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Angela Merkel, Federal Chancellor
»Dear fellow citizens, what a year is behind us! In 2020 something came over us that the world had not expected. A hitherto unknown virus invades our bodies and our lives. It hits us where we are most human: in close contact, in an embrace, in conversation, while celebrating. The virus turns normal behavior into a risk - and completely unfamiliar protective measures normal. 2020, this year of the pandemic, was a year of learning. In the spring we had to react to a virus about which there was hardly any reliable knowledge and information. We had to make decisions that at first we could only hope that they would prove to be correct. The coronavirus pandemic was and is a political, social, economic task of the century. It is a historical crisis that has imposed a lot on everyone and too much on some. I know that it has required tremendous trust and patience from you and will continue to require you to engage in this historic show of strength. For that I thank you from the bottom of my heart. At the end of this breathless year it is also time to pause for a moment - and mourn. As a society, we must not forget how many have lost a loved one without being able to be close to them in the last few hours. I cannot relieve their pain. But I think about her, especially tonight. I can only guess how bitter it must feel for those who mourn a loved one because of Corona or who have to struggle with the after-effects of an illness when the virus is denied and denied by some incorrigible people. Conspiracy theories are not only untrue and dangerous, they are also cynical and cruel towards these people. 2020 was marked by worry and uncertainty. At the same time, however, it was also a year in which so many overcame themselves without hanging the big bells. The doctors and nurses in hospitals, nursing homes and other facilities prove this to us. This can be seen in the employees of the health authorities, who have suddenly moved to the center of the fight against the virus. We can see that in the enthusiasm of our Bundeswehr, which provides support at every turn. Countless people have contributed to making our lives possible despite the pandemic: in supermarkets and in goods transport, in post offices, on buses and trains, at the police stations, in schools and daycare centers, in churches, in the editorial offices. I am always grateful for how disciplined most people wear their masks and how they try to keep their distance. For me, this expresses what makes a life in a philanthropic society possible: consideration for others, the insight to take oneself back once in a while, the awareness of community spirit. This attitude of millions of fellow citizens has saved us a lot on our way through the pandemic so far. It will also be necessary in the coming year. What makes me hope For a few days now, hope has had faces: They are the faces of the first vaccinated, of the very old and their nurses, of the medical staff in the intensive care units - not only here, but in all European and many other countries. Every day there are more, gradually other age and occupational groups will be added - and then everyone who wants it. I'll also get vaccinated when it's my turn. The scientists also give me hope - worldwide, but especially here in Germany. The first reliable corona test was developed here - and now also the first vaccine approved in Europe and many countries around the world. It emerged from the research work of a German company and is now being produced as a German-American co-production. The founders Ugur Sahin and Özlem Türeci from Mainz told me that people from 60 nations work in their company. Nothing could better show that it is European and international cooperation, that it is the power of diversity that brings progress. The challenges that the pandemic confronts us remain enormous. Many tradespeople, employees, self-employed people and artists are uncertain and even fearful of their existence. The federal government has not left them alone in this emergency, which is entirely through no fault of their own. State support at an unprecedented level is helping. Improved short-time working rules take effect. Jobs can be saved in this way. So is everything Corona in the new year? No, and it wasn't in the old days either, the world in which we live has been changing rapidly and fundamentally, and not just since the beginning of the pandemic. It is all the more important that Germany, with all its strength and creativity, develop courageous ideas for the future, that our economy, our mobility, our life become climate-friendly, that all people in Germany can benefit from equal living conditions and genuine educational justice, that we ourselves Assert yourself better with Europe in the globalized, digitized world. Dear fellow citizens, these days and weeks, there is nothing to gloss over, are difficult times for our country. And it will stay that way for quite a while. How we get through this pandemic will be up to all of us for a while. Winter is and will be hard. We know what we can do to counter the virus. The most effective means besides the vaccine are in our own hands by sticking to the rules, each and every one of us, all of us together. Finally, let me say something personal: in nine months there will be general elections, and I will not run again. In all likelihood, therefore, this will be the last time that I will be able to address you as Chancellor with a New Year address. I think I'm not exaggerating when I say: never in the last 15 years have we all found the old year so difficult - and despite all the worries and skepticism we have never looked forward to the new year with so much hope. And so I sincerely wish you and your families health, confidence and God's blessings for the new year 2021. «