Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel warns against attempts by populist parties to divide the population. The promise of a life of freedom is under pressure, Merkel said at the Gewandhaus in Leipzig during the presentation of the International Mendelssohn Prize. Populist parties are trying to divide human dignity. “There’s the people, and then there are the elites, and then there are those who have only recently become citizens, and then there are those who have been citizens a bit longer—and they try to create divisions, they try to stir up hatred, they try to draw distinctions and thereby provoke envy,” Merkel said. In Germany, all power emanates from the people—“but the people are all German citizens,” Merkel emphasized. “And no one asks whether you came from the GDR later on, or whether you perhaps arrived as a Syrian just three years ago. All German citizens are the people.” On Sunday, Merkel was honored with the 2026 Mendelssohn Prize in the Europe category. In the music category, the non-monetary award went to clarinetist, conductor, and composer Jörg Widmann. Copyright 2026, dpa (www.dpa.de). All rights reserved
