This article first appeared on RTL.de
When the 9-euro ticket came into effect on June 1st, new hype arose about the North Sea island of Sylt. Hundreds of punks from all over Germany made the pilgrimage to Westerland to experience a German holiday - and yes, also to stick their tongues out at the classic Sylt clientele, old and rich.
There is now even a protest camp on the island. There, those interested in politics discuss how Germany can be made more just. On Wednesday, some people could hardly believe their eyes: Wolfgang Schäuble (79), a political heavyweight, got into conversation with the Sylt punks.
Wolfgang Schäuble (79) discusses current political events with punks on Sylt. Yes, you read it right. In its old age, the CDU veteran still doesn't shy away from a dispute. And while his party colleagues probably only know punks from television, Schäuble, who is almost 80 years old, does not shy away from the discussion, especially not with the political opponent much further to the left of the Union.
And so it was that the political heavyweight sat amidst the punks on Wednesday. The important crises of our time were discussed over apple spritzer and coffee, but according to the "Sylter Rundschau" it was also about how Germany could be fair in the future.
While politicians and beauties usually only vacation on Sylt, Schäuble traveled to Westerland exclusively to discuss with punks. According to the "Hamburger Abendblatt", the crazy action came from the punk Nimbus, who actually lives in Mannheim and has been a regular guest on Sylt since the introduction of the 9-euro ticket. As the paper further reports, he is said to have written to Schäuble's office in the Bundestag and only a little later received a call from the politician.
Contrary to any stereotype, Nimbus and his fellow punks worked through the night to make the meeting possible with all security risks. With success! On Wednesday, the former finance minister rolled his racing wheelchair in the direction of the Sylt town hall. Schäuble in a chilled polo shirt, Nimbus in a Karl Marx shirt and a green mohawk, befitting his status.
And Schäuble apparently liked the chat: "I agreed on the condition that everything goes well and that's it and that's good," said the 79-year-old of the "Sylter Rundschau".
At the age of 79, in the sweltering heat, surrounded by a number of punks, not yielding to the political discourse demands enormous respect. That also went down well with the punk audience. As the "Sylter Rundschau" reports, the discussion with the CDU veteran ended with thunderous applause and shouts of "wool, wool, wool".
