Can yesterday’s man save German liberalism?

At 74, Wolfgang Kubicki is taking over the FDP just as the party faces political extinction. His rise reveals a growing appetite for politicians who feel less scripted — and less modern.

Dear Reader,

Can yesterday’s man be the man of tomorrow?

The expression ein Mann von gestern is used to describe a man, usually of advancing years, whose habits, mannerisms and opinions no longer fit comfortably into the modern world. The phrase carries with it the assumption that history moves in only one direction — and that some people simply fail to keep up.

Yet in several countries in recent years, politicians of this ilk have shown a remarkable ability to tap into a political counter-zeitgeist. Figures dismissed as outdated, ill-mannered or embarrassing are suddenly finding younger admirers. They chain-smoke, drink too much, crack politically incorrect jokes and project an off-the-cuff authenticity that feels exotic in the age of media training and managerialism.

It is the archetype of the well-lubricated uncle at Christmas whom millennials roll…