"Political oration" - Steinmeier enrages CDU leadership.
The cause: the commemorative address delivered by Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on the 75th anniversary of the Basic Law in front of political elites and notable individuals of the Federal Republic.
Steinmeier, a Social Democrat, had expressed passionate sentiments for the milestone event during the state ceremony. He lauded the Basic Law as a "wonderful present" for Germany following the National Socialist dictatorship. However, the accomplishments of the Christian Democrats, who played a significant role in creating the Basic Law, went unacknowledged in the views of prominent figures from the CDU/CSU.
Adenauer, who served as the President of the Parliamentary Council, was instrumental in drafting the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany.
Instead, Steinmeier, acting as a non-partisan figure as dictated by his position in the SPD (membership temporarily suspended), referenced THREE Social Democrats.
► Philipp Scheidemann: the renowned Socialist, proclaimed the first republic in 1918 after the German Empire's collapse.
► Ernst Reuter: SPD mayor of Berlin, who was not acknowledged by the Soviets. His iconic statement in 1948, "You folks of the world, take note of this city," embodied the yearning for independence among West Berlin's citizens.
► Lastly, Carlo Schmid: The renowned constitutional lawyer and social democrat, he's one of the fathers of the Basic Law, and he urged, "We must show the courage to intolerance towards those who aim to use democracy to snuff it out."
► And Lübke? Steinmeier merely mentioned his plans to speak in tribute to the CDU's first Federal President (1959-1969) later on.
An overt snub to the CDU!
Steinmeier's speechwriter might counterargue that politicians from the Liberals, the Greens, and the Left Party were also omitted in the momentous oration. But: the Greens didn't surface for long in 1949. The SED, the precursor to today's Left Party, was responsible for the Wall and despotism in the GDR.
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Source: symclub.org
