Federal press ball in Berlin becomes a solidarity ball for Ukraine
Berlin
Federal Press Ball becomes a solidarity ball for Ukraine
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After a two-year break, the Federal Press Ball was held again in Berlin’s Hotel Adlon – and it was all about the Ukraine war.
Berlin. Berlin social life is back. At least that’s what it looked like when you took a look at Pariser Platz in front of the Hotel Adlon on Friday evening. Around 1,800 invited guests from the media, business and politics came to Berlin’s most luxurious address 69th Federal Press Ball together – for the first time after two years in which the ball was suspended due to Corona. But the celebratory atmosphere in the magnificent halls of the prestigious hotel did not really want to arise. The war in Ukraine was too present for that.
The war was probably also the reason for the many cancellations in the run-up to the ball. Not only Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife Elke Büdenbender appeared, there were also many ministers Cancel – for example by Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) and Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD). Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD) also canceled at short notice. Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), who only returned from a trip to Japan on Friday, did not take part either and is thus following in the tradition of his predecessor. Angela Merkel had also stayed away from the Federal Press Ball over the years.
Federal press ball collects donations for “Reporters Without Borders”
On the other hand, the Governing Mayor of Berlin Franziska Giffey (SPD) was present – but as the only head of a federal state. Also appeared on the turquoise carpet under Bundestag Vice President Katrin Göring-Eckardt (Greens), Claudia Roth (Greens), CDU Chairman Friedrich Merz and Greens Chairman Ricardo Lang. “It’s not going to be a hilarious party tonight, and I don’t think it should be,” she said upon arrival. It is not possible to feign a normality that does not currently exist. “That’s why I think it’s good that the decision was made to take a different approach today, namely as a political signal of solidarity with Ukraine.”
The ball, which was originally supposed to have the motto “Horizons”, was changed to a “solidarity ball“Converted with Ukraine. Throughout the evening, guests were able to spend money on “Reporters Without Borders” in cash or by internet transfer for independent press coverage in Russia.
Ukraine war – background and explanations for the conflict
Ukrainian Ambassador Melnyk thanks journalists
One of the most important guests of the evening was therefore the Ukrainian ambassador Andriy Melnyk. In his speech at the beginning of the dinner in the Palaissaal, he castigated the “barbaric war in the middle of Europe” and thanked journalists who “shed light on this war and confronted the public with it”. Melnyk, on the other hand, criticized politicians who “shone by their absence” at the press ball in order to “evade critical questions”.
Also Natalia Klitschko, the wife of Vitali Klitschko, the favorite professional boxer and current mayor of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, had come to the Hotel Adlon – but she wasn’t in the mood to celebrate. “I didn’t come to celebrate, I came to make a statement and, as a Ukrainian, to raise my voice for Ukraine and the people who are there and are fighting for all of us,” she said.
Hotel Adlon shines in the national colors of Ukraine
One of most emotional moments the evening was certainly the speech of Nataliia Fiebrig, a correspondent of the Ukrainian TV channel “1 + 1”, who fought back tears when she told about the death of a colleague. This was followed by the performance of the Odessa artist Alla Denisova, who moved the ballroom with impressive sand paintings about the war.
However, there was still dancing in the evening: Since the Federal President and his wife, who are traditionally responsible for the opening dance of the ball, were not present, the opening waltz taken over by two Ukrainian-German professional dance couples. The war in Ukraine remained present until late in the evening. When it got dark, the Adlon lit up in blue and yellow, the national colors of Ukraine. At the exit all guests ask for a traditional Ukrainian bread baked by a group of Ukrainian women in Berlin.
Ukraine Crisis – All the news on the conflict
This article first appeared on morgenpost.de.