Steinmeier warns against division of citizenship and defends the principle of equality

Steinmeier said verbatim: „Wer das Deutschsein in Kategorien einteilen und abstufen will, wer damit beginnt, staatsbürgerrechtliche Rechte nicht mehr dem Einzelnen, sondern nach Gruppenzugehörigkeit zu verteilen, der greift unsere Verfassung an, der stellt sich außerhalb unserer demokratischen Ordnung." With this formulation, the federal president drew a clear line against actors who, in his assessment, call into question the equality of citizens.

In substance, the federal president took up the so-called Zuwanderungs-Appell (Immigration Appeal), in which scholars and cultural figures warn of a societal split. Steinmeier described the appeal as an important contribution to the debate and recalled that Germany is a country of immigration in which belonging does not depend on origin but on the recognition of the free democratic basic order.

Reactions in political Berlin

At the same time, the federal president rejected any form of discrimination. Whoever acquires German citizenship thereby acquires full membership in the political community. This membership is indivisible, Steinmeier emphasized, pointing to Article 1 of the Basic Law: the dignity of the human being is inviolable, and this principle applies to every person in the country, regardless of their biography.

At Schloss Bellevue, the federal president's official residence, Steinmeier had previously taken up the topic also at his interim quarters at the Spreebogen. The repeated statements show that the head of state regards the issue of integration and equal treatment as one of the central tasks of the coming months. The debate over migration and naturalization has grown sharper since the beginning of the year.

In political Berlin, Steinmeier's words are read above all as a response to positions of the AfD. The party had repeatedly called in recent months for a distinction between "naturalized" and "native-born" Germans. Steinmeier indirectly took up this demand by characterizing it as an attack on the constitution and the democratic order. In doing so, he positioned himself clearly against any form of unequal treatment in citizenship law.

Appeal to the democratic forces

The federal president also called on those present to seek dialogue with citizens who had concerns. The point is not to suppress criticism of migration-policy decisions, Steinmeier explained. But anyone who calls into question the equality of human beings moves outside the democratic consensus. This stance must be defended by all democratic parties and institutions.

Business associations and trade unions had likewise recently pointed to the value of naturalization and participation. Against this backdrop, Steinmeier noted that millions of people live in Germany who contribute to the common good and thereby deserve the recognition of the state. Without these people, growth, prosperity, and cohesion in the Federal Republic would be unthinkable, the federal president said.

In conclusion, Steinmeier called for the dignity of the individual not to be made the object of partisan disputes. Democracy lives from all members of society being treated equally. His speech was intended as a signal of encouragement – to naturalized Germans as well as to those still in the process of naturalization.

Economy and society as addressees

Reactions from the parliamentary groups in the Bundestag were muted. While governing parties expressly welcomed Steinmeier's words, opposition groups were in part critical. An AfD spokesperson rejected the criticism and spoke of "interference by the federal president in the political debate." Steinmeier himself rejected this accusation at the subsequent press conference, explaining that protecting the constitution is among his central duties.