B-FE-2811
The Audi A8 50 TDI with the left-wing faction was a more compelling setup than the 100 CS quattro that drove up a Finnish ski jump in the '86 commercial. But above all, it reveals one thing: the secret code of power.
By Alexander Kira
By Alexander Kira
The beauty of symbolic politics is that it is rejected by everyone to the same degree that it is effective. A picture is worth a thousand words. Pope Francis knew this perfectly well, having himself chauffeured in a real compact car even on state visits to the USA; noticeable list to one side with well-fed cardinals on board and open windows included. Angela Merkel and her two A8s without flashing blue lights were the real sharks in the shark tank of political Berlin. Barely noticeable in traffic, she appeared as if from nowhere. Like the Pontifex Maximus, the pastor's daughter knew the power of this miraculous appearance. Even the otherwise modestly Baden-born Schäuble knew how to make a statement with his two S-Class Mercedes, eccentric by ministerial standards, in a scene where black limousines seem the norm.
Where "cycling" in political Berlin often means sucking up to those above and kicking those below, Chancellor Olaf Scholz will go down in history as a true cyclist. Right after Hans-Christian Ströbele, one wonders why a bicycle model hasn't been named after him yet. And the legendary adventures of Armin Laschet as a deceptively realistic Boris Pistorius double on an e-scooter have already been reported here. He could even fit inside a tank if Laschet were to fully commit to the Pistorius lookalike à la Hape Kerkeling's Queen Beatrix.
How naive we all were to think that was all there was to it. But no, the Left Party's A8 reveals something quite different. Not that comrades also drive A8s sometimes. They certainly deserve that. But the code on the license plate of the Berlin nomenklatura has largely gone unnoticed until now. Perhaps you still remember the 0-1 of the Federal President from the old Berlin Direkt opening sequence. While backbenchers use government vehicles with mundane, randomly assigned license plates, and ministers typically only receive fleet limousines on a rotating basis, there are distinctions for those in the front row, as subtle as the service in the Chancellor's kitchen on the fourth floor of Willy-Brandt-Straße 1.
Apparently, license plates also make a statement in political Berlin. According to media reports, combinations of names and birthdays are becoming increasingly common. This is convenient for newcomers to a parliamentary group with memory problems, as it prevents them from forgetting important birthdays and allows them to place their box of chocolates on the correct back seat. But what is the true code behind these license plates? Allegedly, the Finance Minister's license plate serves as a cautionary reminder of the national debt. The license plate of Katherina Reiche, the Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy and a near-namesake of Heidi Reichinnek, alternates between displaying information on the gas storage levels and the economic forecast of the German Council of Economic Experts. Dorothee Bär acknowledges the number of German astronauts, Patrick Schnieder provides pragmatic updates on current traffic jams, and Verena Hubertz discusses the dismal number of new apartments.
If word gets around among political investigative journalists, they can finally report on something more exciting than the daily minutiae. The title of the long-running political program "Kennzeichen D" (License Plate D) seemed almost prophetic in this context. A well-founded analysis of license plates could also distract from the tiresome massage seats in the directors' cars. Especially if politicians were to use license plates to express their humor. Gerhard Schröder was a pioneer in this regard during his guest appearance on "Wetten, dass...?" (a popular German TV show) in his Chancellor's Audi: "because of the four rings." Today, he'd have to tell the joke about the Olympic flag. But what if Steinmeier, as usual for less official business trips, chooses a discreet interchangeable license plate next time... this time with a reference to his hapless predecessor? Chancellor März could choose Claude Debussy as an ironic nod to Angela Merkel's love of opera - it would certainly improve relations with France. Karl Lauterbach reportedly always had the initials and birthdate of the reigning table tennis world champion on his car; Oskar Lafontaine the star rating of his favorite restaurant.
So what advice would the Left Party have to get out of this media mess? Quite simply, and available for just EUR19.90 transfer fee plus EUR12.80 for the personalized license plate and EUR30.00 for the metal: B-FE-2811, Friedrich Engels 28.11.1820. Because if one thing is certain: Friedrich Engels would definitely have driven nothing less than an Audi A8 50 TDI.
February 20, 2026
Alexander Kira has written provocative works on international human rights protection and is a lawyer, presenter, and cabaret artist. He lives and writesIt lies in the heart of Berlin.
CLICK HERE FOR THE NEW BOOK
Where "cycling" in political Berlin often means sucking up to those above and kicking those below, Chancellor Olaf Scholz will go down in history as a true cyclist. Right after Hans-Christian Ströbele, one wonders why a bicycle model hasn't been named after him yet. And the legendary adventures of Armin Laschet as a deceptively realistic Boris Pistorius double on an e-scooter have already been reported here. He could even fit inside a tank if Laschet were to fully commit to the Pistorius lookalike à la Hape Kerkeling's Queen Beatrix.
How naive we all were to think that was all there was to it. But no, the Left Party's A8 reveals something quite different. Not that comrades also drive A8s sometimes. They certainly deserve that. But the code on the license plate of the Berlin nomenklatura has largely gone unnoticed until now. Perhaps you still remember the 0-1 of the Federal President from the old Berlin Direkt opening sequence. While backbenchers use government vehicles with mundane, randomly assigned license plates, and ministers typically only receive fleet limousines on a rotating basis, there are distinctions for those in the front row, as subtle as the service in the Chancellor's kitchen on the fourth floor of Willy-Brandt-Straße 1.
Apparently, license plates also make a statement in political Berlin. According to media reports, combinations of names and birthdays are becoming increasingly common. This is convenient for newcomers to a parliamentary group with memory problems, as it prevents them from forgetting important birthdays and allows them to place their box of chocolates on the correct back seat. But what is the true code behind these license plates? Allegedly, the Finance Minister's license plate serves as a cautionary reminder of the national debt. The license plate of Katherina Reiche, the Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy and a near-namesake of Heidi Reichinnek, alternates between displaying information on the gas storage levels and the economic forecast of the German Council of Economic Experts. Dorothee Bär acknowledges the number of German astronauts, Patrick Schnieder provides pragmatic updates on current traffic jams, and Verena Hubertz discusses the dismal number of new apartments.
If word gets around among political investigative journalists, they can finally report on something more exciting than the daily minutiae. The title of the long-running political program "Kennzeichen D" (License Plate D) seemed almost prophetic in this context. A well-founded analysis of license plates could also distract from the tiresome massage seats in the directors' cars. Especially if politicians were to use license plates to express their humor. Gerhard Schröder was a pioneer in this regard during his guest appearance on "Wetten, dass...?" (a popular German TV show) in his Chancellor's Audi: "because of the four rings." Today, he'd have to tell the joke about the Olympic flag. But what if Steinmeier, as usual for less official business trips, chooses a discreet interchangeable license plate next time... this time with a reference to his hapless predecessor? Chancellor März could choose Claude Debussy as an ironic nod to Angela Merkel's love of opera - it would certainly improve relations with France. Karl Lauterbach reportedly always had the initials and birthdate of the reigning table tennis world champion on his car; Oskar Lafontaine the star rating of his favorite restaurant.
So what advice would the Left Party have to get out of this media mess? Quite simply, and available for just EUR19.90 transfer fee plus EUR12.80 for the personalized license plate and EUR30.00 for the metal: B-FE-2811, Friedrich Engels 28.11.1820. Because if one thing is certain: Friedrich Engels would definitely have driven nothing less than an Audi A8 50 TDI.
February 20, 2026
Alexander Kira has written provocative works on international human rights protection and is a lawyer, presenter, and cabaret artist. He lives and writesIt lies in the heart of Berlin.
CLICK HERE FOR THE NEW BOOK
Write a comment