‘Steinbrück-Hoeneß 0:0’

Published on 23 April 2013 at 10:22

Cover

Hoeneß has the ball, but then Bavaria fluffs a pass to Switzerland, and Steinbrück regains possession right in front of the posts. This is his chance: all he has to do is shoot. But Steinbrüüück? What does Steinbrück do? He hesitates and misses the opportunity.

In an article presented as an imaginary football match commentary between the President of FC Bayern Munich, Uli Hoeneß, and the Social Democratic candidate for the chancellor’s office, Peer Steinbrück, the newspaper takes a fresh look at the scandal surrounding Hoeneß, who, in January, admitted to tax authorities that he had a bank account in Switzerland. On April 20, Focus magazine’s website reported that Hoeneß had been charged with tax fraud.

As for Steinbrück? “He has refrained from criticism,” complains Tageszeitung, which is demanding Hoeneß's resignation —

Receive the best of European journalism straight to your inbox every Thursday

The question of whether Hoeneß should resign or not is revelatory of the divergence in attitudes to tax fraud in the wake of Offshore Leaks: either it is an offence that is no worse than driving home after drinking six beers, or it is quite simply a type of theft.

Tags

Was this article useful? If so we are delighted!

It is freely available because we believe that the right to free and independent information is essential for democracy. But this right is not guaranteed forever, and independence comes at a cost. We need your support in order to continue publishing independent, multilingual news for all Europeans.

Discover our subscription offers and their exclusive benefits and become a member of our community now!

Are you a news organisation, a business, an association or a foundation? Check out our bespoke editorial and translation services.

Support independent European journalism

European democracy needs independent media. Join our community!

On the same topic