Historic Scholz moment: Chancellor takes up Merkel warning at New Year's address - "Take it seriously"

Created: 12/31/2021, 12:00 AM

From: Florian Naumann

In his New Year's address, Chancellor Olaf Scholz called for solidarity in the corona pandemic.

© Kay Nietfeld / dpa

In his first New Year's address, Olaf Scholz called on society to stick together in the pandemic.

The Chancellor expects a departure in the coming years.

Berlin - Angela Merkel gave the New Year's speeches for 16 years - only the change of government in Berlin is also clear again on the television screen: New Chancellor Olaf Scholz * celebrates his premiere as a New Year's Eve speaker on New Year's Eve.

At the start, like Merkel in 2020, he made the corona pandemic the core topic of his address.

At the same time, in the pre-recorded speech, he called for cohesion in the planned renewal of the country.

Scholz's first New Years address: Chancellor wants to renew Germany - "Decade of awakening"

“The year 2021 was very challenging for all of us,” Scholz admitted.

The corona pandemic * with its burdens and profound restrictions "is in our bones".

Nobody will forget the devastating floods in North Rhine-Westphalia *, Bavaria and Rhineland-Palatinate anytime soon.

"As bad as both were - our reaction to them also contains a thoroughly positive message: As a society in Germany we have resolutely accepted these challenges."

It is now a matter of "laying the foundations for our country to continue to make good progress," said Scholz in the pre-recorded speech with a view to the challenges of climate change, upheavals in the world of work and international conflicts.

"The 20s will be a decade of new beginnings," said the Chancellor, optimistically.

In the next 25 years Germany will “make itself independent of coal, oil and gas.

And at the same time generate at least twice as much electricity as today from wind, sun and other renewable energies ”.

This requires “massive investments” “in new power grids, in charging stations for electric cars, in wind turbines, in rails and much more”.

New Year's address: Scholz is confident about renewal

But this will also create “new prosperity and good jobs”, emphasized Scholz. For him, decent pay is "also a question of respect". One contribution to this is the planned increase in the statutory minimum wage to twelve euros per hour. In addition, everyone must "be able to live properly from the fruits of their own work, even in old age". It is "a time that will be good if we actively shape it".

Germany will use its forthcoming G7 presidency * to “make this group of states a pioneer” “for climate-neutral business and a fair world,” announced the Chancellor.

He expressly committed himself to a strong Europe and "indispensable" transatlantic cooperation.

Regarding the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, he made it clear: "The inviolability of the borders is a valuable asset - and not negotiable."

Scholz also referred to the great importance of the EU for Germany: “In a world that will soon have ten billion inhabitants, our voice will only be heard if we perform in a choir with many others.

That is why we continue to work on the success of the European Union, ”he emphasized.

Second Corona year is coming to an end: Scholz calls for cohesion and compliance with the measures

With a view to the corona pandemic, Scholz warned to comply with the protective measures: "Please take these restrictions very seriously. For your protection, for the protection of your families. For the protection of all of us. ”Even if many longed for a normal life again -“ The big New Year's party has to be canceled again ”. In his appeal, Scholz also seemed to take up a well-known sentence from his predecessor.

The Chancellor used his speech to urge everyone who had not yet been vaccinated to get the vaccination done.

"My request: make an appointment with a vaccination center or a doctor in the next few days," he said.

"Please don't postpone it to 'soon'." Anyone who has been vaccinated should get a boost as soon as possible.

"Let's do everything together - but really everything - so that we can finally defeat Corona in the new year," the SPD * politician urged the population.

Chancellor sends wish to the population: "Let's stay together!"

Scholz admitted that the different opinions and assessments of Corona are "often exhausting". But there is no division in society. Rather, he observes "a huge solidarity", "overwhelming willingness to help" and "a new move closer together and underhook". Scholz expressly thanked everyone who campaigns “for our health and safety”, whether in hospitals and nursing wards or in the police and the armed forces.

Scholz rated the change of government, which he saw as smooth and "almost amicable", as "a good sign for the strength of our society".

The past year brought many changes.

A “small change” is: “Tonight I, as Federal Chancellor, will address the New Years address to you.” As his “great wish for 2022”, Scholz said: “Let's stay together!”