she embodied the “great” in “Great Britain”: With Queen Elizabeth II, the woman who not only understood and embodied the principle of the modern monarch, but also defined it in the first place in 70 years of reign, died on Thursday.
As soon as Elizabeth Windsor was established as heir to the throne, she withdrew as a person from the public. In fact, what we know about Queen Elizabeth as a person is what we think we know. It is based on carefully curated stories from around her or on rumors that have gone undeniable because the Queen never denied anything. The arcanum of the monarchy was preserved in her, no matter how great her children and grandchildren did it.
In public, Queen Elizabeth lived so exclusively and persistently as a symbol of her nation that she eventually became one with her country’s public image. Until yesterday, there were three things that distinguished Great Britain, this remnant of a lost empire, from a normal middle power: a few nuclear missiles, a permanent seat on the UN Security Council – and a queen. Now it’s only two.
Top jobs of the day
Find the best jobs now and
be notified by email.
(Photo: IMAGO/Political Moments)
In the minds of many politicians, an image of the citizen as an underage but at the same time tyrannical child, whose fits of rage at the chocolate aisle one has learned to fear, has settled. The right-wing populist movements in many Western industrialized countries, from the yellow vests in France to the Capitol stormers in Washington, have created a new mantra from the left to the conservative: Even the “losers of globalization” must somehow be taken along on the way to the climate-neutral society of the future.
In order for this to succeed, one should not make too many demands on them. Otherwise they would turn to the far right and endanger the stability of the political system. A bit of this way of thinking can also be found in the election campaign slogan of “respect” that Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz promises to all citizens. As long as this respect means that hard work is fairly rewarded and citizens in need are not treated like supplicants by the state, no one will object.
However, it becomes dangerous when the state suggests that it can shield all sections of the population from all unreasonable demands indefinitely: Three energy aid packages have already been decided, and yesterday Economics Minister Robert Habeck also announced a “broad protective shield” for companies suffering from energy shortages .
Certainly, doing nothing cannot be an option for politicians in the current energy crisis. But at the same time, experience with the tank discount and gas levy has shown that the state overwhelms itself. And in the end, it often lacks the strength to specifically support those who are really doing badly. The bigger the promises made by the state at the beginning, the greater the disappointment in front of the chocolate aisle in the end. Our Friday cover story this week is about this tricky path to the fully comprehensive republic.
The auditing and consulting firm EY yesterday announced its plans for a demerger. By the beginning of 2023, the 13,000 partners worldwide should vote on separating the auditing and consulting business.
It is vehemently disputed internally at EY that the split plans have anything to do with the Wirecard case. EY is facing lawsuits from investors who accuse Wirecard’s long-standing auditor of errors in the balance sheet attestation.
In fact, scandals like the one surrounding Wirecard have led to regulatory authorities increasingly pushing for a separation of consulting and auditing business in order to rule out possible conflicts of interest.
Anyone who moves to the outskirts of large metropolises because real estate is cheaper there often overlooks an essential factor: commuting is not only nerve-wracking – it is also expensive. What remains of the price advantage in the commuter belt if you include the costs for the car, bus or train – and that over many decades? The Handelsblatt answers this question in a new series on the real estate market in the environs of the most important German metropolises. Frankfurt – or rather Offenbach – makes the start. An average condominium there is so much cheaper than in neighboring Frankfurt that you could use the money saved to commute there by bus and train for 63.5 years. I think that even retirement at 87 has lost a lot of its horror.
And then there is King Charles III, as he has been known since yesterday, and whom you knew until then as Prince Charles. At 73, he is the oldest person in British history to ever become king. He is now the head of state of the United Kingdom and 14 other Commonwealth nations.
Where his mother only expressed her political preferences in the finest hints and symbols, Charles has been a vocal campaigner for organic farming and against modern architecture for decades. In an interview with the BBC in 2018, however, he made it clear how he intends to fulfill his future role as king: he will know how to remain silent on controversial issues, “I’m not that stupid”. His mother would probably have worded it differently.
I wish you a royal day.
Best regards
Her
Christian Rickens
Editor-in-Chief Handelsblatt
You can subscribe to the Morning Briefing here: