Gregor Gysi, *What Politicians Don’t Say*

Nothing is as simple as one would like it to be, but explaining complex issues is a particular challenge in an age of short attention spans. Often, topics such as capital gains tax must first be ‘translated’ to highlight their relevance to the public and thereby spark their interest.

Anyone who wants to succeed in politics learns early on to say what voters supposedly want to hear. And that can include half-truths.

Gregor Gysi explains how communication works in the political arena, why MPs are not selected on the basis of professionalism, what speaking time limits apply in the Bundestag, why he addresses the viewers first and foremost on talk shows rather than his fellow panellists, how differently print media and talk shows operate, and how important – yet also how difficult – it is to present issues in a simplified yet accurate manner.

Together with presenter Andrea Jung, Gregor Gysi takes a look behind the scenes of the political world.