Politics: my view of Germany
We asked three ambassadors of other countries whether their view of Germany has changed since they came to live here. These are their answers.
Travelling to the German states
Per Thöresson, Ambassador of Sweden: “Germany is and remains the political and economic powerhouse of Europe. The country is politically stable, which in these times is naturally of special value – not only for Europe, but also the world. Furthermore, Germany lives real federalism. You need to travel to the states to understand Germany. German colleagues in ministries and authorities are more open and often less formal than I thought.”
The value of “community”
Yusuf Tuggar, Ambassador of Nigeria: “I knew that Germany was the land of Porsche, BMW and Mercedes, a very prosperous country. Yet this impression is put into perspective by the Germans’ modesty. I have come to understand that the prevailing feeling is based on the principle of a community that stands above the interests of the individual. That is why I consider ‘Gemeinswesen’ (community) one of the most interesting words in German.”
(You can read Yusuf Tuggar’s impressions of Germany in full here.)
Experiencing the capital city
Elmer Schialer, Ambassador of Peru: “My ties with Germany go back a long way: my wife has German roots, our children attended German schools and I was consul general in Frankfurt 20 years ago. The Germany that I experienced in 2017 had made many advances since then. In particular, the capital city Berlin impresses me with its dynamism and cosmopolitanism. The Germans take things very seriously and are very meticulous, a thoroughly positive characteristic. Nevertheless, greater composure would be helpful. In general, however, Germans address the challenges of life very objectively and successfully.”
