President Frank‑Walter Steinmeier says that protective barriers are necessary to shield democracy from its enemies. “Trying to tame extremists by giving them power failed not only in the Weimar Republic” he told the weekly newspaper “Die Zeit”. He is convinced that a partnership between democrats and anti‑democratic forces will not emerge victorious for democracy. For that reason he supports erecting walls against extremism.
Against the backdrop of a possible ban on the AfD, Steinmeier urged that “the instruments of an armed democracy be displayed and applied where required”. He added that a party ban, “as a matter of fact, remains a last resort in the arsenal of the Basic Law’s defensive mechanisms”.
The president also backs a social‑media ban for youths. “Below 14 years, yes” he said. He argues that the absence of regulation endangers social cohesion and democracy itself, especially for children and adolescents confronted with violent portrayals, pornography, and manipulative content that hamper their personal development. “I am always appalled at what is spread on these platforms-mockery, hate, ridicule, and cruelty”.
Steinmeier addressed the country’s growing gloom: “I am concerned by our pettiness and the self‑inflicted sense of doom. Therefore I deliberately say: I am proud of our country. It is not to be taken for granted that, amid this global storm of war, injustice, and nefarious acts, we have preserved our decency, inner strength, and moral compass”.
His second term ends on March 18 2027, and he is ineligible for a third. “I would like people to say after my departure that I was someone who took his responsibilities seriously, who bore the cross for protecting liberal democracy, who could bring together and build bridges between people and opinions” he said to “Die Zeit”.
