by Oui
Sat Dec 14th, 2024 at 03:47:42 PM EST
Dutch capital is the historic city of tolerance and welcoming of refugees. Leiden the city of the Pilgrim Fathers start of the journey to the New World. I am very glad Chancellor Angela Merkel received a grand reception and an honorary Gold Medal from city Mayor Femke Halsema.
Former Chancellor Merkel Receives Amsterdam's Highest Award
Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel has received the Gold Medal in Amsterdam. She was presented with the award by Mayor Femke Halsema for her "merits as Chancellor and in particular for her great influence on Europe".
This is the city's highest municipal award, which was previously awarded to Nelson Mandela (1999) and Winston Churchill (1946), among others. Halsema emphasized that Merkel embodies the spirit of freedom "with which Amsterdam identifies". She was also praised as a leader "with a steadfast dedication to the rule of law, who consistently rose above party interests".
Earlier today, Merkel signed her recently published book Freedom, in which she looks back on her youth and political career. Interested parties stood in line for hours for a signed copy, city broadcaster AT5 reports. Later that evening, the former Chancellor gave a lecture in the capital, after which she was interviewed by writer Arnon Grunberg.
The award ceremony took place in private at the mayor's official residence. The award was last presented in 2022 to Jacques Grishaver, for his role in the creation of the National Holocaust Monument.
The interview with Jewish author Arnon Grünberg was excellent ... live broadcast from University in Amsterdam, German spoken. Hopefully soon a video available. Quite enjoyable ... will stay in contact, parted in a new friendship.
Her relationship with CDU chancellor Helmuth Kohl was also covered.
Earlier Interview Der Spiegel
Angela Merkel receives her guests in the same place
she wrote her book: in an apartment in a prewar
building in the Mitte district of Berlin.
Framed photos hang on the walls, taken by one
of her husband's sons. They show black-and-white
scenes from the city she calls home, skaters flying
through the air, people under bridges.
Merkel proudly shows off her book. She is one of
the very few people who already has a printed
copy of the 700-page tome. Her co-author and
long-time adviser Beate Baumann is also present
for our conversation, but rarely says anything.
The former chancellor is in high spirits, looking
forward to explaining herself and her book. But first,
we discuss the current political situation in Germany.
A friend pointed this out to me, from Krugman's last column in NYT:
’What strikes me, looking back, is how optimistic many people, both here and in much of the Western world, were back then and the extent to which that optimism has been replaced by anger and resentment. And I'm not just talking about members of the working class who feel betrayed by elites; some of the angriest, most resentful people in America right now -- people who seem very likely to have a lot of influence with the incoming Trump administration -- are billionaires who don't feel sufficiently admired.'
Read the column here.
- Not only billionaires don't feel sufficiently admired
- The demand for admiration is enormous
- There is not enough admiration on this world
- What follows is dissatisfaction and resentment
Desiderius Erasmus - Rotterdam
More topics on religious (in)tolerance ...
Portuguese synagogue - Amsterdam
Pilgrim Fathers - Leiden
Palestine flags in New West (Amsterdam)
