WENN POLITIKER REDEN
Präsident hält Grundsatzrede zur Lage der Nation = the president will come before Congress to hold the state–of-the-nation/state- of-the-Union address/speech
Präsident stellt seinen Plan zur Sanierung der Staatsfinanzen vor = president sells/pitches his turnaround economic plan/road map to the audience
die Rede des jungen Präsidenten war tadellos = the young president gave his speech without missing a beat
mit dieser Rede hat er seine Reifeprüfung als etablierter Politiker bestanden = the speech was his coming of age/rite of passage in the political arena
in seiner Weihnachtsansprache weist der Bundespräsident die Bevölkerung auf ihre Pflichten hin = in his Christmas address President raises awareness/conciousness about social issues; he also brings home/drives home the importance of ethics to the nations’ citizens; in a sermon-like speech the PM exhorted all the country’s inhabitants to become more sensitive to the impact of climate changes
Gesundheitsminister/Parteivorsitzender hält leidenschaftliche/emotionale Rede = the Minister for Health delivered/gave a big-time speech/glowing speech/uttered high octane lines; the party leader roared to life with a passionate and uplifting speech
seine/ihre Rede ist sehr gut angekommen = his speech was spot-on and resonated/ registered well with the press; his proposition came across as just and fair; her performance resonated/went over/down well with the public
es ist immer hilfreich, bei einer Rede einen Spickzettel dabei zu haben = it always helps to read from a cue card/have a quick glance at a cheat sheet
in einer Pressekonferenz werden Eingeweihte zunächst vorab informiert = the government’s press secretary hosted a briefing ahead of an official announcement/a major update to a selected group of journalists
seine Rede war zu verklausuliert = his speech was riddled with inconsistencies; he kept dancing around/tip toeing around/pussyfooting around the same questions
es gibt zu viel Kakophonie in der Politik = one always hears a lot of gobbledygook /gibberish/rubbish/baloney when politicians speak
Politiker setzen sich nicht immer für Transparenz ein = politicians are not always upfront with their intentions
er/sie ist ein Politiker, der/die lieber Sprüche klopft als Fakten darstellt = he/she is one of those politicians who would rather bang out slogans than state real facts
dies war ein verzweifelter Versuch, eine populistische Rede zu halten = his impassioned speech was a desperate attempt at populism
zwei Sätze, die man oft hört bei Redebeginn eines Politikers: “ich bin überzeugt, dass” und “ ich möchte es in aller Deutlichkeit sagen” = two expressions, which are frequently heard at the beginning of a politician’s address: “ it is my conviction, that …”; “let me state this plainly/clearly”
Populismus, sei es von rechts oder links, mit seinen einfachen Antworten auf komplexe Fragen, funktioniert nicht = populism, be it of the left or the right, is a political style offering unworkably over-simplistic solutions to complex problems
für die Medien war das Vorgehen des Kanzlers Aktionismus/Alarmismus/eine Kurzschlussreaktion = the prime-minister’s attitude was a knee-jerk reaction/response; PM is pilloried as alarmist by the media; politicians should avoid overreaching/knee-jerk reactions/responses
Politiker wiederholen ihre Phrasen gebetsmühlenartig = politicians worshipfully keep rolling out/trotting out the same old mantras/buzzwords/ credos/catchcries
Politiker erzählen immer das gleiche Blabla = politician recites the usual/same song and dance/just goes through the motions; some politicians reinvent the wheel/use their familiar playbook every now and then
das war die übliche olle Kamelle, nichts Neues, oder? = the minister gave/delivered the usual speech/his patented/familiar script; her address inspired a sense of déjà vu; he keeps telling the same old lies; his speech was just a word salad designed to confuse and gaslight the audience; we/I have seen this movie before, but this time around the ending could be different
Politiker sagt deutlich, was er/sie vorhat und wie er seine Vorstellungen umsetzen möchte = a politician’s job is to clearly express his/her position and how he/she will work to achieve results/outcomes; promise less, deliver more is her/his mantra; she/he has a reputation of being a plainspoken politician who is very direct and straightforward in the manner she/he communicates
beeinflussbare Wähler werden von Politiker mit Unwahrheiten/Fake News abgespeist = fake news/misinformation to gullible voters appears to be the politician’s stock-in–trade; a lot of voters fell for the politician’s lies hook, line and sinker; slippery leaders produce/ spread a lot of BS (i.e. bullshit)
Politiker verdrehen/stellen Fakten/Daten dar, wie es ihnen passt = politicians cherry pick facts/stats (eg about the pandemic) to suit/push their own/personal agendas
was Politiker in der Vergangenheit schon von sich gegeben/gesagt haben, wird in den Medien wieder aufgetischt = TV channel rolls the tape on key politicians (i.e. things they said in the past, which are on record/tape, are revisited)
seine Rede war mal wieder mit abgedroschenen Sätzen gespickt = his speech was awash with cliché-riddled responses/platitudes
der Minister hat nichts mehr hinzuzufügen = the minister is done with giving/providing any more details/explanation on the matter; that’t all there is to it
Rede wies große Kluft zwischen Rhetorik und Realität auf = there was a wide gap/divide between rhetoric and reality
wie diese Kluft überbrückt/geschlossen werden soll, bleibt eine offene Frage = how this gap should be bridged/closed remains an open question
Politiker drücken sich zu verschachtelt aus = politicians sometimes waste too much time equivocating/prevaricating/waffling/ floundering
Wähler haben es manchmal satt, wenn Politiker zu viel reden/etwas zerreden/daher reden = voters sometimes get tired of too much gobbledygook/ doublespeak by politicians; weasel words, window dressing and smokescreens seem to abound in politics nowadays; some politicians always want to hog/relish hogging the floor
manchmal benutzen Politiker nur schlaue Worte/Ausdrücke, die zu elitär/intellektuell rüber kommen, als würde man über Kunst/ Literatur reden = sometimes politicians use many highfalutin/stilted words/expressions, which come across as too overblown/pretentious as if they were speaking about some exquisite art/literature topic
was ein Politiker sagt ist nicht unbedingt was er tut = how he acts/what he practices is not necessarily what he says/preaches
bei Wahlversprechen ist Politiker einfach Spitze = politician is masterclass/top of the class//at the head of the-class in doublespeak
manchmal müssen Politiker einen Spagat machen = on certain controversial issues politicians work both sides of the street, i.e. they don’t say which side/policy they support; the Finance Minister faces a tough juggling/balancing act on whether he keeps the budget stable or boosts government spending
bei der Klimawende sitzt Minister noch zwischen zwei Stuhlen = minister is still sitting on the fence on many aspects/facets of the climate change issue
Politiker können sich sehr gut verstellen und dabei sehr überzeugend wirken = politicians are very skilled in the art of plausible deniability behind a veneer of respectability
Politiker haben ihre Lieblingssprüche = politicians have their favorite catchphrases
dieser großmäulige Politiker hat eine große Klappe aber da ist/steckt nichts dahinter = the smooth-talking/big mouth politician is heavy on rhetoric but light on substance; all we get to hear from him is hot air/smoke and mirrors; he/she loves to lay it on thick/to engage in exaggeration
große Klappe, nichts dahinter = big talk, no action; some politicians are often big on rhetoric, but a large gap yawns between their words and actions
mit seiner Rede stieß der Kandidat den konservativen Parteiflügel/einige Wähler vor den Kopf = the candidate ruffled puritanical feathers/upset party puritans with his speech; with his smug/odd/snarky/in-your-face remarks the prime minister did more harm than goog/dissed some of his voters; he took a casual swipe at his electorate; however, many supporters appear to show show little discomfort with the candidate’s abrasive style
Politiker ducken sich weg/mauern/geben ausweichende Antworten = politicians use obstructive tactics to dodge and weave questions; the opposition constantly filibusters/stonewalls/runs the clock down in a bid to delay motions they don’t support; they often give/offer evasive/deceitful/shifty answers; very often it’s hard to get a straight answer from a politician; politician has proved that he can dodge responsibility on big issues; sometimes too much indignity and outrage comes from politicians' words or actions; sometimes it takes ages to break the filibuster; when not in power politicians (from opposing parties) have a tendency to be/become obstructive
Politiker umgehen Fragen zu delikaten/heiklen Themen = politicians skirt/deflect questions about thorny issues; they still keep dancing around/tip toeing around/pussyfooting around the same questions; time for dissembling and shimmying is over; it’s just hollow talk and no action; sometimes they pay lip service to a proposal but do not walk the talk
als der radikale Politiker die Bühne betrat, haben viele Anwesenden aus Protest den Raum verlassen = when the radical politician took to the stage many people voted with their feet by exiting the premises
wenn er was sagt, dann passiert meistens auch etwas = when he talks, he usually backs it up; sometimes politicians do walk/talk the talk; “I've been around long enough to know his intentions, so I know he’ll back them up", the journalist said; he/she is the kind of politician who never sits on the fence
Politiker können sich geschickt winden/wegducken = the governor spent the day dancing around reporters’ questions; politicians engage in evasions, deflections and distortions/indulge in political posturing
das Ergebnis bleibt gleich, egal wie die Politiker es darstellen = the outcome remains the same, no matter how some politicians slice and dice it/crunch the numbers; some politicians use averages, others use specifics
das wahr eine Rede für die Ewigkeit (ironisch): sie bestand nur aus vier Wörtern = that was a speech for the ages (jocular): he only said four words
Politiker tun alles, wenn es darum geht, ihre Mandate nicht zu verlieren = those talented speakers/public performers weave and bob/ duck and jive on an issue in order to keep seats
Bitte nicht mehr herumeiern = “enough with the back-and-forth, the posturing and politicking”, she said; Let’s get it over with, OK?; quit tip-toeing around the issue/subject and get to the point/cut to the chase
Politiker sollen nicht geschwollen reden = just stick to the plain talk, don’t dress it up
Alt-Kanzler möchte keine Ratschläge von der Seitenlinie geben (d.h. nicht besserwisserisch klingen) = former PM doesn’t want to be a backseat driver (i.e. not give unwanted advice)
Politiker spielen manchmal den Guten oder den Bösen = politicians sometimes play the good cop or the bad cop/bully
die Ränkespiele um persönliche Vorteile zu erlangen, setzen sich hinter den Kulissen fort = the rhetoric with the aim of gaining personal political advantages behind the scenes continues
der Minister hat sich politisch korrekt ausgedrückt = comments by the minister were politically expedient/correct
die Rede des Parteivorsitzenden war fast nur politisches Geplänkel = the party boss’s speech reeked of political posturing
die Politik in unserem Land plätschert dahin = politics in this country is just meandering along/limping along/bumbling along;
there is a lot of obfuscation, equivocation and muddling going on
es ist dringend notwendig, die Politik des Landes neu zu gestalten, da es seit langem in politischer Lähmung versunken ist = there is a strong need to reshape the politics of the country as it has been mired in political paralysis for a long time; "we have to unite for change", is a phrase, which is often repeated in speechesme
