German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has declined to publicly apologize for his recent public remarks, in which he referred to Berlin’s Culture Senator Joe Chialo as a “court jester.” In an interview with “Ippen-Media” on Thursday, Scholz stated, “I spoke with him and that was important and that’s how it should be.” He added, “We had a conversation and I believe it’s for the best to leave it at that.”
Scholz rejected the accusations of those who have constructed false connections, saying, “I have already taken legal steps and sent my lawyers on the case.” Chialo had previously described Scholz’s words as “degrading” and said he felt hurt by them.
The Chancellor explained the underlying issue as the recent vote in the Bundestag, in which the Union for the first time accepted the possibility of the AfD’s decisive influence on the adoption of a proposal. “I think one should, especially in serious matters, engage in a conscious debate” Scholz said. “And the serious matter is the CDU’s taboo break. For the first time, the CDU has collaborated with extreme right-wing forces in the German Bundestag.”
When asked how he felt about being referred to as a “narr” by US billionaire Elon Musk earlier this year, Scholz replied, “I let it slide.” He stated, “Musk insults quite a few people every day and that doesn’t impress me at all.” However, what troubles Scholz is that a powerful media mogul is calling for the election of extreme right-wing parties in Europe. “That’s something one shouldn’t accept” the Chancellor emphasized.