From our correspondent in Berlin
"Let us remember in silence the victims of war and National Socialism". It is a veritable “supplication”, to use its own term, that the German President, Frank-Walter Steinmeir, addressed to his fellow citizens, Friday, May 8, on the occasion of the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the liberation. Because of the pandemic, "we must remember alone - but we are not alone," said the head of state, drawing a parallel between the historic event and the appearance of the pandemic.
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“May 8, 1945 was a day of liberation. But it was far from a day of liberation in the minds and hearts of the vast majority of Germans, " said the German president, who embodies the moral conscience of the country. "This liberation was to come from outside ... thanks to the generosity and foresight" of the Allies to whom he addressed his "gratitude" . "But we also have our share in this liberation" accomplished at the end of a "long and painful journey: the work of memory and the elucidation of the accomplices , confessed and silent, the questions tormented within families and between generations, the fight against concealment and repression, ” he added.
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"These are decades which have brought new confidence to our neighbors, which have made possible a cautious rapprochement ... during which democracy in Germany has only matured . " However, the latter is being tested by the pandemic, worried Frank-Walter Steinmeier. "So we must not let this peace order erode before our eyes today ... We want more, not less, cooperation around the world - including in the fight against Covid 19," said the president. German.
For this, “we must think, feel and act as Europeans. If we do not hold Europe together, even during and after this pandemic, we will not be worthy of May 8. If Europe fails, "Never again" will fail too, " warned the head of state, who nonetheless issued a note of hope in conclusion: " We don't yet know how and when we will get out of this crisis (health, editor's note). But we know how we got there: with great confidence in this country, in our democracy, in what we can assume together. It shows how far we have come in 75 years. And that gives me hope for everything that lies ahead of us. ”