20,000 elephants in Berlin: Chaos and political satire in The Gift

20,000 elephants in Berlin: Chaos and political satire in The Gift

There is an elephant alarm in Berlin! With her new novel “The Gift,” Belgian author Gaea Schoeters brings a breath of fresh air to political satire. Loud literaturkritik.de tells the story of the unexpected arrival of 20,000 elephants in the German capital. The premise is as absurd as it is captivating: the president of Botswana, in response to a planned import ban on hunting trophies, decides to give Germany a huge elephant gift.

The plot begins when Chancellor Hans Christian Winkler wakes up one morning and discovers the elephants in Berlin. As the elephants gradually take over the city, politicians and the population begin to panic. The result is a crisis team being convened and even a terrorist attack is being considered. Schoeters humorously addresses the hectic pace within political structures and the irresponsibility of decision-makers ndr.de describes.

A wild ride through politics

The novel paints a picture of a chaotic political landscape in which the Minister for Elephant Affairs is seen as a potential threat to the success of the government. This is a direct reflection of the current political climate, which the author underpins with biting humor. “The Gift” follows Schoeters’ previous novel “Trophy,” which already dealt with the themes of big game hunting, and now sheds light on the Europeans’ image of Africa. In view of the challenges that European democracies are facing today, the influence of right-wing populist movements is discussed - an aspect that requires silence.

As the Tagblatt highlights, the question remains how Europe will deal with its own hubris while Botswana is under pressure to regulate its elephant population to avoid damage to cropland. Even the characters in the novel are marked by the complications of the current political agenda and the powerlessness in which they find themselves. In particular, the right-wing extremist challenger Holger Fuchs from the opposition is gaining approval in the polls, thanks to the elephant crisis.

Humor and serious topics combined

“The Gift”, translated by Lisa Mensing and published by Zsolnay Verlag, is easy to pick up with its 144 pages and is not only a humorous journey, but also presents a critical reflection on power structures and the difficulties of dealing with real problems.

Schoeters, who, as the daughter of an influential politician, is familiar with the mechanisms of everyday political life, sheds light on the complexity of these issues. The story is rich in symbolic elements, such as elephant dung, which symbolizes not only chaos but also fertile fertilizer. The story proves that politicians are often unable to think seriously about the challenges of our time, which will undoubtedly make readers smile.

With her new work, Gaea Schoeters illuminates the Africa-Europe relationship in a charming and at the same time critical way and complements the overall picture of the current political landscape with a wink and a touch of seriousness.

“The Gift” is available for €22 (ISBN: 978-3-552-07574-0) and offers both entertainment and thought-provoking information about today's most pressing questions.