"It is a small, intimate gathering that Norbert Lammert has invited to the Deutsche Parlamentarische Gesellschaft - a non-partisan organization of German lawmakers at all levels - in Berlin on this Thursday in October. The chairman of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, Lammert is hosting a dinner for former Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel, who turned 80 in June. And Schüssel was able to invite whoever he wanted."
"Merkel seems back to her old self. At the end of her 16-year tenure in the Chancellery in December 2021, she seemed exhausted - tired and sapped of energy. None of that, though, is apparent on this particular evening. Quick witted, with dry humor and, as the hours pass, full of anecdotes. The conversation moves quickly and rapidly changes direction, as it often does when old friends meet up for dinner. The state of the world, China, Trump, Putin - it's usually Schüssel who steers the chitchat."
Norbert Lammert hosted a small, intimate dinner at the Deutsche Parlamentarische Gesellschaft in Berlin in October to celebrate former Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel's 80th birthday. Schüssel invited personal friends and prominent figures, including Wolfgang Ischinger, Hermann Gröhe and Economy Minister Katherina Reiche. Angela Merkel attended as a guest of honor and appeared revitalized, quick-witted, and humorous compared with the exhaustion she showed at the end of her chancellorship. Conversation ranged across global issues such as China, Trump and Putin. Social media reaction included affectionate memes and viral videos alongside a contrasting, harsher backlash.
Read at Spiegel
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