Speaking at celebrations in the eastern city of Halle to commemorate German reunification in 1990, Merkel said the country once again had the opportunity to shape its future. x“Be prepared for new encounters, be curious about others, tell your own histories and tolerate differences,” Merkel said. xThe two parties begin talks on Sunday with the Greens and liberal FDP, with which they need to strike an agreement to grab the top job for themselves. “Diversity and difference” were not threats to society, Merkel added, as Germany had shown in the years since the fall of the Berlin Wall. The veteran politician, who lived in the communist east before reunification, was visibly moved as she described her own struggles with prejudice and called for more “respect” for the personal histories of east Germans.

Source: The Guardian October 03, 2021 12:45 UTC