02/07/2010
German Bundestag
subject to change. The spoken word.
This is a moving moment for me. It fills me with joy and seriousness, with confidence and humility. I know the great responsibility of bringing the Office of the President with it. I am grateful now to be allowed to serve in this office - Germany and the Germans and all people who live here. Once more there was for the Office of the President a real choice. I thank Mr. Jochimsen and Gauck for fair competition. Each fair competition is doing to our democracy well. Dear Mr. Gauck: Your voice has reached many people. Please continue to report on their experiences with the SED dictatorship, please continue to tell of your love of freedom. That feels good especially to those who suffered injustice, the SED and the self-emancipation of the people have fought in the GDR, and it is irreplaceable for the younger ones who listen to you - and understand.
Dear Mr. President, dear Mr Köhler,
I thank you sincerely for everything you have done during your term for our country. The Grief about your withdrawal has yet again shown how close you were our fellow citizens. You have listened to people, you have taken their concerns seriously, you have encouraged and the many good ideas out there in our country, made visible and sustained. And where are you with the results of political, legislative and media processes were not satisfied, there you have it very clearly.
you have with your wife represents Germany in the world worthy and successful. Especially your commitment to Africa has achieved a lot. You have made us aware of how much the fate of our neighboring continent is linked with ours. Many understand now more clearly how important it is to other, even to think of all on this one world, because we only have the future together. We begin to understand how much can be learned about the dignity and confidence that the people in Africa keep themselves in abject misery. Their commitment to Africa will be memorable.
Dear Mrs. Köhler,
and you have my sincere thanks for your commitment. You have many people who care and need assistance, provides hearing. Especially as a patron of the "axis", the alliance of rare chronic diseases, you have set important and enduring accents.
Lady, Mr Köhler,
me Even your intimate personal interaction impressed in your family. I wish you and your family all the best and God's abundant blessings.
Ladies and gentlemen, today
15 years ago was the Reichstag building covered by a large silvery cloth. Hundreds of thousands came and marveled at how strange and yet how beautiful this Schicksalsort German democracy had at one time, thanks to artistic power and technical prowess.
The work of art at that time aroused a sense of community among people of all ages, nationalities, backgrounds, professions. It has also contributed his part to the new, happy face of our country in the world. The decision to wrapping of the Reichstag had in turn taught, can be as exciting political debate, when discussing serious and passionate. This has shown that we live in a solid German, in a self-consciously abandoned democracy.
shows the way the project by Christo and Jeanne-Claude: A great success often takes a long breath. The two were nearly a quarter of a century confident and enthusiastic about their idea, and in the end it was almost everybody.
Today, the Reichstag and the German Bundestag in the middle of our parliamentary democracy and a must for every Berlin visitor. The silhouette is a worldwide symbol of our successful Unity in freedom. In this building there is the spirit of parliamentary democracy, as the mothers and fathers hoped the constitution and conceived - peaceful and fortified, and many voices in solidarity to build majorities and respecting the minority. Also, this spirit of democracy thrives on community spirit and enthusiasm of perseverance and perseverance, of bold ideas and skillful implementation.
Our country is rich in all that. His greatest strength is the people who live here. Their diversity and talents to make Germany livable and lovable. To me it is important to make connections: between young and old, between people from East and West, natives and immigrants, employers, workers and unemployed people with and without disabilities. This is not easy - there are different interests, there are prejudices against each other, comfort and entitlement. I want to help build bridges across to the over all. We need to be unbiased approach each other, listen to each other carefully, talk to each other.
There are so many success stories. I remember the encounter with the father of Mrs. Özkan, the first Muslim state minister in Germany. A man who works hard here for over 40 years and on the formation and the diligence of his children has placed value and now seen how successful and respected his daughter in our society. His eyes shone with happiness.
I want a country in which you will find all the possible parents of this happiness. This I know: There are still far from enough of these success stories. When will it be when we finally understood that regardless of background or wealth have all the same good education opportunities? When will it be self-evident, that all children who are big here, master the German language, also speak German? When will it be obvious that someone has the same notes with the same prospects for an application, whether he is or Yilmaz Krause?
is my answer to these questions: If we are less then, where one comes from, as where he wants to go. If we no longer ask by what divides us but what unites us. If we are not seeking more on what we have each other advance, but what can we learn from each other. Then new, something good - from old German and Turkish dribbling discipline, for example, from the Prussian sense of duty and Anglo-Saxon nonchalance of thoroughness Swabian and Italian way of life - and perhaps soon in Rhenish art of living and education of Chinese enthusiasm.
And Germany will win even if we ask less for how become old someone is, but see how many are still young.
I am always impressed by the enthusiasm to take over the us seniors responsibility and do good - as a consultant for start-ups such as reading mentors in schools and kindergartens, and as a reliable member in the parishes and in countless clubs and associations in Germany. These older people know what the younger ones will learn: It pays to be active. It makes you rich - not to finance, but to friends, not in cash, but of satisfaction. It gives our lives meaning and purpose we are created.
why is it so important that our country offers many opportunities for it to assume responsibility and to be there for others. In Germany, the freedom is guaranteed to form associations and community groups. But this freedom is nothing without the need infinitely many citizens to use them and live.
This also applies to political parties. They are much better than its reputation. They offer the politically interested people a home and struggling to find the best solutions for our country. Nevertheless, the feeling is prevalent, the parties had closed and tended not to mention the challenges by name and identify the policy issues among themselves.
Remember: The political parties participate in the political will of the people. It wants our constitution. Now, if more policy decisions of more and less active in political parties and people are taken and prepared, then we should be less critical of these assets rather than the others again more enthusiastic about the task of political self-determination and to participate in it. This can happen in many ways and at all levels of our community, from local government referendum to the Civil Forum on the Internet and to the increased influence of voters on the lists even in federal elections. The political will of our people need as many Paths on which to spread new ideas, arguments and majority of the grass root level to the parliament and cabinet rooms. The citizens who are not involved in political parties need to easily make the experience as exciting as the employees of policy issues can be, how difficult these tasks are often and how satisfying it is precisely for this reason, in peaceful competition good and fair to develop solutions.
This is exactly what is happening day in and day out indeed. Let's take the example of the financial and economic crisis, which has since more than two years in suspense. Since then, rests on the Federal Government a particularly heavy responsibility. Due to rapid and thoughtful decisions been able to cushion the impact of the crisis clearly - especially the impact on the labor market. In addition many have contributed: the unions, forward-thinking companies, responsible unions and committed employees. It showed how good it is to work together instead of against each other. This is one of the foundations of our social market economy, we can be proud of.
Now we must ensure that any repetition of crises of this magnitude. It is therefore important to take the cause of the banking crisis in the financial liability and finally give good rules. This can only succeed in a European, and international cooperation. This makes the Extraordinarily complex task.
The united Germany is with its neighbors in Europe and other continents linked more closely than ever before in its history. Our economy is a global, our citizens have global social and cultural contacts, many people from other countries are temporarily or permanently to us.
This globalization offers great opportunities for Germany. Our economy benefits from the European single market, the euro, from global markets and by trade. Our citizens traveling all over the world, and we like to have the time to make.
are the same before we solve global problems that Germany is not alone can, such as climate change, economic and financial crisis, migration, threats to our security from terrorism and organized crime and other issues.
And we have to adjust to constant changes in the international environment. The population is rising sharply in many parts of the world, in Europe and in Germany it is falling. Emerging markets such as Brazil, China and India are growing dynamically. Many countries develop their democratic system, its rule of law and raise the living standards of their populations. But there is still poverty, underdevelopment and fragile states, resource scarcity, natural disasters and crises.
For Design of the globalization process, we first need a stable point in the European Union. It is a unique peace, values and prosperity project, have moved with the peoples of our continent, the consequences of centuries of wars and destruction. Although visible in the instantaneous financial and debt crisis of adaptation needs are, it appears to me beyond doubt that we have achieved with the Lisbon Treaty is a political and economic integration, we in Europe in any case allowed to act forcefully and collectively, to meet the challenges 21st to counter century.
But we must also be open for cooperation with all other parts the world based on mutual understanding and trust. To this end we must learn about other cultures and better understand, we must also reach out to others and strengthen the exchange. We can even practice here with us in our Federal Republic, in our colorful Republic of Germany. Our diversity is sometimes exhausting, but it is always a source of strength and ideas and a way to see the world from different eyes and perspectives. We should be curious and come into the conversation. Especially I want to contribute in the coming years. If many are enthusiastic about it, then we will do our country and what in it is completely new discoveries. I am convinced that Then we will succeed in the future a lot, then we will often look so happy and amazed at what has succeeded because - just as it was before the wrapped Reichstag.
source
