“Federal President discusses war, refugees, and right-wing extremism in Senftenberg talks”

Senftenberg (dpa/bb). The coffee table was well set in the venerable Parkhotel Senftenberg, but the conversation partners of Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier forgot to bite off the cake because of all the questions and their own stories. In an almost private atmosphere, topics such as education policy, integration of refugees and the Ukraine war were “controversial” – as desired by the Office of the Federal President. On the second day of his visit to the city, the former Lusatian lignite center, the Head of State also took the time to talk to citizens, an association, entrepreneurs and local politicians. On a brief visit to the city, he stopped at small shops, bought a new novel in a bookstore and accepted requests from residents for a photo together.

Steinmeier deliberately chose Senftenberg, with its approximately 23,000 inhabitants, for his seventh “Local Time Germany”, the series that has taken him to smaller towns far away from Berlin for the past year. He wanted to listen and take a closer look, to get a feel for the mood, said the Federal President. After the corona pandemic, you have to practice talking to each other again. “I think that’s possible here in Senftenberg,” summarized Steinmeier. The city has built a new future with a lot of energy. After 150 years of mining tradition, the courage to change cannot be overestimated, said Steinmeier at the city council.

At the coffee table in the Parkhotel, discussions with citizens were also about structural change and the shortage of skilled workers. “When the new grows, the old often disappears faster than the new is there. That is why politicians have to prove again and again that structural change will succeed,” emphasized Steinmeier. The group also had an extensive debate about the causes and responsibility for the Ukraine war and the question of negotiations with Russia. Steinmeier praised the reception of the Ukrainian refugees in the city, which managed to accommodate them in apartments. At the same time, he once again condemned Russia’s attack on Ukraine. Too much trust had been destroyed for there to be a common European peace policy after the end of the war like before the war. “I believe that the question of war guilt could rarely be answered as clearly as it is now,” said Steinmeier.

He was “not concerned” about counter-demonstrators when he arrived on Tuesday. Considering that certain groups had also tried to mobilize via social media for a longer period of time, the estimated 25 counter-demonstrators were more of an “embarrassing event”, according to Steinmeier. The people who greeted him in a friendly manner were the majority.

At the start of his visit, around 30 AfD supporters demonstrated against the head of state near the town hall on Tuesday. They chanted “Warmongers”, banners read “Peace with Russia” and “Steinmeier: President of the government, not of the people”. The mood was peaceful nonetheless.

At the beginning of the day, the head of state found out more about the integration of refugees from the association “Unsere Welt – Eine Welt eV”. The association has been supporting people with a migration background for over 25 years, for example with dealing with authorities and language courses as well as with finding work. Members include women who have fled from the Ukraine, Syria, Hungary, late resettlers and urban society. They told the head of state about the arrival, the families and the help.

Such an association needs appreciation for its work, emphasized Steinmeier. “They live it as an example, as a role model for others.” He sees his role as encouraging people in their commitment to life in a democratic society. “Of course there is hate and hate speech (…), but thank God there is a majority of the population almost everywhere in our republic who are not willing to accept it,” he said. In his speech to the city councillors, he went into it again.

There he honored the commitment of teachers and supervisors in schools and day care centers for democracy. “This commitment – and also the example of civil courage, standing up against hate speech, hatred and racism – is just as important as mathematics or biology,” said the head of state. In his manuscript, Steinmeier did not refer directly to reports of right-wing activities at a school in the Spreewald and of racist insults during a school camp near Berlin. However, the President emphasized in general that schoolchildren need role models in order to grow up as responsible citizens in a democracy. He is grateful to everyone who educates children and young people about responsibility and respect.

Compared to the news magazine “Stern” on Wednesday, he went directly into the incidents and called for consequences and an open debate about the causes. “It is important that the events are no longer kept secret or downplayed,” he said. “How can it be that neo-Nazi propaganda is openly displayed by large groups of schoolchildren – and that has hardly had any consequences for so long?” asked Steinmeier. “Why do violent hooded people attack peaceful schoolchildren?”

Human dignity is the core of our democracy, said Steinmeier. “The glorification of Nazi crimes, racial hatred of other people, bullying and violence – all of this can never be normal.”