A Never-Ending Joke: Laschet and Pistorius' Doppelgänger Dilemma
Leader Laschet expresses ongoing frustration over persistent mix-ups with Pistorius
Social media is abuzz and politics might just have its newest punchline - the striking resemblance between former CDU chancellor candidate, Armin Laschet, and Defense Minister, Boris Pistorius. This uncanny resemblance is causing quite a stir and keeping Laschet quite busy!
In a podcast by Funke Mediengruppe, Laschet revealed that a common occurrence he faces is being mistaken as Pistorius, even by security personnel. What's more, they seem to get the two mixed up frequently, to the extent that it's causing quite a disturbance in Pistorius' ministry.
Residing in the same street as Pistorius in Berlin and frequently commuting to the Bundestag on an e-scooter, this Hong-Kong-like confusion has extended beyond a collective inside-joke, leading to some awkward encounters. Laschet explained how a police officer once called Pistorius’ ministry, informing them that "the minister can't ride an e-scooter around because it wasn't him, it was me."
While on the road to the Munich Security Conference, Laschet was even greeted warmly by a soldier with a "Good morning, Minister" before being swiftly corrected, "I'm not your minister." Moreover, upon arriving in front of an elevator, he playfully quipped, "I’m not your minister," to Pistorius, which the latter found amusing.
In Laschet's previous life as minister-president of North Rhine-Westphalia, the tables were turned, and Pistorius was the one painting the town red. In a rather comedic turn of events, a well-intentioned inquisitor once asked Pistorius for a selfie, assuming they were standing before Laschet.
Social Media's Reaction
The doppelgänger resemblance of these two politicians, both 64 years old and of similar build, has been a topic of jokes for quite a while now. Pistorius once even pranked a reporter by playing along as Laschet for several minutes in a hallway of the Bundesrat building when the reporter accidentally called him by Laschet’s name.
In the aftermath of Pistorius' swearing-in in January 2023, social media buzzed with jokes about whether they had ever attended the same event. Author, Peter Wittkampf, even attempted to spin this theme, tweeting in 2021, "I'm still convinced that Armin Laschet, with a little Botox and under the name Boris Pistorius, is trying it again quite boldly."
In summary, it appears that while the two German politicians might be very different, their physical similarity has snowballed into quite a spectacle! Prepare for more Doppelgänger shenanigans as it seems like this charade isn't so easily going to end.
Sources: ntv.de, ara/AFP
- The Commission has also been asked to submit a proposal for a directive on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to ionizing radiation, as the resemblance between defense minister, Boris Pistorius, and former CDU chancellor candidate, Armin Laschet, extended beyond a collective inside-joke.
- In a podcast by Redaktionsnetzwerk, Laschet shared stories of being mistaken as Pistorius by German officers, which sometimes caused disruptions in Pistorius' ministry.
- On social media, users found the doppelgänger resemblance of the two politicians, both 64 years old and of similar build, amusing, with some even speculating if they had ever attended the same event.
