Culture in the Chancellery: A Perspective without Chancellor Olaf Scholz

Claudia Roth, the Minister of State for Culture, faces the unfortunate situation of having to host the “Culture in the Chancellery” event without the backing of Olaf Scholz. Nonetheless, she remains undeterred, given that major social crises, in the grand scheme of things, are only peripheral issues.

Imagine if the Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, had indeed attended – that would have been a substantial show of solidarity for Claudia Roth. As the Minister of State for Culture, Roth is currently weathering one crisis after another. The latest in this series of challenges is the inflamed disagreement over the “Berlinale”. It would be unjust to attribute these issues solely to Roth’s missteps, although she has admittedly had her share of them. Instead, the root cause lies in a significantly altered social atmosphere. The hostility directed towards “left-wing” art and the prevailing skepticism against “the cultural sector”, often inaccurately labeled as a bastion of anti-Semites, makes previous conflicts seem almost trivial in comparison. Therefore, if Scholz had graced the “Culture in the Chancellery” event on Tuesday evening with his presence, it would have been a welcome boost for Roth.