This year marks the anniversary of a very This year marks the anniversary of a very important event: On September 9, 1962, Charles de Gaulle gave his »Speech to German Youth« in front of 20,000 listeners in the courtyard of the to the German youth«. Forward-looking and extremely positive, the former former French president found words of friendship in order to reunite the two countries past hostilities, to stabilize a united Europe. The reconciliation of the two neighboring countries was sealed a short time later by the Élysée Treaty. In order to maintain this peace, it would require a lot of work – on the part of the government on the economic, political and cultural level, and on the part of the government on the political and cultural level, political and cultural level, and on the part of young people on an individual social level.
It is a positive development that that the Franco-German friendship has deepened since then and that the two countries are far and that the two countries are far from being a threat to each other and to Europe. to each other and to Europe. But Europe’s wounds have never completely healed and are gaping in other places. are gaping in other places. In Eastern Europe, there have been several conflicts and wars since the Second World War. there have been several conflicts and wars. Two years ago, the resistance movement began in Belarus, which is still ongoing and taking its painful toll. At the same time Vladimir Putin’s military offensive on Ukraine has been shaking the world since February. world. Does Europe want to stand on the stable foundation of friendship and mutual mutual respect? Or is such idealistic stability preferred to a political fortress that seals itself off? In many places, people seeking help on the run Europe in many places in 2015/16 as the latter. It is true that Charles de Gaulle’s wishes for the future of Germany and France have come true, at the European level, however, there is still a lot to be done.
