Joachim Gauck calls for “strict government”, otherwise “trust will disappear”

Former Federal President Joachim Gauck spoke out in favor of strict governance, but also acknowledged the difficulties in coalitions. A very clear policy design is often not possible, said the 86-year-old during a speech in Rostock. Different interests of parties and milieus made compromises difficult.

However, the mass of the population does not want “extremely lengthy compromise negotiations” that result in diluted results. They longed for strict politics. “I can understand this longing,” said Gauck. "I think that strict governance is absolutely necessary even in a liberal, open society, because it increases trust. And if it doesn't happen, trust disappears."

Nevertheless, one should not consider the actors in the current or previous federal government to be completely incompetent - "just because they take too long in the debates about their compromises and perhaps miss out on opportunities." This happens when people in government offices don't have enough courage.

Gauck sees one of the very fundamental current problems here: “To then oversleep or half-heartedly design the necessary reforms out of fear of the respective groups of voters.”

Especially in times with governments that have little trust among large sections of the population, “democracy needs a defense from below,” said Gauck, referring to voluntary work.

The occasion for his speech was the awarding of the Richard Siegmann Medal. It is awarded annually by the foundation of the same name and is endowed with 3,000 euros. Its namesake was director and board member of Rostocker Straßenbahn AG from 1898 to 1935.

According to the foundation, he held many other municipal offices and honorary positions, including as a city councilor. In 1943, Siegmann was deported to the Theresienstadt concentration camp because of his Jewish descent, where he starved to death in October 1943. This year the medal went to Hans-Joachim Kallwitz and the Intercultural Language Café in Rostock-Evershagen, which he founded in 2017.

Gauck also remembered the request to take part in the award ceremony: “I had to ask: And what is that?” said Gauck. "Imagine, I'm from Rostock, I was born here in 1940 in the University Women's Clinic. What do I know about this city. Yes, but if I don't know the name, what do I expect from others?" He emphasized the value of such remembrance work.