“We can cope when things get tough, too”

Berlin (dpa) – Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz is optimistic that Germany is up to tackling the current challenges. “We can cope when things get tough, too,” he said in his New Year’s address. “That doesn’t make the current challenges any less daunting.”

But, he said, it was important to draw strength from the realisation that everyone was needed – the top-level scientist just as much as the geriatric nurse, the policewoman and the parcel carrier, the pensioner just as much as the young apprentice. “If we remain aware of this and treat each other with respect, we don’t need to be afraid of the future!”

But Scholz also said he could understand citizens’ concerns. “The pandemic was barely over when Russia started a grim war in the middle of Europe,” said the Federal Chancellor. Shortly after this, he said, Russian President Vladimir Putin had cut off the gas supply, and in the autumn Hamas had carried out its brutal terrorist attack on Israel. “Our world has become more troubled and more harsh. Things are changing at an almost breathtaking speed.”

This was why Germany had to change too, he said. “Some people are uneasy about this, and I understand how they feel,” he said. “But at the same time, I know we’ll get through it.”