Federal President,
President of the German Bundestag,
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Fellow citizens,

Standing before you here today, I feel two things above all: gratitude and humility – humility towards the office that I had the honour of holding for so long, and gratitude for the trust that was placed in me. Trust – of this I was always keenly aware – is the most important capital in politics. It should never be taken for granted. And I am most deeply grateful for it.

My thanks also goes out to you, Madam Minister, dear Annegret, and to the Federal Armed Forces for putting on this military tattoo – especially here, at the Bendlerblock building, a place that has played such a significant role in our history. I also want to thank the band of the Federal Armed Forces for the musical accompaniment they are providing, despite the truly difficult conditions of the pandemic.

This is why, first of all, I want to say a special thank you to all those who right now are putting every effort into fighting the fourth wave of the pandemic, giving their all to save and protect lives: the doctors and nurses in the hospitals, the vaccination teams and all those in the Federal Armed Forces and aid organisations who are helping out in this fight. On behalf of all of us, I would like to express my special thanks and deepest recognition.

Earlier today, I met for yet another round of talks on measures to curb the pandemic with the Heads of Government of the Länder. Only a few hours later, I now have the honour of bidding you farewell, in this festive setting, after 16 years as Federal Chancellor. This series of events exemplifies better than pretty much anything else the unbelievable times in which we are living. 

These last 16 years as Federal Chancellor were truly eventful, and often very challenging. They were highly demanding, both politically and personally; at the same time, I always found them fulfilling. The last two years of the pandemic in particular have brought into clear focus how important trust in politics, science and social discourse is – and how fragile this trust can be.

Our democracy thrives on both our ability to engage in critical debate and to self-correct. It thrives on the constant balancing of interests and on mutual respect. It thrives on solidarity and trust – including trust in facts – and it thrives on the fact that protest must arise wherever scientific findings are denied and conspiracy theories and hate speech are spread. Moreover, our democracy thrives on the fact that our tolerance as democrats must end wherever hatred and violence are seen as a legitimate means of asserting vested interests.

The many internal challenges we are up against are also reflected in foreign policy – not only since the beginning of the pandemic. The financial and economic crisis of 2008 and the many people who sought refuge in 2015 underscored how much we all depend on cooperation beyond our national borders, and how crucial institutions and multilateral instruments are if we want to successfully meet the great challenges of our era: climate change, the digital transformation and refugees and migration. I want to encourage everyone to keep in mind that we must also see the world through other people’s eyes; also recognise the sometimes uncomfortable and contrasting views of others and work towards balancing interests.

Ladies and gentlemen, my political work would not have been possible without the wide range of support from my national and international political colleagues. I am extremely grateful to all of them. I want to thank my colleagues in the Federal Government, the German Bundestag and the German Bundesrat for our cooperation. I also want to say thank you for a culture of political debate that makes us the envy of many other nations. As well as a very special, emphatic thank you to my closest colleagues. Thank you for all of your help and support; this includes my family.

Now, it will be up to the next government to find answers to the challenges that lie before us and to shape our future. For this, I wish both you, dear Olaf Scholz, and the Federal Government that you will lead all the very best, along with a sure hand and every success. I am convinced that we can continue to successfully shape the future if we take up our tasks not with displeasure, resentment or pessimism – but rather, as I said three years ago in a different context, with joy in our hearts. This, at least, has always been my motto, during my life in the GDR and all the more so in a free society. It is this heartfelt joy that I want all of us, and in a metaphorical sense our entire country, to feel in the future.

I thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

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