Waldemar Hartmann, a 78-year-old former sports moderator who gained nationwide fame for his friendly demeanor and association with the "Weizenbier" culture following Rudi Völler's 2003 remark, has recently pivoted to a second career as a right-wing commentator. Currently contributing to Julian Reichelt's portal "Nius," Hartmann has been sharing takes that align with far-right rhetoric, including labeling Friedrich Merz a "lying chancellor," referring to his wife as a "Weibi," and mocking climate activists for his SUV usage.
The controversy escalated over the weekend when Hartmann posted on X expressing discomfort with Elif Eralp serving as the Governing Mayor of Berlin solely because of her name. This statement followed a cover story in Der Spiegel regarding fears surrounding Eralp, the top candidate for the Left Party in Berlin. Hartmann wrote that he simply has a problem with the fact that the capital's mayor bears the name Elif Eralp.
The post triggered immediate and sharp condemnation from various political figures. Serap Güler, a State Minister at the Federal Foreign Office, criticized Hartmann on X, stating that while Eralp and her party can be legitimately criticized on substantive grounds, Hartmann's comment constitutes "plain racism" without exception. Janine Wissler, former leader of the Left Party, echoed this sentiment on Bluesky, asserting that anyone who rejects Eralp as mayor based on her name or her parents' origin is a racist and nothing else.
Ricarda Lang, the former head of the Greens, described the incident as a classic case of someone saying out loud what others usually keep quiet. As of now, neither Hartmann nor the right-wing campaign portal that provides him a platform has issued a response to the backlash. His controversial post from Saturday remains accessible on X, followed by subsequent entries covering Bundesliga matches, Halloween youth protests, and Frank-Walter Steinmeier's honorary salary, signaling a new spectrum for the figure once known as "Weißbier-Waldi".
Sources: Der Spiegel.