Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier promotes a self-confident Europe at Christmas. He recorded this in his Christmas speech the negotiations about an end the Russian war against Ukraine Relation. “In the last few days there has been an intensive struggle to find ways to end the war,” he said Federal President according to a script released before the speech aired. “Most of us will have followed the events with expectation, but also with skepticism and concern.”
But there are also signs of hope and reasons for confidence. “This includes us as Europeans becoming aware of our strengths and our values and acting accordingly,” said Steinmeier. Europeans have learned over centuries that freedom, human dignity, peace and democratic self-determination are indispensable. “We’re not giving up on that.”
Standing up for these values will require a lot from people. “We have to be ready for that – and I think we are ready for that,” said the Federal President.
“In the darkness a light shines”
The central theme of the speech was a light shining in the darkness. Darkness could mean many things, said Steinmeier: personal crises and problems as well as wars, social crises or uncertainties about the future.
In light of this, community could be light; in families, groups or clubs. The commitment of many people to a better world and the experience of being accepted could also shed light.
In his speech, Steinmeier called for an open dialogue. Anyone who looks for orientation together with others and is interested in other opinions can gain a lot, said the Federal President: “Gaining orientation through genuine questions, through openness, through conversation and through doing things together – that can illuminate the path ahead of us and give it direction.”
