Etgen underlined the numerous challenges that the country faced over the course of 2021, including the pandemic, the record-breaking July floods, as well as the riots in the capital. He expressed his strong support for the right to protest, but also emphasised that there is no room for rioters, holocaust deniers, or threats against politicians and journalists.
2022 will thus revolve around ways of balancing personal freedom, collective values, and societal priorities, explained Etgen. He further expressed confidence that the Chamber’s vaccine mandate talks in January will contribute to a solution.
Etgen also reviewed the ways in which the pandemic has kept a strong grip on our lives in 2021: “We had to learn to live with the virus without really wanting to do so. With the arrival of vaccinations it looked like there was a light at the end of the tunnel, but over the course of recent months we had to learn that there is still a long way to go.”
Spreading fake news has nothing to do with freedom of speech, Etgen also said. More than 900 fatalities are not a matter of opinion, he further noted and expressed his hopes that the people will find a way back together in 2022: “I wish for politicians to lead by example and build bridges. I wish there is once more room for dialogue and empathy, and that no lines be crossed anymore.”
