You either like Roger Schawinski or you don’t. Shades of gray are rare with this personality. The talk show host and media pioneer is polarizing, not least because of his legendary aggressive interview style.
But now the 77-year-old is being duped despite his healthy ego. The reason is Mattea Meyer (35). Schawinski would have liked to have invited the co-chairman of SP Switzerland to his show on the Blue TV channel. “In my first season I had Cédric Wermuth as a guest,” he says, “now I wanted to welcome Mattea Meyer to the second season, also in the spirit of equality.” But that turned out to be more difficult than expected.
“Schawi” records its program on Friday and broadcasts it on Sunday. She wasn’t there on Friday, she told him. It was finally agreed on Tuesday 15 November.
So the TV team changed the schedule and made all the preparations. But on Thursday, Meyer sent a written refusal: you have to set other priorities now, sorry. Maybe it will work in January.
Zampano’s frustration is understandable
“Apparently she doesn’t want to take up the conversation,” says the rejected man, “that disappoints me.” Yet it is precisely left-wing women who rightly demand equal presence in the media.
Request to Meyer: Are you afraid of a Schawinski interrogation? She smiles. “You can certainly imagine that we in the party leadership have to hold elections for the Federal Council within three weeks and therefore have other things to do.” In addition, she had to cancel other appointments, not just the meeting in question, the politician continued. “A few weeks ago, Mr. Schawinski received a request for a program with a fairly non-committal, temporarily unfettered mix of subjects.”
She politely declined, pointing out that she was still very much interested in a conversation – but not until after December 7. But according to Meyer’s environment, Schawinski’s response was less diplomatic.
Whatever your opinion of the Zampano in Zurich, his frustration is understandable: any mediaman with half a journalistic instinct would be happy to question the party leader before and not after the by-election of his own federal councilor.
This privilege is now reserved for others.