"It is a philosophy of life that has its roots in the concept of the dignity, the value and the inalienable rights of each individual human being. "1 Having grown up in a dictatorship, you know better than anyone that democracy and freedom cannot be taken for granted. They are hard won and easily lost.
In a speech in 2021 to mark German reunification, you said "Democracy doesn't just happen. We have to keep working for it together, every day".2 And – just like Adenauer – that is what you did throughout your political career. It was what drove your leadership.