WEBVTT

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It truly seems to be

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the new normality

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with which I open
this extended parliamentary meeting.

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This does not mean

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that we can just tick off 3 October
in a routine fashion.

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How could we?

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We feel great joy

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that the voluntary divide

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has come to an end,

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signalling our self-determination.

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But this joy is mixed
with the troubling question

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of whether we will manage
to consolidate unification

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competently and swiftly enough.

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It is crucial...

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that solidarity...

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which was frequently
the focus of recent talks,

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that solidarity is taken down

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from the speaker's podium.

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In the modern democracy,

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solidarity must be understood

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as a duty

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of the stronger towards the weaker.

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Let me add

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a few more things to this.

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Firstly,

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in my view,

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the statement that Berlin
is merely a symbolic capital city

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cannot be left at that.

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Secondly,

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the...

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constitutional clearing up

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of the SED's
and its bloc parties' regime

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and, above all,
the unfortunate Stasi period,

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must make quick progress.

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But please, not as
a fundamentalist witch hunt.

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Thirdly...

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Thirdly,

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all voting citizens

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should be included in the decision

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on the constitutional foundation
of our collective state.

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This means... This means...

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as soon as the time comes,
we need a popular vote

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on the adjusted
and supplemented constitution.

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"How new will it be?",

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well-meaning foreigners may ask.

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"How new"

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"will the new Germany be?"

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My answer:

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"Nothing will ever be..."

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"Nothing will ever again
be the same as it was."

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No, this will not be
a nation state of the old kind,

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but a republic
that is built up federally,

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and

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a republic

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that draws strength
from communal autonomy.

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A republic that has
internationally defined borders.

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How hard we once had to work for that.

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Internationally...

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defined borders.

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A republic that once
was embedded in Europe

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in its current form.

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And in its expanded form
wants to take a considerable part in

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the processes of European unification.

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I do not have a high regard

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of big-mouthed talk

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about a German world power.

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However,

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taking part in European initiatives

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that are also oriented
towards other countries

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is possible.

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And it is necessary

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to help prevent

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Europe

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from drifting apart once again.

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Walls of mistrust and partition

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must not be erected on the Oder-Neisse
line, nor on the Bug River.

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In my and my political allies' view,

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we must first expand the EC,

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as it has been agreed.

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Secondly, we must help
the whole of Europe to get to work.

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Thirdly, we must make
European peace a reality.

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Fourthly, we must not forget
the destitute people,

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the damned of this Earth,

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as we must not forget
global environmental threats,

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and fifthly...

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And fifthly, we must make more out
of the United Nations

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than we have done so far.

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My colleagues, my hope for us

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is that we have a fruitful dialogue.

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But most of all, I hope that we,
as a people,

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will be successful in our work

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for the people
that we are representing here today.