Speech by the Federal President: Finally an encouragement speech?

In view of several major crises, Federal President Steinmeier has recently remained rather cautious. Steinmeier now wants to speak to the people at Bellevue Palace – it should be a “kind of speech to the nation”.

“A Federal President cannot make the world easier than it is. A Federal President must not be a simplifier – he must be an encourager!” That’s what Frank-Walter Steinmeier said in 2016 at the presentation before his election for his first term as head of state. “I want to awaken the forces that are in this society and I want to do my best for that, ladies and gentlemen.”

Many have probably wished for more words of encouragement – especially in the last few weeks and months. In this time of war, rising prices and fears of the consequences of climate change.

Does Steinmeier talk too little?

In fact, things have been pretty quiet around the Federal President recently, says Berlin political observer and communications consultant Johannes Hillje: “Basically, Steinmeier isn’t talking enough at the moment. In this situation, where people are unsure, he should use the might and power of words Act.”

Steinmeier showed that he knows the power of words when he spoke at a trade union event about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, using a strong vocabulary: “This war is a break with a lot of things that we took for granted. It’s a epoch break.”

That was in the spring, on May 8th, the day of liberation. “Putin is finally destroying the basis of the European peace order that we built after the Second World War and the Cold War. Territorial sovereignty, free choice of alliances and renunciation of violence – signed by Moscow in the Paris Treaty: All of this no longer applies to him,” said Steinmeier further.

A kind of “speech to the nation”

It should sound very similar when Steinmeier now gives a kind of “speech to the nation” in Bellevue Palace in front of young people and politicians.

The issues are obvious: the experiences of his visit to Ukraine this week, Germany’s relationship with Russia today and the pro-Kremlin attitude before that, which he helped shape as State Secretary and Foreign Minister – and has now admitted to making mistakes.

The consequences of the war for the people in Germany should also take up a lot of space in the speech. The title of the speech reveals that his words are also about social cohesion: “Strengthening everything that connects us.”

Expert: It would take more than a “jerk speech”

Political observer Hillje formulates his expectations of the speech and uses a famous speech from 1997 as a comparison. At that time, Federal President Roman Herzog said: “A jolt must go through Germany.”

Such a “jerk speech” would actually not be enough for Steinmeier today, says Hillje: “He should at least deliver a courage speech, because society feels insecure in many parts.” That means the Federal President must in his messages today “link something like cohesion on the one hand, but also with future prospects on the other hand”.

Words of encouragement are therefore expected, which will awaken the forces that are in society – just as Frank-Walter Steinmeier had promised before he became Federal President.