Christian Lindner's recent appearance at the annual reception of the Association of German Pfandbrief Banks (vdp) in Berlin was pretty much a continuation of his visit to Caren Miosga a few days earlier. Threads from the TV talk were referred to again and again.

The FDP leader once again referred to his image of being used to standing in a storm with "fist-sized hailstones“. In contrast, the reception from the 300 or so vdp guests, seemed more like a „candy storm“ to him.

Perhaps this fuelled Lindner's desire to provoke even more. After all, one of the major upsets caused during the Miosga TV programme was his advice that Germany should dare to do more like Musk and Milei. Even CDU leader Friedrich Merz said that he was appalled by this statement.

But Lindner was not concerning himself with style or haircuts, Lindner reiterated at the vdp event, and pointed out that Elon Musk is the most successful entrepreneur of our time. And the Argentinian president wants to reorganise a ruinously run-down country economically – in the interests of its people. Lindner's message is to have the courage to disrupt.

Miosga viewers were already familiar with most of the other statements made by the former finance minister: the jibes against Habeck's economic and energy policy, the attacks on the welfare state and bureaucracy and, of course, the usual praise for the debt brake („the sweet poison of debt“).

Many people often applaud at this point. But many did not on this particular evening. Even in the financial sector, the FDP leader was not only given candy. In his welcome address, vdp President Gero Bergmann had already pleaded for a moderate reform of the debt brake. He asked his guest of honour how else essential government investments in infrastructure and defence capabilities could be made in the short term, and spoke of mistakes that had been made in German austerity policy since 2010. As Finance Minister, Lindner has always had a sympathetic ear for the industry, said Bergmann, but then clearly added that "we had often hoped for more concrete results.“ And on banking regulation, there had not always been a consensus.

The Pfandbrief banks are currently particularly concerned about the strict implementation of Basel III, and the fear of distortion of competition with the USA. Bergmann warns that Europe's future position in the global financial system is at stake here. Lindner, on the other hand, emphasised that banks are indispensable – but he also knows that they have a bad image. At least he got some laughs for that.