After only three weeks in office, Olaf Scholz gives his second big speech. Like last year, Corona outshines almost everything else. Without frills in his appearance, he continues the unexcited manner of Angela Merkel. He can be Chancellor.
“I would not have suspected that 2020 could still be topped,” said ex-CDU Chancellor hope Armin Laschet in stern-Interview about the “shitty” year 2021. If the past twelve months had been halfway normal, he would now appeal to solidarity and perseverance on New Year’s Eve in front of the flags of Germany and Europe. Just like Angela Merkel has done for the past 16 years and now Olaf Scholz is doing it. After only three weeks in office, the recently most unlikely chancellor is standing in front of the camera and giving his first New Year’s address. In terms of content, it hardly differs from that of the “shitty” year 2020, any more than the Reichstag in the background. Only the jacket shimmers less now.
“We have to be faster than the virus”
So the pandemic. Still. “Let’s do everything together – but really everything – so that we can finally defeat Corona in the new year,” said the Chancellor in the appropriate tone. He reads his text with a proud expression on his face that lets through an internal cheerfulness that Merkel often spoke of, but that was rarely seen. When the previous woman spoke about the virus twelve months ago, she referred to the vaccination campaign that was just beginning in the confidence section of her speech. It is now clear: Vaccination helps, but there are too many objectors and the Omnikron variant is shuffling the cards again. “Now it depends on the speed. We have to be faster than the virus,” said the SPD man.
When it comes to corona, there is seldom a way past the unfortunate deniers, trivializations and skeptics. But Scholz does not want to know anything about a split in the country. “I would like to say here with all clarity: the opposite is true! Our country stands together,” says the head of government, almost militantly. Although he is of course right about the tireless efforts of nurses and doctors or the considerations and renunciation by the majority of the population, the sentence still sounds a bit like the whistle in the forest. He reminded opponents of the vaccination of the “four billion people around the world who have already been vaccinated without major side effects”. The fact that a German Chancellor even has to mention such simple facts says a lot about the status of the debate after the second Corona year.
Olaf Scholz does not set new standards
Scholz’s New Years address does not set a new standard in terms of ceremonial speeches. Straightforward and North German in appearance, he seamlessly continues the unexcited manner of Angela Merkel. Seen in this way, his initial joke hits the point: that he is now standing in front of the people is a “small change” compared to previous years, he noted. His coalition of the SPD, Greens and FDP has big plans for the next four years. The 20s should be a decade of new beginnings, he said, climate protection alone is a “gigantic task”. It was now the second time after taking office that Olaf Scholz wanted to leave. This time he ended his speech by saying “let’s stay together!” Chancellor can Scholz.
The pre-recorded speech will on ZDF at 7.15 p.m., on ARD at 8.10 p.m. broadcast.
Source From: Stern
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