German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier used his traditional Christmas address to call for unity in light of recent developments in the country.
Steinmeier began his speech, the text of which was released on Tuesday ahead of Wednesday’s broadcast, by talking about the deadly attack at a Christmas market in the eastern German city of Magdeburg.
“There is a dark shadow looming over this Christmas,” he said, adding, “We can only imagine” what the relatives of the victims must be going through after losing their loved ones.
Steinmeier said, “You are not alone in your pain. People across our country feel for you and grieve with you.” He thanked the police and medical staff for their work after the attack.
Speaking about the impact of the attack on society, Steinmeier called on people in Germany not to be divided.
“Hate and violence must not be the last word,” he said. “Let us not allow ourselves to be torn apart. Let us stand together!”
Tones have become ‘harder’ in Germany
In addition to mentioning the ongoing wars in the Middle East and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Steinmeier also discussed the upcoming German elections, which will be held in February 2025.
“There is a lot of dissatisfaction about politics, business, red tape, injustice,” he said, concluding that “the tone in our everyday lives in our country has become more harsh, sometimes hostile.”
Despite the challenges, the German president said he believes in the country’s democracy and its Basic Law, or Constitution, which has been in power since 1949.
“There are many challenges we must face,” Steinmeier said. “We need to talk openly about what is going wrong… Above all, we need to talk about what urgently needs to be done.”
According to Steinmeier, the collapse of the German government “is not the end of the world.”
The President of Germany also sent a message to the youth of the country.
“You are needed, and badly in many areas,” he said, adding that Germany’s youth “can and will make their own way in life.”
FTM/SMS (DW Source, DPA, EPD, KNA)
