Strengthening democracy is a major focus for re-elected President Steinmeier, Andrea Römmele says

On 13 February, the Federal Assembly re-elected German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier for his second term as head of state. During the five-hour-long election process with more than 1,400 eligible voters, Hertie School Professor of Communication in Politics and Civil Society Andrea Römmele provided live commentary on the election process on phoenix television. She also appeared in various other media.

"The fact that democracy is not a matter of course – that everyone has to fight for it and make their contribution – that is Steinmeier's big theme," she said on tagesschau.de earlier that week. Steinmeier’s main task has been and continues to be building bridges, she said on several broadcasters such as NDR, WDR, SWR, MDR, RBB, hr and arte. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the German public has experienced growing polarisation over policy measures, with opposition spanning from criticism of policies as unconstitutional to activism by more radical, antidemocratic forces.

Apart from praise for his political skill, Steinmeier who is now entering another five years in office “could have shown more presence during the last two years of the pandemic,” Römmele said in a ZDF portrait on the President.

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