In Germany, the people consist of all citizens, whether they were from the GDR or came to Germany from Syria three years ago, according to Angela Merkel.
The former Chancellor made the remarks on Sunday in Leipzig when she was awarded the 2026 Mendelssohn Prize in the Europe category, reports Die Welt.
In Merkel’s view, it is populist parties that are attempting to divide the population by splitting it into groups, writes the German newspaper.
‘You have the people, and then you have the elites, and then there are those who have only been citizens for a short time, and then there are those who have been citizens for a little longer, and attempts are being made to create divisions, attempts are being made to stir up hatred, they try to draw distinctions between people and thereby stir up envy,” said Merkel.
She also called for a strong and self-assured EU:
A united Europe must act more decisively and with greater clarity on the global stage. Furthermore, Europe must fulfil its promise of prosperity. Otherwise, nationalism will gain ground.
Apollo News provides further details about the prize Merkel received:
The non-monetary International Mendelssohn Prize is awarded at irregular intervals by the Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Foundation at the Gewandhaus in Leipzig. According to the organisers, the prize is awarded in the two categories ‘Europe’ and ‘Music’ to individuals ‘who have distinguished themselves in particular for promoting Mendelssohn’s work and honouring him in line with his high aesthetic and political values’. Merkel was thus honoured for her “special services to the unification and integration of Europe”.
“Angela Merkel was the real extremist of our time,” wrote journalist Matthew Syed recently in The Times, referring, amongst other things, to the opening of Europe’s borders in 2015.
