miles and more (Radioplay)
(c) Rimini Protokoll
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miles and more (Radioplay)

- The drama of political resignation

By Haug / Wetzel und Heike Haug

“After 10 years in the Bundestag (German parliament) you can’t be re-socialised for normal life any more,” says Wolfgang Bötsch (CDU), just before retiring from the Bundestag cabinet. But the euphoria can end even more abruptly for some politicians if they suddenly have to answer for personal or political mistakes. Resignations are perennial events in the business of politics. They are rarely the result of personal conviction; more often they are the forced cathartic act with which the political system responds to warmed-up scandals. How is the often pitiful departure from the great political stage ‘staged’? What paradigms and rituals do political resignations follow? And what parts do the media, the public, the opposition and fellow party members play?

“I wasted time, now doth time waste me, for now hath time made me his numbering clock”.
King Richard, Richard II. (V, 10)

The creators of the piece talked about the allure of power, pitfalls, ejector seats, politicians who cling to their positions, ‘bad timing’, departmental disasters and crisis management, and crime and punishment with: Jürgen Leinemann (journalist), Tarek Al-Wazir (member of state parliament), Bernd Stegemann (dramatic advisor), Bettina Röhl (journalist), Jörn Fischer (resignation researcher), Dirk Kaesler (sociologist), Marcus Knill (communication consultant), Sven Joachim Otto (local politician) and Helga Lehner (newsreader).

Concept / Research / Interviews: Heike Haug, Helgard Haug
Book / Implementation: Helgard Haug, Daniel Wetzel

With: Jürgen Leinemann (journalist), Tarek Al-Wazir (member of state parliament), Bernd Stegemann (dramatic advisor), Bettina Röhl (journalist), Jörn Fischer (resignation researcher), Dirk Kaesler (sociologist), Marcus Knill (communication consultant), Sven Joachim Otto (local politician), Helga Lehner (newsreader)
Composition / Mixing: Daniel Wetzel
Production: WDR, DeutschlandRadio Kultur, 2006

First broadcast: 27th of August 2006, re-run SWR2