German President Cites Oasis in Speech on UK-Germany Relations
LONDON - In a gesture blending cultural reference with diplomatic messaging, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier invoked the lyrics of Oasis’s “Don’t Look Back in Anger” to underscore the improving relationship between Germany and the United Kingdom following Brexit. Speaking in the House of Parliament on the second day of his state visit, Steinmeier stated, “Don’t Look Back in anger, as one of the most famous songs by Oasis puts it so well.”
Steinmeier’s visit, the first by a German leader in 27 years, began Wednesday with a ceremonial reception hosted by King Charles III and Queen Camilla, followed by a star-studded banquet at Windsor Castle. Throughout the visit,the President has emphasized the pragmatic approach both nations are taking to build future relations.
“I think that is typically British, keep calm and carry on – look ahead pragmatically, move on,” Steinmeier remarked in Parliament’s Royal Gallery on Thursday afternoon. He revisited the Oasis theme at the conclusion of his speech, referencing the band’s recent reunion tour after a 16-year rift between Liam Gallagher and Noel Gallagher. “Cool Britannia is alive! Our relations may have changed, but, my dear Britons, our love remains,” he said. “So let us look not to the past, but rather together to the future.”
The President and his wife, Elke Budenbender, also visited the V&A Museum’s david Bowie Center, acknowledging the musician’s strong connection to Berlin. Further engagements included a planned meeting with German footballers currently playing in the Premier League.
Earlier in the day, the couple toured Westminster Abbey, laying a wreath at the Grave of the unkown Warrior. They also viewed Queen Victoria’s winter sleigh, designed by her German-born husband, Prince Albert, in 1842, and attended a charity reception.
Friday’s itinerary includes a visit to the ruins of Coventry Cathedral, destroyed during a German air raid in World War Two, as a symbolic act of reconciliation - mirroring King Charles’s wreath-laying in Hamburg during the UK state visit to Germany. Steinmeier is also scheduled to receive an honorary degree from Oxford University and learn about medical research conducted there.
