What may one actually still express today? At least not the political viewpoint, according to a recent survey, 44 percent of Germans believe. The so-called “perceived freedom of expression” in the country has reached its lowest point since the 1950s. Only voters of the Greens are three-quarters convinced of being able to speak freely.
Which brings us to Dieter Nuhr. This comedian wanted to ban free speech for about three quarters of the Greens. The 63-year-old provokes against the mainstream. Even publicly funded on ARD with “Nuhr 2023 – The Annual Review”. That’s all about freedom of expression.
“Migrants say: We could have stayed at home!”
So what does this Dieter Nuhr have to say about our year on his last mile? “In the end, nobody knew anymore: Is Olaf Scholz still the Chancellor – or did he forget?” begins the comedian his look at 2023. The only thing that crashed faster than Germany this year was Jewgeni Prigoschin. The head of the Wagner Mercenary Group died in a plane crash in August after his coup against Putin.
So what’s the situation in the country? Nuhr mocks cruelly: “Many migrants come to Germany, look around – and say: We could have stayed at home!”
“The youth of the world will come to us!”
Dieter Nuhr deals very affectionately with Germany. And he finds plenty of occasions. Topic Artificial Intelligence: “If it’s as intelligent as many believe, then it will leave the work to us humans – and apply for citizen’s income.” Topic Deaths of the Year: “What many didn’t notice – Olaf Scholz is still among us.”
Topic SPD: “It was a workers’ party – now it’s the party for those who don’t work. And there are fewer. Yet.” On the topic of migration, Nuhr takes up the proposal of the Young Socialists that everyone in Germany should receive a kind of basic inheritance of 60,000 euros on their 18th birthday – “even if they don’t have a right of residence: The youth of the world will come to us!”
“The AfD functions like intestinal bacteria”
Naturally, politics in this year provides the comedian with plenty of material for the annual review. Take the new generation of politicians around Ricarda Lang and Kevin Kühnert: “People for whom politics was the last straw – couldn’t handle education, dropped out… the parliament is becoming more and more of a social focal point.” Take the Federal Minister of Economics: “King poodles don’t know any less about the economy than Habeck. The man was a children’s book author – and not in a way that anyone would have read it.”
And Annalena Charlotte Alma Baerbock? “I could also become Foreign Minister. Ms. Baerbock can’t either, but that’s her sausage.” And the AfD? “It functions like intestinal bacteria, it feeds on the crap that others build.” A Germany without foreigners? “Some AfD members would have to do it themselves in the brothel.”
Demonstrating for a country “where they would be stoned”
“We are the comedians of the planet,” says Dieter Nuhr about Germany and the Germans of 2023. However, personally, he takes how he was treated by his critics. His criticism, that migration in Europe divides, strengthens the right, that even anti-Semites and gay haters come into the country, has put the satirist in the politically right-wing corner for some. “In the past, the left were good and the right were stupid, today you don’t even know who is who,” says Nuhr.
“Queer activists demonstrate for Palestine, a country where they would be stoned. The world is a madhouse.” This can be confidently confirmed in December of this year. Where is the positive side? A crazy world and a crazy country are pretty good materials for a satirical annual review.
“Nuhr 2023 – The Annual Review” aired on December 21 at 10:30 p.m on ARD. The show is also available in the ARD Mediathek.
