Christmas address

In his Christmas address German President Horst Koehler reflected on a number of major events that affected Germany in 2009.

One of the main topics of the adress was the global financial crisis. Koehler called for respectability and improved rules within the financial sector, warning bankers and other financial actors of the responsibilites they hold in society.

"We have just experienced that excess amongst financial actors, and faults in state oversight have plunged the world into a deep crisis," he said. "We need to understand that money must serve people and cannot be allowed to rule them."

The environment and Afghanistan

In the wake of limited success at Copenhagen, Koehler called for more environmental responsibility. "If we want our earth – and we only have the one – to remain a hospitable home tomorrow, we need to deal more responsibly with the natural fundaments of life," he said.

In regards to the NATO mission in Afghanistan, Koehler praised the contribution of German soldiers and asked viewers to reflect on their service.

Tragedies and civic duty

Koehler also addressed a number of tragic incidents in Germany, including a school massacre in Winnenden and a murder of a man who tried to stop a fight on a Munich train platform. Koehler said the incidents were reminders that there is "no guarantee for our security and well-being."

The president also recalled more positive events, such as the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the joyful celebrations this year in the capital. Praising the country's democratic system, he called on Germans to consider how they could make positive contributions to society.

Koehler's role as president is largely ceremonial in Germany. German Chancellor Angela Merkel is expected to make a similar television address in the new year.

mk/dpa/AFP
Editor: Jennifer Abramsohn