٠٠:٠٢:١٢German government spokesperson Steffen Seibert and Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Adebahr addressed the media in Berlin on Monday, a day after the European Parliamentary elections. Germany saw a significant rise in turnout, which was estimated at 61.5 percent, up from just 48.1 percent in 2014 against a backdrop of rising Euroscepticism and nationalist parties.
Talking about the healthy turnout, Mr Seibert said it shows people "are recognising how important the European dimension of politics is, especially when it comes to the big challenges, which no state, no member state of the European Union, can solve by themselves."
Mr Seibert also spoke about the controversial remarks made by the government's anti-Semitism commissioner, Felix Klein on Sunday, urging Jews not to wear kippahs, their traditional skullcaps, in public because of an increases in anti-Semitic attacks across the country.
"The state has guaranteed that the free practice of religion for everyone is possible and therefore, to say it perfectly clear, it is the task of the state to secure that everyone everywhere in our country as well as with a kippah, can move around safely and we are standing to this responsibility, and this is also counting for people who are wearing different religious symbols," he said.
Anti-Semitic attacks are on the rise in a number of European countries, with Germany reporting a rise by 20 percent last year, according to interior ministry data.
Germany: Govt. reiterates commitment to religious practice amid kippah controversy
German government spokesperson Steffen Seibert and Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Adebahr addressed the media in Berlin on Monday, a day after the European Parliamentary elections. Germany saw a significant rise in turnout, which was estimated at 61.5 percent, up from just 48.1 percent in 2014 against a backdrop of rising Euroscepticism and nationalist parties.
Talking about the healthy turnout, Mr Seibert said it shows people "are recognising how important the European dimension of politics is, especially when it comes to the big challenges, which no state, no member state of the European Union, can solve by themselves."
Mr Seibert also spoke about the controversial remarks made by the government's anti-Semitism commissioner, Felix Klein on Sunday, urging Jews not to wear kippahs, their traditional skullcaps, in public because of an increases in anti-Semitic attacks across the country.
"The state has guaranteed that the free practice of religion for everyone is possible and therefore, to say it perfectly clear, it is the task of the state to secure that everyone everywhere in our country as well as with a kippah, can move around safely and we are standing to this responsibility, and this is also counting for people who are wearing different religious symbols," he said.
Anti-Semitic attacks are on the rise in a number of European countries, with Germany reporting a rise by 20 percent last year, according to interior ministry data.
German government spokesperson Steffen Seibert and Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Adebahr addressed the media in Berlin on Monday, a day after the European Parliamentary elections. Germany saw a significant rise in turnout, which was estimated at 61.5 percent, up from just 48.1 percent in 2014 against a backdrop of rising Euroscepticism and nationalist parties.
Talking about the healthy turnout, Mr Seibert said it shows people "are recognising how important the European dimension of politics is, especially when it comes to the big challenges, which no state, no member state of the European Union, can solve by themselves."
Mr Seibert also spoke about the controversial remarks made by the government's anti-Semitism commissioner, Felix Klein on Sunday, urging Jews not to wear kippahs, their traditional skullcaps, in public because of an increases in anti-Semitic attacks across the country.
"The state has guaranteed that the free practice of religion for everyone is possible and therefore, to say it perfectly clear, it is the task of the state to secure that everyone everywhere in our country as well as with a kippah, can move around safely and we are standing to this responsibility, and this is also counting for people who are wearing different religious symbols," he said.
Anti-Semitic attacks are on the rise in a number of European countries, with Germany reporting a rise by 20 percent last year, according to interior ministry data.