Sharply in an interview with hung. Up today dont miss our highlights. Programme. W dot com highlights. Witness because mr president you just spent 2 weeks in coron teen how are you feeling now. Making is good may get everything was fine im well i wasnt infected but after 14 days i can say if at all possible one should avoid quarantine im glad i can meet people face to face again and be different because the visits enough inferential crimes have been committed again in france how is it possible that this can happen in the center of europe to these into. All sorts or above all with their relatives who have our sympathy. But i believe what we must do now in europe not only in france is to stand up to this act of brutality and the islamist motives behind it just in he can stand we should have many people in europe have done that and its good that representatives of Muslim States also joined in those condemnations. So hes up for talking language wasnt the 1st do you fear there could be attacks in germany. So lets. Most recently we had an attack and raised in where one person was wounded and another died. And. We cannot pretend that we are immune to such attacks here in germany and. On the contrary we have to remain vigilant indeed the Security Services vigilant but in our democratic societies we shouldnt base the response of the state on a cause determined by hate. And acceptance and you to respect our part of our society and so standing up to such acts of brutal violence and islamists motives is one thing the other is trying to maintain the openness of our society thats the other challenge we often had ones like theres of. Is the under the halls full. How did you know you were speaking about the role of the Muslim Association and what role did the verbal attacks of president abu out play in the escalation is it didnt add one. They are not helpful at all thats beyond thought. Because escalation which weve noticed there is noticeably harsher rhetoric didnt lead to possible perpetrators feeling encourage. This by my if you are in the middle of the pandemic germany is facing a partial lockdown so if we lost control. This isnt in ferguson and the guns could just and fall we certainly are in a critical phase just true for many states in europe but also for germany so we are in a situation where the number of infections is rising every day reaching new records this is also a practical test for democracy in germany either we managed to reduce the number of infections significantly with the means at our disposal or the situation will get out of control. And i am confident that we will succeed in pushing back the rate of infection he wants to see and we die and so them and then the heart to the last moment we did the fog and yeah. Its been the fun of it. And im convinced that most people realize that these burdens are necessary at this point we dont have to experience what some of our neighbors have experienced hospitals overflowing highly infectious patients having to live in colorado as or who cant be admitted at all with a gun if the nominee we must avoid pushing the Health System beyond its limits thats just a central goal i think people understand that. Theyre not they didnt even say resistance to these measures is growing across europe and also in germany we can expect a long hard winter a politicians not driving more people into the arms of conspiracy theorists and radicals as its not really for the. Of course we know this from Health Emergencies in the past the longer such a pandemic last the greater the strains are and the stronger the criticism of the restrictions click click click month and then going. Back in the number of people who consider the ridge strictures to be correct or demanding stricter measures is currently growing faster than the number of critics. In this respect its not so much the numbers that worry me but the abrasiveness of the argument that. There is hardly a bridge between those who say yes that is correct and those who either dont consider coronavirus a danger or completely reject restrictions drive myself to bring supporters and opponents together this can be done in smaller groups but on a larger scale the conversation has indeed become more difficult as this. Was reviewed by those people who are now abandoning dialogue thats a changing to the side of the radicals how can they be brought back to the democratic discourse. Some democrats in the schools. If you cannot force someone into a democratic discourse politicians constantly have to take on the task of explaining in a transparent manner what theyre doing and why certain measures are required with the number of infections driving those that assert that we are dealing with a simple flu that we politicians are cooking up a storm themselves increasingly under pressure of headwinds because mr president in a few days a new president has been elected in the United States how important is that election that is not really. Of course this is 1st of all important for the u. S. Itself but the election on the vendor 3rd will have a Global Impact regardless of who wins i hope that afterwards the United States will again develop the ability to have a shared idea about the future of their country. And a good mind. And whats important for us as europeans is also to understand that the european project with european integration and cooperation is invested in the trance atlantic relationship. This is not been the case recently but i hope that you understanding for europe will grow to. Be the vexed supposing that there is a change of president in the white house will the transatlantic relationship be ok. It covered the. Europeans and especially we germans must force ourselves to take a realistic look at the change situation one in which the us also finds itself with the end of the cold war the realisation that russia is no longer the number one threat for us about that the security threats for the United States might come from other corners of the world reorientation has a. Political reorientation or lets say this focus on china and east asia thats something that began before trump but not with the aggressiveness with which a dispute with china is being sorted now that it gets the us and others and make you know this or that was but what does that mean for german policy now manifesting. I am firmly convinced that what 1st of all needs to happen is to recognize that our National Interest is europe would like to have this Coronavirus Crisis has shown how important european cooperation is like there was a really unexpected but courageous decision by the european heads of government into a lie regarding the substantial european reconstruction funds and i see that there are joint european efforts for example in the Development Production and distribution of the vaccine and just recently decisions were made to enable cross border aid when hospitals in border areas overflow and capacities are Still Available on the other side that means that europe is learning even in the crisis and i hope that this attitude of learning from one another will continue but investing in europe is one of the task i think germany will continue to face. Towards the end of it as you know. This is a steinmeier the relationship with russia is at its lowest point most recently due to the poisoning of alexina valmy a you concerned. Its been bizarre been bizarre if i give them the bone im concerned about not only being poisoned but my concern actually dates back a long time and of course one should mention the illegal acts ation of crimea where i fear that moscow has not properly understood the shock that it caused in europe and not just in eastern europe. What followed didnt change things for the better the members of the opposition in russia can increasingly under pressure. Some have to fear for their lives some have lost them right up to the tear gas. Situation where the distance has grown without a doubt. The vaccine is. I believe we shouldnt just let this process of alienation continue to. Listen to our phones and. Our history in europe but also that your graphical location with russia as a neighbor makes it necessary to look for opportunities again and again to counter that but as i say you cannot change this unilaterally theres also requires the will and understanding of the russian side. Its clinking sounds as though they arent giving enough they get little i mean you know its true that will yes. When this because developments in the u. S. Russia and china show how important it is for germany to take on a leadership role how much is germany ready for light. And fast and we need an understanding in germany that this country is important in europe and if we invest in europe others will to do to our geographical location and history we have the task of building bridges that need to be built in europe between instant waste and bridges across some of the misunderstandings and cracks that have appeared in the past year but whats more important still is understanding that we also have to invest in europe in terms of security policy. All 15. But it is investing on the one hand this means making europe stronger and on the other hand as i said recently it also means significantly strengthening the european pillar in nato. In the not to stock and both are necessary. By this is notan has by my own mistress to my next year we have federal elections in germany is also marks the end of Angela Merkels political era isnt germany losing influence with the chancellor although internationally and in europe thats another thats. First of all it was quite natural that if someone had the opportunity to gain political experience after so many years in Government Office and even more importantly the opportunity to expand the Political Network in all European Countries and far beyond whatever becomes a success will start differently than the full stop in this respect and big shoes to. The door that knish. Doesnt mean that the success is denying the opportunity to vote up a similar influence over the years thats not easy youre right in. The shoes. Of a. Thought on this only if with tough things in course when this president thank you for the interview i thank you. Whats makes a princess a concept. Lets ask ed why. Hes there to. Europes crowned ladies come and go in his brussels fashion house. We were invited to look into his sowing to observe. Closely. Carefully. Choose to do good. Discover who. Subscribe to documentary. Minimalist moves and precise choreography are the trademarks of the French School which retain it and that they have more on that later and with that very well known come to a new edition of euro back lets see what else we have in the show today