German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier called for a fight against the far-right political force that is threatening democracy and gaining popular support.
In his speech at Berlin’s Bellevue Palace, Steinmeier noted deep discontent and mistrust in society.
“The majority of the German people want to live in freedom and democracy. However, in the history of our country, democracy has never been so attacked,” said he.
Calling for a fight against the far right, the president added: “It is not enough just to wait until the storm passes. We have no time, we must act.”
He recalled that on November 9, 1918, the first German Republic was proclaimed, and today, 107 years later, liberal democracy in Germany is under pressure, populists and extremists are degrading democratic institutions, poisoning debate and exploiting fears people.
On November 9, 1938, 87 years ago, the Nazis launched attacks on the homes, workplaces and synagogues of Jews, the head of state recalled, noting that it was a dark period in the history of Germany.
Steinmeier recalled that on November 9, 1989, with the fall of the Berlin Wall, the two Germanys were united. The President stressed that 36 years later, the estrangement between residents of eastern and western Germany has again intensified, and the memory of the “peaceful revolution” has faded.