Africa: "Learning From the Crisis – Prospects of EU Reform" - Address By Minister of State for Europe Michael Roth At Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin On 14 October 2014

press release

Berlin — BERLIN - Thank you for this opportunity to share my thoughts on Europe with you today. Like you students, I once sat in a lecture hall listening to Prof. Pernice when I was doing my degree. I didn't do me any harm, either!

To give you a better grasp of my motivation, of the reason why I have been fighting for a united and peaceful Europe as a parliamentarian for 16 years and now as Minister of State at the Federal Foreign Office for almost twelve months, let's jump back to the year 1989. Exactly 25 years ago, I was actually supposed to be studying for my school-leaving exams. My world back then was very different to what it is today. We saw closed‑in views, not wide horizons - as you'd expect on the frontier to East Germany. I grew up in north‑east Hesse, less than a kilometre as the crow flies from what was then the border to the GDR; I was, if you like, one of the eastern‑most "Wessis". I looked out on walls, fences and self‑firing weapons systems. For a long time, we all found it unimaginable that this reality, quite literally cast in concrete, would ever change.

...

AllAfrica publishes around 400 reports a day from more than 100 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.

Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.