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Angela Merkel, Federal Chancellor
»Dear fellow citizens, what a year we have left behind! In 2020 something happened to us that the world had not expected. A hitherto unknown virus invades our body and life. It hits us where we are most human: in close contact, in a hug, in conversation, while we celebrate. The virus turns normal behavior into a risk, and completely unknown protective measures are normal. 2020, this year of the pandemic, was a year of learning. In spring, we had to react to a virus about which there was little reliable knowledge and information. We had to make decisions that at first we could only hope would turn out to be correct. The coronavirus pandemic was and is a political, social and economic task of the century. It is a historical crisis that has imposed a lot on everyone and too much on some. I know it has required tremendous confidence and patience on your part and will continue to require you to participate in this historic show of force. For this I thank you from the bottom of my heart. At the end of this breathless year, it’s also time to pause for a moment and cry. As a society, we must not forget how many have lost a loved one without being able to be close to him in the last hours. I can’t ease your pain. But I think about her, especially tonight. I can only guess how bitter it must feel to those mourning a loved one for Corona or struggling with the aftermath of illness when the virus is denied and denied by some incorrigible people. Conspiracy theories are not only false and dangerous, they are also cynical and cruel to these people. 2020 was marked by concern and uncertainty. At the same time, however, it was also a year in which many were overcome without hanging the great bells. Doctors and nurses in hospitals, nursing homes, and other facilities prove it 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 this in the enthusiasm of our Bundeswehr, which provides support at all times. Countless people have contributed to making our lives possible despite the pandemic: in supermarkets and in the transport of goods, in post offices, on buses and trains, in police stations, in schools and kindergartens, in churches , in the newsrooms. I’m always grateful for how disciplined most people wear their masks, for how they try to keep their distance. For me, this expresses what makes life in a philanthropic society possible: consideration for others, the intuition to recover from time to time, the awareness of community spirit. This attitude of millions of fellow citizens has saved us a great deal on our way through the pandemic so far. It will also be necessary next year. That gives me hope For a few days, hope has faces: they are the faces of the first vaccinated, of the very old and their nurses, of the medical staff of the intensive care units, not only here, but in all European countries and in many other countries. Every day there are more, gradually other age groups and occupations will be added, and then all those who want it. I’ll also get vaccinated when it’s my turn. Scientists also give me hope, all over the world, but especially here in Germany. The first reliable corona test was developed here, and it is now also the first approved vaccine in Europe and many countries around the world. It grew out of the research work of a German company and is now being produced as a German-American co-production. Founders Ugur Sahin and Özlem Türeci from Mainz told me that people from 60 countries work at their company. Nothing could show better that it is European and international cooperation, that it is the power of diversity that brings progress. The challenges facing us from the pandemic remain enormous. Many traders, employees, freelancers, and artists are unsure and even fearful of its existence. The federal government has not left them alone in this emergency, which is not their fault. State support at an unprecedented level is helping. Improved short-term work rules come into force. In this way jobs can be saved. So, all Corona in the new year? No, and it wasn’t in the old days either, the world we live in has changed rapidly and fundamentally, and not just since the beginning of the pandemic. It is even 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 them. living conditions and genuine educational justice, let us hold on better with Europe in the globalized and digitized world. Dear fellow citizens, these days and weeks, there is nothing to overlook, these are difficult times for our country. And it will continue like this for quite some time. How to overcome this pandemic will be up to all of us for a time. Winter is and will be hard. We know what we can do to counter the virus. The most effective means, in addition to the vaccine, are in our own hands if we adhere to the rules, each and every one of us, all together. Finally, let me tell you something personal: in nine months there will be a general election and I will not run again. In all likelihood, this will be the last time I will be able to address you as Chancellor with a New Year’s speech. 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 such hope. So I sincerely wish you and your families health, confidence and God’s blessings for the new year 2021. «
