Federal President Steinmeier issued a statement today from Schloss Bellevue on the recent events in Washington, DC. The Federal President said:

The peaceful transition of power following free elections is a cornerstone of democracy.

An armed mob, goaded on by a sitting President who has no respect for this fundamental value, yesterday stormed the US Congress. It was an assault on the heart of American democracy, an assault which – as we are now hearing – has cost four people their lives.

We are shocked by the images. We have borne witness to the vulnerability of none other than the oldest and most powerful democracy in the world.

The scenes we saw are the result of lies upon lies, of divisive demagoguery and contempt for democracy, of hatred and deliberate provocation – including from the highest office in the land.

This is a historic turning point for the United States, and it is an attack on liberal democracy itself.

But I firmly believe that American democracy is stronger than this hatred. The institutions of democracy are more powerful than lies and provocation.

Joe Biden’s election has now been confirmed. The twentieth of January is approaching, and with it the democratic transition of power. We want to work together with the elected US President and with all upstanding democrats, regardless of their party allegiance.

The beacon of democracy will shine brighter once again.

But this will not happen on its own. We see the images from the Capitol, but we do not forget the images we saw – albeit of a different nature and a different dimension – as opponents of democracy occupied the steps of our Reichstag.

And so my message today, to all of us, is that hatred and deliberate provocation are a danger to democracy. Lies are a danger to democracy. Violence is a danger to democracy.

Particularly now as we face the ongoing challenges of the pandemic and prepare for this year’s elections, we must keep in mind that democracy is the most precious thing we have. It is kept alive by the participation of the people. It is contingent on respect for its rules and institutions.

We can have faith here in Germany that our democracy is more important to us than all of our differences.