Federal President Steinmeier: “There are tougher, rougher years ahead of us” (Video)

STORY: (Note: This contribution has no narration.) Original sound Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Federal President: “Each and every one of you remembers this February 24th, including me. Howling sirens, the dark smoke over Kyiv, the terrible pictures This morning, they went and got under my skin. And they marked the final, bitter failure of years of political efforts, including mine, to prevent precisely this terrible moment. February 24th was an epochal break. It also brought us in Germany into one different time, plunged into an insecurity that was believed to be overcome, a time marked by war, violence and flight, by concern about the spread of the war to a conflagration in Europe.” // “In his imperial obsession, the Russian President broke international law, challenged borders, began land grabs.” // “Russia’s war of aggression shattered Gorbachev’s dream of a common house in Europe. It’s an attack on the law, on the principles of non-violence and inviolable borders. It’s basically an attack on everything that we Germans stand for, ladies and gentlemen So anyone who shrugs their shoulders and asks what does this war have to do with us here in Germany are speaking irresponsibly, in my opinion, but above all forgetting about history. We Germans in Europe cannot survive with this attitude. This attitude is wrong. / “But it’s just as important to me that our country is not at war. We don’t want that to change either. An escalation of the war, let alone a nuclear escalation, must be prevented. And I know that many people in our country long for it for peace. Some believe that there is a lack of serious effort on our part, let alone a willingness to negotiate. I can assure you that no one, anyone in their right mind, lacks d he will. But the truth is, in the face of evil, good will is not enough.” // “Ladies and gentlemen, what does that mean for us in Germany? My answer is: Harder years are coming, rough years. The peace dividend has been consumed, and Germany is entering an era of headwinds.” // “We will have to accept limitations in the years to come. Most people have felt that for a long time. Everyone has to contribute where they can. And this crisis demands that we learn to be modest again. That may sound like mockery in the ears of those who are already unable to make ends meet. And I know that even in our rich country, many cannot do without because their entire everyday life consists of doing without. No state, that too is part of the truth, no state in Europe can do as much for its citizens as our country. But even our state will not be able to absorb every burden, and it does not have to. Because the crisis is also affecting the many who are fortunately doing well, who are strong, who have also achieved prosperity and security in the years of tailwind. You can restrict yourself without causing existential hardship. And there is also a willingness to do so, as some even write to me. Let’s trust in this strong center of our society. And finally, this crisis also affects many wealthy, rich people in our country, people who have a lot and can carry more. You have to help now in order to be able to bear the immense costs of the necessary relief at all. You must do your part now to avoid new injustices.” // “Let’s trust one another, and let’s trust ourselves. And let’s not be discouraged by the headwinds we face in this new era. It doesn’t matter that everyone does the same thing, but that we have one thing in common: to strengthen everything that connects us. That’s the task. Let’s do it, thank you.”