German president warns against forgetting WWII lessons
Berlin
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier reminded the country of the lessons learned from World War II in a major speech on Thursday, as Germany commemorated the 80th anniversary of the end of the war in Europe and the downfall of the Nazi dictatorship.
'We know where isolation leads, where aggressive nationalism and contempt for democratic institutions lead. We have already lost democracy once in Germany,' Steinmeier said in a speech to Germany's lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, attended by foreign diplomats based in Berlin.
'Let us trust in our experience! Let us stand up for our values. Let us not freeze in fear,' he said.
The president emphasized that May 8 has become central to the identity of the whole of Germany. Today, he said, Germans no longer need to ask whether May 8 represented liberation. 'But we ask: How can we remain free?' International order under attack Steinmeier noted that the United States was currently calling into question the international order built after World War II.
He said Washington's policies and Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine marked a 'double break with history.' 'Russia's war of aggression and America's breach of values mark the end of this long 20th century.' Steinmeier said the fascination with authoritarianism and populist temptations are also gaining ground in Europe, and doubts about democracy are being voiced.
Extremist forces in Germany The German president expressed concern about the rise of extremist forces in the country. These forces mock the institutions of democracy, poison debates, play on people's fears, trade in fear and incite people against each other, he said.
'Anyone who wants good for this country must protect coexistence, cohesion and the peaceful reconciliation of interests. I expect this of all democrats in this country,' Steinmeier said to prolonged applause in the lower house of parliament.
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