On 12 February, Frank-Walter Steinmeier was elected as the 12th President of the Federal Republic of Germany by the 16th session of the Federal Convention. Frank-Walter Steinmeier accepted the appointment and gave the following address to the Federal Convention: "We need the courage to preserve what we have. Freedom and democracy in a united Europe – we intend to, and must, work together to defend this foundation. It is not wholly unshakeable, yet I am convinced that it is sound."
Full speech: Words of thanks to the 16th Federal Convention …
