While a ‘people's chancellor’ wins the election in Austria, a ‘people's citizen’ enters Germany's media heartland in Berlin. The top candidate of the recently founded ‘Democratic Alliance’ (DA) party makes his first appearance at the Federal Press Conference Centre. He has just achieved an absolute majority in the ‘Free State’ and can therefore govern without coalition partners.

‘Arndt’ is written on the nameplate, which a member of staff conscientiously places where the new Prime Minister is about to take his seat. When he enters the room, however, his bodyguard is the first to replace it with: ‘Dominik Arndt’ - it is important to the new man that people know his first name. In general, he talks a lot about dialogue and eye level, about direct conversation and open interaction. His political programme starts where most people's everyday lives begin: with dead spots, education issues and rural exodus.

The language he speaks also sounds more tangible than that of the previous speakers in this room. He is imbued with ‘passion for our country’, says Arndt and places a bottle of mineral water from his ‘Free State’ on the table. His party is liberal, social, alternative and, yes, also national. But that doesn't mean much more than what most people in his country feel: Belonging.

Branded a stylistic sin

The way Fabian Hinrichs plays this beaming election winner, there is nothing unbelievable about him. The idea that a new party with a reasonably charismatic leader could make huge electoral gains in a German federal state in a very short space of time may no longer surprise anyone who has followed the BSW's recent electoral successes, for example. At first, it is only his shirt that reveals something about the specific type of politician that Hinrichs wants to present on this theatre evening. It is the white shirt with dark-coloured marker buttons that is often worn by AfD politicians and branded a ‘style sin’ by capital city fashion critics, ‘whose deeper meaning remains hidden’ (‘Berliner Zeitung’).

Yet at least one meaning would be quite obvious - namely the desire to flaunt the claimed non-conformism by breaking the conventional innocent white with a rebellious colour element. Is this the aesthetic of resistance today? In any case, Hinrichs, who is currently writing a book on aesthetics himself, plays this man of power more as an implicit usurper. There can be no talk of a ‘seizure of power’ - even the Federal Chancellor congratulates him and the government spokeswoman readily admits that Arndt is ‘democratically elected and therefore to be taken seriously’.

But it is precisely this adjective, the concrete liability of the trust category ‘democratic’, that is the subject of the rest of this play, written by the committed lawyer Maximilian Steinbeis, which initially comes across as a bit schirky, but then provides interesting answers for the layman in constitutional law to the question that is currently being debated everywhere: ‘What if the populists come to power?’

For as soon as Arndt takes office, there are increasing indications that a ‘change of course’ in asylum policy is emerging in his federal state and that the law is being broken in immigration authorities. Of course, it is a journalist - the former Handelsblatt editor Steinbeis still has that much faith in his own guild - who uncovers abuses that were initially dismissed as ‘regrettable individual cases’ and has her research confirmed by the representative of an NGO. It is telling how director Nicola Hümpel stages the closeness between the capital's journalists and moral confidants: Business cards are exchanged and bribes are exchanged. But when guests from outside the milieu enter the room, facial expressions quickly harden. For example, a district administrator who talks about ‘Ukrainians in SUVs’ or ‘multicultural cities’ is immediately met with angry shaking of heads - not only from the actors, but also from the audience in the capital.

Dissolve the people?

The fact that fanfare music is always played during the district administrator's appearances corresponds to the negligent willingness to disparage everything down-to-earth as morally backward, which has caused a lot of political damage. And yet the theatre evening not only presents its own prejudices, but also spells out the escalation that would be possible if a prime minister defied the applicable federal law: first the federal government tries crisis diplomacy, then a commissioner and finally a (successful) lawsuit in Karlsruhe. When Arndt also disregarded this supreme judgement, Berlin sent the federal police to the ‘Free State’ to confiscate files and arrest the Minister President. He flees abroad and quotes Brecht: ‘Wouldn't it be easier if the government dissolved the people and elected another one?’

The performance collective ‘Nico and the Navigators’ and Fabian Hinrichs present an evening of political tutoring on the dangers of democracy. In the end, it is an ominous distinction on which everything hinges - namely that between ‘political responsibility’, which Arndt claims for himself, and the ‘specialised legal problems’, which he considers to be of secondary importance. This corresponds almost literally to what the leader of the strongest political force in Austria since Sunday is promising: If he comes to power, says Herbert Kickl, he would no longer accept any asylum applications - no matter what the law says.

To mark the 75th anniversary of the Federal Press Conference, Fabian Hinrichs and Nico and the Navigators show what happens when a populist party comes to power. The political farce depicts the rise of a populist prime minister in a German free state and the resulting threat to democracy in the Federal Republic. Fabian Hinrichs plays the leading role. He is joined by the Navigators in various roles and Theo Koll as a guest. The evening at the Federal Press Conference is based on the highly acclaimed research of the Verfassungsblog team led by founder and author Maximilian Steinbeis. This was followed by a panel discussion with the author and constitutional lawyer Steinbeis. The performances were broadcast live to the Badisches Staatstheater in Karlsruhe and the Babylon cinema in Berlin.

From 2 October, ‘Ein Volksbürger’ will also be available in the arte media library. (available until 2 October 2027)

27 September 2024. It's all crazy, says Mathis Feldhoff, head of the Federal Press Conference. I don't just think that tonight, replies playwright Maximilian Steinbeis after the premiere. That's what it sounds like when reality overtakes fiction, when theatre can no longer keep up. The senior member of a state parliament ignores rules of procedure and parliamentary rights, savours his Hindenburg moment on behalf of his right-wing extremist party leader, until the whole thing ends up before the state constitutional court.

Reality beats fiction

In another free state, the new state government denies refugees all rights and refuses to allow any investigation by federal authorities until Berlin takes the unprecedented step of imposing ‘federal coercion’ to restore constitutional order; the government spokesperson denies that there are scenes of civil war in the free state. Which of the two scenarios is reality, and which is merely the product of an imaginative author's mind? And how far is fiction from reality?

Not far at all, according to Maximilian Steinbeis. As a lawyer, journalist and founder of the ‘Verfassungsblog’ (Constitutional Blog), he has played out a ‘what if’ scenario in his ‘Thuringia Project’. He was not surprised by what the AfD staged in the Thuringian state parliament on 26 September. In an interview with Mathis Feldhoff, he made it clear that this was to be expected if one asked what would happen if a powerful party abandoned all parliamentary and legal norms. ‘This opens the door to a lot of abuse.’

Ongoing press conference

The play ‘Ein Volksbürger’ (A Citizen of the People), a further development of Steinbeis' five-year-old text “Ein Volkskanzler” (A People's Chancellor), is, despite the seriousness of the subject matter, also a farce. In Nicola Hümpel's production, the audience experiences over two hours of a continuous press conference with changing personnel – from the staunchly racist district administrator (‘Don't get me wrong, we have nothing against foreigners’) to the concerned NGO spokesperson. Fabian Hinrichs shines in the role of the free state's sole ruler Dominik Arndt, who has modelled the party abbreviation of his ‘Democratic Alliance’ on his own initials, with shark-like charm and an endless stream of words. As a skilled populist, the egomaniacal ‘DA’ leader oscillates between conventionality and blatant threats; his speciality is subtle aggression. He masterfully practises seizing power in the BPK (Berlin Press Conference) by ousting the press conference chief (Klara Pfeiffer) – for later.

While the journalists in the hall who ask questions and interject remain clichéd figures, Annedore Kleist is convincing as the government spokesperson who, when in doubt, retreats to platitudes and tries to conceal her own helplessness with a smug smile. Theo Koll makes a nice guest appearance as Theo Koll; interestingly, he exudes more seriousness in his own role than in his everyday life as a correspondent. It may be that under the pressure of recent state election results, even a long-serving ZDF anchorman is losing his sense of humour.

Terribly ridiculous

It is comforting, at least, that the rise of the dictator proves to be haltable, at least in this play: Dominik Arndt flees to ‘a land where lemons bloom’ and, in predictable megalomania, quotes not only Goethe but also Kant. The fact that his pathos resembles that of Björn Höcke is by no means purely coincidental. And when he crows Puccini's ‘Nessun dorma’ at the end – vincero, vincero-ho! – the hope remains that he is mistaken: this terribly ridiculous figure will not prevail.

Or will he? Who knows – after 26 September in Erfurt.

The Berlin musical theatre ensemble Nico and the Navigators is breaking new ground in two areas: their production Ein Volksbürger (A Citizen of the People) is a spoken theatre piece, and its world premiere will take place in the Haus der Pressekonferenz, where, since the inauguration of the new building on 8 May 2000, only political journalism has been presented, never a theatrical format. 

Director Nicola Hümpel doesn't have to think long about why the ensemble is now devoting itself to decidedly political theatre: ‘Because the times demand it.’ Ultimately, this is not completely new territory: in the more than 25 years of their existence, Nico and the Navigators have always dealt with current socio-political issues in an extremely intelligent and aesthetically outstanding manner. The ensemble has been friends with author and lawyer Maximilian Steinbeis, who has been running the ‘Verfassungsblog’ since 2009, for quite some time. ‘He has known our work for a long time and approached us with some extremely relevant material,’ recalls the director. 

Steinbeis published the essay ‘Ein Volkskanzler’ (A People's Chancellor) in 2019 and this year the book ‘Die verwundbare Demokratie. Strategien gegen die populistische Übernahme’ (The Vulnerable Democracy: Strategies Against Populist Takeover). Both writings highlight the danger that populist forces can undermine democratic institutions and manifest authoritarian structures. ‘This year we are celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Basic Law and have to ask ourselves how it can be modified to prevent hostility towards democracy from gaining ground,’ says Hümpel. ’Max didn't approach us because he had a musical theatre project in mind, but because he believed we were capable of creating the right characters and bringing them to life on stage. I see this as a project with a lot of responsibility and needed time to think it through. How can the supposedly dry field of constitutional law be translated into a theatrical format that makes the issues clear to the audience without simplifying them?’

The election forecasts for the federal states of Brandenburg, Thuringia and Saxony accelerated the project – its relevance is evident given the expected success of populist parties. For this reason, the House of the Press Conference immediately gave the green light. Fabian Hinrichs felt the same way. This is the first time Nico and the Navigators have worked with the actor and director. ‘Shortly after we approached him, he was hooked on the project,’ recalls Hümpel. ‘Fabian studied law, so he not only brought an interest in the subject matter, but also the necessary expertise. He immediately understood the legal implications.’

In keeping with the location, the play consists of several press conferences set after an election. The prime minister, played by Fabian Hinrichs, has been elected by a convincing majority, even though he has proclaimed anti-constitutional slogans. It quickly becomes clear that these are not just election slogans, but that he wants to undermine asylum law and environmental policies. This leads to intervention by the federal government. Article 37 of the Basic Law stipulates that so-called federal coercion comes into effect if a state refuses to fulfil its federal obligations. This has not happened in the history of the Federal Republic, but given the populist parties' pithy slogans – combined with the election forecasts – it cannot be ruled out in the future. The question remains: what would be the consequences of such a scenario? It is conceivable that the populists would become supposed martyrs, which could give them another boost in popularity. 

What currently looks like a not entirely unlikely future scenario has already happened in a similar form in history, as Hümpel points out: ‘Think of the Prussian coup in 1932.’ At that time, the NSDAP and KPD won a majority in the state elections. ‘The then Prime Minister Otto Braun, who was still in office, was dismissed along with his ministry and replaced by Reich Chancellor Franz von Papen as Reich Commissioner. He believed he could control Hitler if he joined forces with him. A fatal mistake.’

The play, which will be performed on three evenings, warns against another act of naivety. The title suggests the populism that populists like to pretend to have: ‘I am one of you.’ Billionaire Trump does this excellently, bizarrely railing against the elite he actually represents. In Germany, the situation is not much different. Brecht was probably right in his distrust of the term ‘people.’ Heiner Müller took this idea even further. It quickly leads to the dictum: ‘Thou shalt have no peoples beside me.’

The combination of Fabian Hinrichs and Nico and the Navigators sounds more than promising for this material. Due to limited seating capacity at the press conference venue, tickets should be reserved as soon as possible. However, the stage performance will also be broadcast live in theatres throughout Germany. In Berlin, the Babylon cinema on Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz will take over this role on Saturday. Afterwards, author Maximilian Steinbeis and the stage team will answer questions from the audience. The television channel Arte will edit the play and broadcast it after the premiere, providing further background information.

Shortly before Christmas, Nico and the Navigators will return with another world premiere. At the Radialsystem, they will continue the theme with ‘The Whole Truth About Lies.’ The musical theatre piece deals with fake news and artificial intelligence.

Nico and the Navigators perform ‘Ein Volksbürger’ at the Federal Press Conference Building

The huge panoramic window in the Federal Press Conference Building offers a direct view of the government district: the Federal Chancellery, the Paul Löbe House, the German Bundestag, all within a stone's throw. Memorable press conferences have taken place here, such as the one in 2015 when Angela Merkel uttered her famous phrase, ‘We can do it!’ A little thought experiment: What would it be like if, after a landslide victory in a state election, a populist minister-president took his place on this very podium and delivered a confident speech?

This scenario was developed by Nicola Hümpel and her theatre collective Nico and the Navigators together with Maximilian Steinbeis, author and founder of the Verfassungsblog. In the role of the slick political up-and-comer: the magnificent Fabian Hinrichs, known from Volksbühne productions and as a detective in the TV series Tatort. In the style of a live mockumentary, the play begins on election night. The results from the fictional Free State flicker across a monitor: dismal ratings for the bourgeois parties, while a solid bar builds up for the ‘Democratic Alliance’. An absolute majority right off the bat! Party leader Dominik Arndt – who embodies the ‘DA’ down to his initials – rushes straight to the federal capital to face the press.

With the demeanour of a triumphant victor, Arndt, alias Hinrichs, storms into the hall. But he is not interested in dialogue. He much prefers to rant about poor mobile phone reception and emphasise: ‘We are many things, we are democratic, we are alternative, social, liberal and, yes, we are national, but that has nothing to do with right or left, with top or bottom, but with the centre, with a passion for our country.’ Hinrichs skilfully switches between the poles of likeable charlatan and hard-nosed manipulator. And that makes the ‘what if’ scenario even more disturbing. When contempt for democracy does not come in the guise of a clearly extremist party, but emanates from reactionary actors who present themselves as vaguely modern, down-to-earth do-gooders.

The play spans a year of various press conferences. And from press conference to press conference, it becomes clearer where the journey is headed. In an unnamed ‘free state,’ irregularities in immigration law arise after only a few weeks: government offices stop processing files, and those seeking protection end up homeless. Three actors and an actress, seated among the audience, probe further with journalistic questions. The communication gap is breathtaking: the populist Arndt talks a lot, but basically deflects all questions. 

A district administrator complains about the impositions of the local refugee home, and an NGO representative presents his pile of research on unprocessed asylum cases. A changing cast of characters make their appearance until it becomes clear that the federal government is dealing with something that is actually a constitutional anomaly: ‘executive disobedience’, i.e. when the executive branch disregards the judiciary and federal law is deliberately not implemented at the state level. For anyone who thinks that a minister-president disregarding high court rulings is pure fantasy, the play provides a real-life example: Markus Söder and the diesel ban. He simply ignored federal regulations from 2012 in the interests of Bavaria, the ‘car state’.

And how does the thought experiment ‘Ein Volksbürger’ end on the theatre stage? With a spectacular showdown called Article 37 of the Basic Law. Never before used in the history of the Federal Republic, the so-called ‘federal coercion’ allows drastic measures to be taken against a federal state that refuses to fulfil its federal obligations. In the case of the ‘DA’, this means that the federal police put an end to the takeover and the minister-president flees abroad. From a ‘friendly country where the lemon trees bloom’, he immediately sends a video message, naturally with the slogan ‘Something has begun that cannot be stopped’. 

In an interview after the premiere, lawyer and Verfassungsblog author Maximilian Steinbeis described the political events so vividly depicted in this theatrical experiment as uncharted territory. He is also the author of the 2019 essay ‘Ein Volkskanzler’ (A People's Chancellor), which explores how authoritarian forces could undermine the constitution within a single legislative period without openly violating it or changing a single letter. The Verfassungsblog team is currently working on the ‘Thuringia Project,’ a research project that aims to examine the resilience of democracy and the rule of law in Germany in precisely these areas.

The Thuringian AfD recently provided another prime example from the playbook of parliamentary obstruction. On 26 September, the AfD's senior member, Jürgen Treutler, blocked a vote on changing the rules of procedure for hours. Only an urgent decision by the Thuringian Constitutional Court allowed the constituent session of the state parliament to continue. The play ‘Ein Volksbürger’ (A Citizen of the People) was over after two hours. We will see how things continue on the real political stage. In Erfurt and elsewhere.