"Schneider's glasses"

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Eike Schmidt: Will he soon be the mayor of Florence?(Bild: APA)

The German art historian Eike Schmidt has a good chance of being elected as the new mayor of Florence. This rather bizarre announcement has also sparked the imagination of "Krone" columnist Robert Schneider.

Hand on heart! Mayoral posts are not really in demand in this country. Who wants to sit in a meeting every evening, have to smile at everyone on the street because it's a potential vote, even if they can't stand them, always be on their guard against the opposition, and be wary of journalists anyway? Who wants that?

In Florence, a German now wants that. His name is Eike Schmidt. He is an art historian by profession. He can't help the very Teutonic name. But the Florentines like him. He was the director of the famous "Uffizi" and created order in the museum during the eight years he worked there. He taught the Italians how to do things properly. Jörg Seisselberg from the ARD studio in Rome writes that he was an "assertive, civic-minded modernizer" who made a name for himself with "record revenues and a new, visitor-friendly organization of museum operations". Which is to the advantage of Signore Schmidt, who was born in Freiburg: none of his five competitors have yet submitted a written program, no "vision for the city", as he smugly remarks.

The Italians love German virtues. I love Italian virtues. Isn't there also a resonant, long naturalized name from the land of lemons and oranges that could, let's say in Bregenz, aspire to a candidacy? A Mr. Rupert Molinari or something like that?

Wouldn't it be nice if a little Italianità came to Bregenz? Driving like hell, but skillfully. More than just letting things slide, but hello! Certain things, just little things, should be dealt with in the shortest possible way. Bregenzers dressed in the latest fashion, wonderful fruit and delicatessen markets, exquisite cuisine, processions of the Virgin Mary and saints, where everyone really does join in. Oh, a Rupert Molinari like that should run for office here!