Overview
- In a t-online interview published this week, the 76-year-old calls billions now flowing into armaments “senseless,” backing defense but rejecting escalation.
- He describes a downward trend in Germany defined by child poverty, housing shortages and dwindling prospects for the young.
- Referencing his flight from Romania as a teenager, he says he understands existential fear and the value of basic security for families.
- He underscores 25 years of work by his foundation with children from severely strained backgrounds and says even a million euros would be quickly used for care.
- He praises the efforts of hundreds of thousands of volunteers holding communities together and notes his involvement with projects such as the Postcode Lottery.