Reverend Kuen,
Mayor Albrecht,
esteemed ladies and gentlemen,
dear friends,

dear Markus,

thank you for the invitation to this esteemed Benedictine Abbey – a place symbolizing continuity, renewal, and resilience.

It has withstood the storms of history.

It has transformed, adapted, yet never lost its foundations. The Abbey has demonstrated how institutions, when they remain vibrant, contribute to the stability and cohesion of society.

In this spirit, we must also view our shared political project: the European Union. Europe is not just a geographical area, but primarily a community of values that embodies peace, freedom, and democracy.

The united Europe became possible because six previously hostile states chose reconciliation and committed to democracy, freedom, and the rule of law – in light of the devastating war that inflicted suffering on humanity, and which we remember here today.

For 80 years, peace and European integration have gone hand in hand, and united Europe has gained many more supporters during this time. Yet, we are again discussing wars and how we can protect ourselves against them. Who would have thought that the peace promise of the past would be so tested?

In a world where nothing can be taken for granted, where our security is threatened from the East, and we must rethink relationships in the West.

In this world, it is the European Union that gives us an anchor.

In crises, we Europeans must stand together.

And we rediscover the spirit of the past. The spirit of courage, action, and renewal. It is time for Europe to rise again to advance the European project. Because in our community and our values, in the way we live, lies our strength.

In my position, I regularly meet government representatives from outside the EU. And with each of these interactions, it becomes clear how the EU is perceived from the outside: strong, serious, reliable. Stability and trustworthiness are our currency.

We can rightly be proud of what we have achieved and look to the future with confidence and self-assurance.

But yes, we must take more responsibility. We must ensure our own security and become economically more independent.

It is unfortunately very likely that we will have to prove our defense capabilities in the next 5 years. There is no time to lose.

And the people in Europe demand this capable, strong EU – one that defends, protects, and organizes – even internally.

Because we all know that our democracies are under attack – through coordinated actions of external adversaries and attempts to undermine them from within. Sometimes as elements of new forms of warfare.

We must resolutely confront these threats, prepare ourselves, and continuously remind ourselves that our security and democracy are not a given.

That is why occasions like today are so important: The remembrance.

Extremist parties are gaining strength, illiberal tendencies are spreading across Europe, and anti-Semitism in the European Union has reached alarming levels. We see horrific acts of violence.

Our culture of remembrance is thus not only our moral duty towards the millions of victims of the past, but also a necessary responsibility for the present and future.

Moreover, our time demands that we make our democracy resilient. A resilient democracy protects itself against those forces that seek to undermine our values and cohesion. This means that we protect democratic rights while drawing clear boundaries against those who want to undermine our values and destabilize our community.

In this context, the management of migration is one of the great challenges of our time.

It is sometimes even used as a weapon against our democracy and legal system, as a devious means of modern, hybrid warfare. At our eastern borders, people are being exploited by Russia and Belarus, who instrumentalize individuals to undermine EU unity and jeopardize the security of the Schengen area.

We must not allow these hostile states to turn our values against us. And values are central to the issue of migration.

Migration is a reality and will continue to be. Europe is a continent of diversity, and this diversity can strengthen our society. If we seize the influx as an opportunity, which we must do due to demographic changes. Competing in the international talent race is crucial for us to maintain and even improve our prosperity and standard of living.

Combating irregular migration and promoting legal pathways – that is how we decide who comes to us and not the smugglers.

Integration is key. “United in diversity” is not just the EU motto. We must ensure that coexistence succeeds. That citizens feel that the influx is controlled. That those who come to us can be integrated. At the same time, we need clear rules and a functioning migration management system that guarantees security and combats illegal structures.

This balance between humanity and order, between protection and openness is not easy, but it is essential. This is how we put our house in order.

We must not allow Europe to get caught between the millstones of disintegrative forces within and imperial ambitions from outside.

Therefore, today is my appeal:

Let us preserve what has made us strong – and boldly shape what lies ahead.

Unity is our greatest strength.
Democracy is the recipe for our security.

Together, they form the peace shield for our continent, for our home.

Let us protect our home so that future generations can live in the same security, freedom, and prosperity.