.

He additionally obtained heavy criticism after his performances. “I can handle shitstorms, but it stops when my family is threatened, which has often been the case.” Stegner experiences on a very threatening case: “My eldest son’s mailbox was set on fire and death threats came from Russian servers.” As a politician he might toughen himself up towards this, however the household needs to be spared one thing like this. In these rounds he’s very argumentative. His want for concord, nonetheless, focuses on his household.

He all the time receives optimistic suggestions when the moderator touches him notably laborious. “People say: Oh, man, that wasn’t fair: he asked you the same question 17 times.” Markus Lanz is a specialist on this, says Stegner. “You have to have good nerves and not flinch.”

Stegner admires certainly one of Schröder’s qualities

Stegner is self-critical relating to his physique language in discussions. He’s not an actor in any respect. “My wife always says: You not only have to pay attention to the spoken language, but also to the body language.” Former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder managed that higher. “When he sees the red light of a camera, the corners of his mouth automatically go up. I admire that.”

After years in his position as a chat present visitor, he has discovered to all the time control the time, “so that you can convey what is important to you by then.” You additionally should take some precautions, “like in road traffic”. The reality checking in these applications could be “cruel”. “If you’re not sure: stay away. When Robert Habeck explains how bakeries make their money or how the distance allowance works – it’s incredibly difficult to get out of there without an accident.”