Schmidt: Trump "great entertainer", "Augustinian" on Pope

Afterwards, the former late-night king once again delivered a highly acclaimed performance at the Zillertal Theater Festival Steudltenn – now an indispensable annual tradition for Schmidt. In a one-two with artistic director Hakon Hirzenberger, the Swabian native, who lives in Cologne, once again brilliantly delivered one humorous blast after another. For almost two hours, there were bursts of speech and laughter, as well as anecdotes typical of Schmidt. Not a single eye remained dry.

APA: Mr. Schmidt, you travel a lot in German-speaking countries. The stage is your new, old home. And this almost exclusively in the form of double conferences and duo performances, not only here with Hakon Hirzenberger in the Zillertal. Also with the actor Bernd Gnann and the comedian Volker Heißmann. What's the appeal of that? And aren't your partners "relegated" to mere cue givers?

Harald Schmidt: "On the one hand, it's less stressful. On the other hand, it's more entertaining. You're not sitting alone in the hotel in the evening when you're on the road. And you're certainly not the only one giving cues. I do the bulk of the work, but it works out great. They're also aware of the kind of event they're getting involved in. But everyone talks as much as they want on any given evening."

APA: Do you need any preparation at all, or don't you improvise anyway?

Schmidt: "It's supposed to look improvised. A lot of it is already decided, of course—not word for word, but in terms of the topics. You draw on a pool of ideas you've acquired over the years. A key word comes up, and I immediately know what to say. I don't prepare specifically—in the sense of learning a text. But you do think about the topics and what you might be asked. It's like being a politician."

APA: Aside from the various stage performances, what are your other plans? The ZDF "Traumschiff" (Dream Ship)? Anything else on TV?

Schmidt: "I just finished filming 'Traumschiff,' and that's continuing next year. As for television, I get requests from time to time. But that's all of no interest to me these days. And starting at the end of May, I'll be back at the Vienna Volksoper with 'Im weißen Rössl.'"

APA: One of your former TV employers, ARD, recently celebrated its 75th anniversary with a big anniversary show. You were missed.

Schmidt: "I couldn't, I was on the 'Dream Ship'. Indian Ocean, verifiable."

APA: Did you regret not celebrating with ARD?

Schmidt: "No, I was lucky. (laughs, note)"

APA: Speaking of media: The topic of "artificial intelligence" (AI) is omnipresent, not least in the media. Does that concern you?

Schmidt: "I don't use it. For me, there's only one question: Can AI replace me? I don't think so, because what I do is specifically tailored to me. So it doesn't concern me. In general, I notice that the more is available online, the more people increasingly want the live experience in the evening, without full playback, without a teleprompter."

APA: Mr. Schmidt, "Habemus Papam." The American Robert Francis Prevost is the new Pope Leo XIV. Is the professed Catholic satisfied?

Schmidt: "They always choose the right one. US and Peruvian citizenship. Missionary and friar—I'll be drinking an Augustiner to that this weekend in Munich (before a performance on Monday, ed.). And anyone who saw Francis's farewell can only say: The Catholic Church knows exactly how it's done."

APA: Otherwise, Pope Leo's compatriot Trump dominates headlines and world events. Concerned and alarmed, how many media people and experts?

Schmidt: "No. He's a great entertainer. I enjoy watching him. I like how he switches back and forth between the teleprompter and speaking extemporaneously. Or how he sits there on that chair—while the others have to make do with the sofa. The pen he uses to sign executive orders, which he also likes to throw into the audience. And the signature alone. An absolute media professional. He also speaks at great length at press conferences, allows questions, engages with journalists, and even insults journalists personally."

APA: Are you not afraid of the changing times that many see and lament?

Schmidt: "No. Of course, they also want to appear particularly alert and politically informed. They live off constantly issuing warnings. There are two buzzwords these days: warning shot and wake-up call. You don't know in which order: While the wake-up call is sounding, I'll fire a warning shot (laughs, ed.). The earth keeps turning – and tomorrow, something else will be happening. I don't live in the US, I'm not an American citizen. I would notice the effects on the world, in my supermarket. But I don't notice any major changes. The stock markets – that's their nature – go up and down, currently mostly up again."

APA: On the German Causa Prima: The new Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who failed in the first round of voting. Your opinion? Has he already been permanently damaged?

Schmidt: "This showed that we have a fantastic constitution, which precisely stipulates how things will proceed, even in such a case. You have to differentiate between the media excitement and reality: 10:00 a.m., first round of voting. 4:15 p.m., swearing-in ceremony. It went fantastically well. And shortly thereafter, the main news outside Germany was: India is bombing targets in Pakistan – two nuclear powers. Therefore, the first round of voting was, at best, an internal German discussion. Even among people on the street who were interviewed, the general tone was often: 'It can happen, let them get started.' Of course, I understand that the media is desperate about this. Commentators have to protect their own jobs and see crisis and doomsday everywhere. Then they always say: 'The nation is talking about it.' I don't see the nation talking about it. Many don't even notice it."

APA: What is “the nation” talking about then?

Schmidt: "About football and vacation."

APA: What were the reasons for the considerable number of dissenting MPs in the coalition ranks who initially refused to support Merz?

Schmidt: "The good old qualities: envy, revenge, disappointment, jobs. Human qualities."

APA: How do you assess Merz?

Schmidt: "He was a great taker, he desperately wanted to become Chancellor. But he gave the most important ministries, with the most money, to the SPD: the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Labor, and the Ministry of Defense. The real work begins when the big goals have to be implemented: the Bundeswehr, rearmament, etc. In general, the 'Austrian situation'—that would certainly be an improvement for Germany (laughs, ed.)."

APA: Does the new cabinet have enough humor for a Harald Schmidt?

Schmidt: "I don't even know the names yet; I have to memorize them first. It's an interesting question for me: Who will give up first? Where will the first major technical glitch occur that will make someone unusable? The material won't diminish."

APA: Do you miss the FDP and former Green Party Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock?

Schmidt: "Both times: no. Baerbock has now snagged a job at the UN. A highly professional diplomat was ousted for this. She messed up the Green Party's second-to-last election campaign, with a doctored resume. Now she's at the UN. That shows the value."

(The interview was conducted by Wolfgang Eder/APA)