Maybrit Illner's final pre‑summer episode draws 1.65 M viewers as ZDF spotlights political leaders

The last episode of Maybrit Illner’s talk show before the summer break attracted 1.65 million viewers, achieving a 12.3 % market share overall and 4.7 % among 14‑ to 49‑year‑olds. In the broadcast, Illner interviewed CDU foreign‑policy chief Armin Laschet, Green MEP Sergey Lagodinsky, Left‑Party politician Gregor Gysi, former AfD defense spokesman Rüdiger Lucassen, historian Liana Fix and Handelsblatt correspondent Annett Meiritz, debating the question “Between Trump and Putin – will Europe be torn apart?”.

In a separate ZDF segment, Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul appeared on the comedy‑interview series “Next Stop Köster”, filmed inside an elevator. Wadephul answered sharp questions from comedian Fabian Köster, joking that his wife once prevented him from taking a ministerial post and that he had studied law “just for the counting”. He reiterated the foreign‑policy pillars of peace, freedom, security and prosperity, while also defending the coalition’s work on development aid and defence. The interview highlighted the minister’s self‑irony and his occasional stumbling when confronted with statements from Chancellor Friedrich Merz.