Speech by the German Federal President on the attacks in Paris

As is the case every year, on the occasion of the New Year’s reception, the people gathered here today in Schloss Bellevue are people who shape the face of our country.

But this year we representatives of the open society look not only at one another, but turn our eyes to France.

For the ghastly crime committed in Paris was an attack on freedom – on the freedom of the French, the freedom of all Europeans, on the freedom of the open society itself.

We are shocked and speechless. But to those who commit such dastardly deeds or sympathize with them, or seek to exploit such deeds for their own gain, to them we say: The attack shocks us, but it does not shatter our convictions! We will not restrict our freedoms. No, we will make use of them. Precisely in this situation today we will defend the liberty to speak our minds, to defend democracy, whose very lifeline is the freedom of the press.

We champion the freedom of assembly and the freedom of religious expression, indeed freedom as a whole. I am convinced that our democracy is stronger than the terror.

And: We will not let ourselves be divided by hate.

As a community of democrats we close ranks. For us, what counts is not a person’s name or who his mother is, in which God he believes, or what festivals he celebrates. What counts for us is what overcomes differences and unites different persons, namely championing the constitution, the rule of law, and humanity. For these are the foundations of a society in which we can all live peacefully together.

At present, hundreds of thousands are actively championing these foundations, members of very different political camps and religions, among them Christians, Muslims and Jews. And their message is quite unequivocal:

Our community is large. And our community is strong.

We will not let extremists of whatever persuasion lessen it or weaken it.

We are neither powerless nor helpless: We have resolute citizens and we have institutions and laws to counter fanaticism and violence.

We mourn the victims of Paris. We feel for their families. We feel solidarity with our friends in France.

I would like to join all those millions of people the world over who are stating unequivocally: We are Charlie!