Latest news with #ARD
Qatar Tribune
a day ago
- Sport
- Qatar Tribune
Bonmati puts Spain into Euro final after extra-time win over Germany
dpa Zurich Aitana Bonmatí netted with aplomb in extra-time to send world champions Spain into the Euro 2025 final following a 1-0 win over record eight-times winners Germany on Wednesday. Spain will meet holders England in Sunday's final in Basel, a repeat of the 2023 World Cup final won 1-0 by La Roja. It is a first Euro final for the Spanish women. Montse Tomé's side dominated possession as usual in Zurich but Germany, who somehow beat France on penalties in the last eight having been down to 10 players after 13 minutes, defended stoutly and were dangerous on the break. The contrast in styles meant the 90 minutes ended 0-0 before world player of the year Bonmatí produced a rare moment of class with a clever dummy. Her effort from a tight angle then went in at the near post. Bonmatí said: 'I feel proud because we deserve it. We suffered.' The 113th-minute goal was tough on Germany keeper Ann-Katrin Berger, who has shone this tournament but said she should have done better while expecting a cross. 'The disappointment is huge, we believed until the last second. One small mistake, one loss of focus and it is so bitter,' Berger told ARD. 'I take responsibility, the near post needs to be covered. I'm sorry so for the team, not just for me.' Bonmatí added: 'We had studied Berger, who made certain movements and sometimes left spaces at the near post.' Germany were without the suspended Kathrin Hendrich following her ponytail pull against France. Sophia Kleinherne replaced her in a back three, while wing back Carlotta Wamser returned from suspension and Sara Däbritz came in for suspended midfielder Sjoeke Nüsken. Spain made one enforced change from the 2-0 quarter-final win over hosts Switzerland as centre back María Méndez filled in for the suspended Laia Aleixandri. 'No blame,' says Germany coach Klara Bühl fired the first good chance wide for the Germans, watched in the Letzigrund stands by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Spain striker Esther González then tested Berger, who starred against the French, and the keeper made another smart save. The tournament favourites, who had scored 16 goals in winning all their previous four matches in Switzerland, upped the ante just before the break and Irene Paredes headed against the post before Berger again denied González. Half-time came at a good time for the Germans, who had at least kept Bonmatí and previous world player of the year Alèxia Putellas fairly quiet up to that point. Bühl had three further big opportunities in the second half - including a deflected effort clawed off the line by Cata Coll at the death. Otherwise the ball was mainly up the other end, although La Roja struggled to carve out clear-cut chances despite the multitude of short passes. Extra-time was largely a non-event until Bonmatí, who had meningitis at the start of the Euros, stylishly struck - assuming she meant it at Berger's near post. 'We imagined things differently,' Germany coach Christian Wück said. 'There is no blame, she is world player of the year. It can happen. We have played a really good tournament.'
Euractiv
3 days ago
- Politics
- Euractiv
Reality TV: Germany sizzles as ‘woke mob' takes on ‘Scheiß AfD'
BERLIN – Few things are as much a seasonal staple for Germans as the annual Sommerinterviews . For over three decades, the country's public broadcasters have invited political leaders to sit al fresco under the (usually mild) summer sun and answer questions during the lull of the parliamentary recess. Originally viewed as harmless holiday blah-blah, the tradition is newly controversial, thanks – depending on one's political persuasion – to the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), the 'woke mob', or both. An activist group disrupted this year's open-air interview with the AfD's de facto leader, Alice Weidel, reinforcing the party's victim narrative, while unleashing a torrent of criticism towards both the broadcaster and authorities for failing to bring the situation under control. Stage set for protest During the half-hour interview with German public broadcaster ARD , Weidel was perched on a platform above the Spree river and across from the Reichstag, Berlin's historic glass-domed parliament building. Though the setting offered a stunning backdrop for the chat, it also meant the far-right firebrand would be exposed to protestors, a prospect that ARD appears to have underestimated . As Weidel sat across from journalist Markus Preiß, the interview was all but drowned out by activists who had gathered in anticipation of Weidel's appearance, on the opposite river bank. Whistles and chants turned what should have been a sober dialogue into a shouting match. The activists, led by left-wing collective Zentrum für Politische Schönheit (Centre for Political Beauty), came with a bus equipped with loudspeakers that began blaring a chorus singing "Scheiß AfD" or "The shitty AfD". During the interview, a visibly irritated Weidel repeatedly said she couldn't hear Preiß, who admitted the interview conditions were 'difficult". Both pressed on, however, curiously opting against relocating the live-to-tape shoot during a short break. Afterwards, the AfD was enraged. Its deputy parliamentary leader, Markus Frohnmaier, demanded a redo. End of the reverie This wasn't the activists' first high-profile intervention. In 2017, the group erected a replica of Berlin's Holocaust memorial outside the home of Björn Höcke, one of the AfD's most radical figures. Speaking on a podcast after the Weidel stunt, Centre for Political Beauty leader Philipp Ruch defended the disruption. He argued that the ARD's polite interview with Weidel on policy questions would normalise the party. Ruch also took aim at the Sommerinterview format itself, calling it a 'non-confrontational, non-investigative' tradition more suited to holiday reverie than political accountability. Indeed, that's how the Sommerinterview began, bridging what Germans call the "Sommerloch" – German for "silly season" – when political news slows down. During the comfortable days of West Germany's twilight, German television would film Chancellor Helmut Kohl at his favourite vacation spot overlooking an alpine lake in Austria. Over time, the questions got tougher but the illusion of a relaxed, summertime atmosphere remained. Until Weidel. The real winner? No guest has tested the limits of the format like the AfD leader. The fiasco surrounding the interview triggered a debate over whether she should have been invited at all, considering the extreme nature of her party. Many politicians argued that the activists played into the AfD's hands. 'If you want to strengthen the AfD, you should disrupt such interviews,' said Carsten Linnemann, general secretary of Germany's ruling Christian Democrats. He argued it's better to confront the AfD with facts than to silence them. Preiß tried that tack by grilling Weidel on Germany's ailing health insurance system, a test she largely failed. But his back-and-forth with Weidel was difficult to follow amid the din of whistles and music in the background and is unlikely to have made an impression on most viewers. Weidel's decision to continue the broadcast despite the interference suggests she was aware that the disruption would work in her favour. By pausing repeatedly due to the noise, Weidel succeeded in dodging some questions. The AfD later portrayed itself as a victim of a hostile system. Speaking to broadcaster Welt , the party's chief whip Bernd Baumann blamed a collective 'left-green class' for the incident, accusing the activists of colluding with the government (a charge their leader Ruch denied). If nothing else, the fracas has given Germans something to debate through the Sommerloch. (mm, mk)
The Guardian
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Protesters play 'scheiß AfD' song during interview with far-right co-leader Alice Weidel
A German public broadcaster has said it is reviewing its procedures after a live interview with the leader of the far-right Alternative für Deutschland was interrupted by protesters. During the live television interview with ARD, Alice Weidel, co-leader of AfD, appeared at times to struggle to hear the questions being asked of her as protesters gathered below the provisional stage for the interview in Berlin. Amid whistling and shouting, the speakers of a bus used as part of the demonstration blared the anti-AfD song Scheiß AfD Jodler (Shit AfD Yodellers) by Corner Chor, an award-winning activist choir from Augsburg.
The Guardian
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Anti-AfD protesters interrupt Alice Weidel interview live on German TV
A German public broadcaster has said it is reviewing its procedures after a live interview with the leader of the far-right Alternative für Deutschland was interrupted by protesters. During the television interview with ARD on Sunday, Alice Weidel, co-leader of the AfD, appeared at times to struggle to hear the questions being asked of her as protesters gathered below the provisional stage for the interview in Berlin. Amid whistling and shouting, the speakers of a bus used as part of the demonstration blared the anti-AfD song Scheiß AfD Jodler (Shit AfD Yodellers) by Corner Chor, an award-winning activist choir from Augsburg. The protesters also included the group Omas gegen Rechts (Grans against the Right) and the anti-fascist artists' collective Zentrum für Politische Schönheit (the Center for Political Beauty). Some parts of the interview were inaudible to people watching it on TV. The anti-immigrant party has insisted the interview should be rerun to give Weidel the chance to properly answer the questions in what was part of a series of interviews with politicians from all parties. On Monday ARD said it would learn lessons from the incident but refused to say whether it would redo the interview. 'An uninterrupted flow in interviews is in our interest and, above all, in the interest of the audience. Therefore, we will draw conclusions from the broadcast and take precautions in the future,' a spokesperson said. The broadcaster said it had not been notified that the protest would be taking place and that nothing had been registered with the police in advance. The Berlin police said no arrests had been made, but that it was considering launching proceedings against the demonstrators. The journalist carrying out the interview, Markus Preiß, said afterwards: 'I have to say: Alice Weidel was quite sporting, considering the volume.' He added: 'Everyone is allowed to demonstrate; that's a good democratic right. But demonstrations are usually registered. And this one wasn't.' While she tried to make light of it, calling the choir a 'tax-funded NGO' and insisting she was used to protests against her, Weidel appeared to grow increasingly frustrated as the interview went on. Posting a link on social media to the interview, which was shown on the flagship news programme Tagesschau, she wrote: 'This is how it looks, by the way, when the Tagesschau holds a summer interview with the AfD in [conservative] CDU-governed Berlin – while the NGO choir protests in the background.' Preiß said he and Weidel had briefly discussed whether they should keep going and had agreed to continue. ARD faced a barrage of criticism for its failure to move it to an enclosed studio. AfD members and supporters said the broadcaster was responsible for guaranteeing equal conditions for politicians of all parties during interviews. Some opponents of the AfD said the protests had had the effect of creating more publicity for the party, which became the largest opposition party in the German parliament after February's elections. The media lobby group Reporters Without Borders said internet companies should be taxed to create a fund to help public broadcasters deal with the pressures they are increasingly facing from far-right parties. The group's director general, Thibaut Bruttin, cited Donald Trump's decision to 'dismantle' the US's international broadcasting service, saying it echoed 'the offensive being waged by certain political forces against public radio and television broadcasters across Europe', naming Hungary, Italy and Slovakia.
The Guardian
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Anti-AfD protesters interrupt Alice Weidel interview live on German TV
A German public broadcaster has said it is reviewing its procedures after a live interview with the leader of the far-right Alternative für Deutschland was interrupted by protesters. During the television interview with ARD on Sunday, Alice Weidel, co-leader of the AfD, appeared at times to struggle to hear the questions being asked of her as protesters gathered below the provisional stage for the interview in Berlin. Amid whistling and shouting, the speakers of a bus used as part of the demonstration blared the anti-AfD song Scheiß AfD Jodler (Shit AfD Yodellers) by Corner Chor, an award-winning activist choir from Augsburg. The protesters also included the group Omas gegen Rechts (Grans against the Right) and the anti-fascist artists' collective Zentrum für Politische Schönheit (the Center for Political Beauty). Some parts of the interview were inaudible to people watching it on TV. The anti-immigrant party has insisted the interview should be rerun to give Weidel the chance to properly answer the questions in what was part of a series of interviews with politicians from all parties. On Monday ARD said it would learn lessons from the incident but refused to say whether it would redo the interview. 'An uninterrupted flow in interviews is in our interest and, above all, in the interest of the audience. Therefore, we will draw conclusions from the broadcast and take precautions in the future,' a spokesperson said. The broadcaster said it had not been notified that the protest would be taking place and that nothing had been registered with the police in advance. The Berlin police said no arrests had been made, but that it was considering launching proceedings against the demonstrators. The journalist carrying out the interview, Markus Preiß, said afterwards: 'I have to say: Alice Weidel was quite sporting, considering the volume.' He added: 'Everyone is allowed to demonstrate; that's a good democratic right. But demonstrations are usually registered. And this one wasn't.' While she tried to make light of it, calling the choir a 'tax-funded NGO' and insisting she was used to protests against her, Weidel appeared to grow increasingly frustrated as the interview went on. Posting a link on social media to the interview, which was shown on the flagship news programme Tagesschau, she wrote: 'This is how it looks, by the way, when the Tagesschau holds a summer interview with the AfD in [conservative] CDU-governed Berlin – while the NGO choir protests in the background.' Preiß said he and Weidel had briefly discussed whether they should keep going and they agreed to continue. ARD faced a barrage of criticism for its failure to move it to an enclosed studio. AfD members and supporters said the broadcaster was responsible for guaranteeing equal conditions for politicians of all parties during interviews. Some opponents of the AfD said the protests had had the effect of creating more publicity for the party, which became the largest opposition party in the German parliament after February's elections. The media lobby group Reporters Without Borders said internet companies should be taxed to create a fund to help public broadcasters deal with the pressures they are increasingly facing from far-right parties. The group's director general, Thibaut Bruttin, cited Donald Trump's decision to 'dismantle' the US's international broadcasting service, saying it echoed 'the offensive being waged by certain political forces against public radio and television broadcasters across Europe', naming Hungary, Italy and Slovakia.
