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Angela Merkel visits the French High School of Berlin

The Federal Chancellor met with the students of the French High school of Berlin

May 17th, 2016
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A few days before the « Europe Day » schedule on the 9th of May, Angela Merkel, Germany’s Federal Chancellor paid a visit on the 3rd of May to the students of the French High School of Berlin, a school that opened its gates in 1689 which makes it the oldest French High School abroad. This High School is a « symbol of the friendship between France and Germany and of Berlin’s openness towards Europe » as H. E. Amb. Philippe Étienne, the French Ambassador in Berlin who was attending the event, puts it. This is why Angela Merkel was eager to meet its students in order to debate with them and celebrate the European construction.

The visit was essentially composed of four different activities. The main one was a debate between the oldest students and the Federal Chancellor on diverse European related subjects. During this debate that lasted more than an hour, Angela Merkel answered a variety of questions asked by six students. Their questions were very precise and focused on a lot of different subjects such as the rise of populist parties in Europe, the harmonization of diplomas, the cooperation between EU member states to fight terrorism, the situation of the labor market, the eventual enlargement of the EU to new countries, the energy policy and the current situation of refugees in Europe. The Federal Chancellor answered all these question in detail and urged all the students attending this debate to share their European opinions and fight against cultural bias by meeting other people and other cultures.

During her visit, Angela Merkel also met middle school students around an exhibition of photography that was created by students from the school. Then, she attended a three-scene theater act about the history of the French High School in Berlin that was created and interpreted by middle school students. The last activity was a meeting between the Federal Chancellor and the team of students who will represent the French High School of Berlin in the International Youth Games in Singapore in June of 2016.

Angela Merkel concluded her visit by speaking before the press. She said that she was impressed by the school and its students and urged them again to fight for the ideas and the common values of the European Union, highlighting the fact that exchanges and meetings are a very important thing, which is a good example of what cultural diplomacy is all about.

References:

News from Berlin
Pierre Even, Berlin Global