Dear speech-fans and friends,
We have never heard so much French spoken by so many
in the speeches delivered this last month.
For the worst reason and for the best reason:
The worst reason: because of the horrible events
in Paris, of course.
The best reason: because we all know that
speaking the audience’s language go straight to their hearts.
Many thanks to all of you, in Europe and beyond, who shared a quote, helped with a translation, or expressed their friendship in French.
Isabelle
Que veulent
les terroristes ?
Nous diviser, nous opposer, nous jeter les uns contre les autres.
Je vous l’assure, ils échoueront.
Ils ont le culte de la mort, mais nous, nous, nous avons l’amour, l’amour
de la vie.
(English below)
«Jeden von uns hätte es treffen könne», genau dieses Gefühl, diese Angst
wollen die Terroristen in unseren Herzen einpflanzen.
Die Attentate von Paris waren ein Anschlag auf die Freiheit.
Ein Anschlag auf unsere europäischen Werte und unsere Art zu leben.
Ein Anschlag auf uns alle.
Wir Europäer stehen in dieser Zeit der Trauer an der Seite des
französischen Volkes.
Nous sommes unis.
‘Any of us could have been among the
victims’ – that is the seed of fear the terrorists want to plant in our hearts.
The Paris attacks were an attack on freedom.
An attack on our European values and our way of life.
An attack on all of us.
At this time of mourning, we Europeans stand side by side with the people
of France.
Nous sommes unis.
Some people – I even had a member of my own family email me and say, “More
bombs aren’t the solution,” they said.
Well, in principle, no.
In principle, if you can educate and change people and provide jobs and
make a difference if that’s what they want, sure.
But in this case, that’s not what’s happening. (….)
Stay steady. Stay strong. As the French would say, bon courage.
John
Kerry, Remarks to the Staff and Families of U.S. Embassy, Paris, 17 November
2015
Toute réponse
aux attaques doit être composée de deux importants ingrédients: la sécurité,
cela va sans dire, c’est clair, mais aussi la culture, l’éducation (…)
Pour chaque euro additionnel dans la sécurité, nous devons investir un euro
dans la culture.
Pour tout
investissement dans la police, il doit y avoir plus d’efforts d’intégration
dans nos banlieues.
Pour chaque
caserne rénovée, nous établirons un musée plus accueillant.
Pour chaque investissement dans la sécurité, un euro donné au sport, aux enfants,
à l’école.
Tout l’argent
consacré à la sécurité va devenir un investissement seulement si nous nous
souvenons de ce que nous défendons : notre identité.
In Italian
Every year, you gather here in Berlin on this day to commemorate the fall
of the Wall, not other historical events. This is because you have a good sense
of how rich and powerful the metaphor of a torn-down wall is. And how universal
and timeless it is.
Before turning to Europe, let me say a few words about this metaphor.
European
Council President Address Donald Tusk at Die Europa-Rede, Berlin, 10 November
2015
I will come to my speech in a moment but I was thinking on the way here
about one writer, a German writer, who was a fierce opponent of the Nazi regime
and who has written this big book about the First World War, All Quiet on the
Western Front, Remarque (…)
So, anyway, all this comes to mind when I am in Prague and perhaps I can
use this first minute of my speech to encourage all of you who do not read to
start reading, especially people like Roth, Remarque and Kafka, who have
described a road that is far less removed from our world than we sometimes
think.
First
Vice-President Frans Timmermans, Prague European Summit Conference, 13 November
2015
(English below)
Non, on ne
détruit pas Paris. Parvînt-on, ce qui est malaisé, à le démolir matériellement,
on le grandirait moralement. En ruinant Paris, vous le sanctifieriez. La
dispersion des pierres ferait la dispersion des idées. Jetez Paris aux quatre
vents, vous n’arriverez qu’à faire de chaque grain de cette cendre la semence
de l’avenir. Ce sépulcre criera Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité ! Paris est ville,
mais Paris est âme.
Victor Hugo, Appel aux Allemands,
Septembre 1870
No, Paris cannot be destroyed. If you physically demolished it, which in
itself would be far from easy, you would only strengthen it spiritually. By
ruining Paris, you would sanctify it. Each scattered stone would become an
idea. Blow Paris to pieces, and each grain of dust would become a seed for the
future. This tomb would shout out "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity!"
Paris is a city, but Paris also has a soul.
********************