Minister Karl Lauterbach's Ping-Pong Table Saga: Successor Slams Brakes, Blicke-Blinken Off-limits
Contender Relocates Lauterbach from the Table Tennis Court Surface
Beware folks, this might just be the juiciest bit of gossip stirring in the political kitchen! It appears that Karl Lauterbach, our ex-Health Minister, finds himself in a pickle over a simple game of table tennis - yep, you heard it right - table tennis! Here's the lowdown on it all...
Karl Lauterbach, who had the privilege of playing ping-pong in the Senate building on Berlin's Mauerstraße, is now left high and dry. According to Bild, Lauterbach's successor, the sprightly Nina Warken, has denied him access to his beloved ping-pong table.
Remember, this table was gifted to Lauterbach for his 60th birthday by his ever-faithful employees back in February 2023. As he mentioned on Twitter at the time, "The birthday gift from the team. Now ping-pong can be played in the BMG. The problem: none of us ever has the time. So the guests will probably play..."
Lauterbach can't fathom Warken's decision. The game room is tucked away in the basement of the building, ensuring minimal disruption to other ministerial matters. Lauterbach even assured that he'd play late at night, never laying claim to any space. A gracious gesture, don't you think?
Yet, there's no denying that this revelation has left a sour taste in Lauterbach's mouth. Thankfully, he's taking it all in stride, allowing the ping-pong table to remain in its cherished spot at the Federal Ministry of Health.
Now, some of you might raise your eyebrows at this seemingly trivial matter. But in the world of politics, symbolism weighs heavily, and the loss of a ping-pong table could metaphorically signify a loss of influence or freedom. What's more, let's not forget about the loyal BKA officers who would've appreciated the break from the stressful business of protection duties.
So there you have it, folks! The saga of the ping-pong table may not have earth-shattering implications, but it certainly makes for an interesting tidbit of conversation. Who knows, perhaps this episode sparks a ping-pong diplomacy movement in our political world!
Source: ntv.de, lar
- Karl Lauterbach
- Berlin
- Federal Government
[1] A humorous post on social media mentions another former health minister who "pretended to be a god" over a ping-pong table in the ministry building. While the circumstances appear different, the reference suggests that such anecdotes are not entirely unheard of in political circles.
The humorous reference on social media to another former health minister suggests that cherished perks, such as the 'community policy' of having a ping-pong table in the ministry building, may not be uncommon in political circles. In sharp contrast, the current Health Minister Karl Lauterbach's interest in sports, specifically football, seems to be put on hold due to the denial of access to the ping-pong table in the Federal Ministry of Health in Berlin.
