New Year's speech

In her New Year's address, which stressed challenges of the past and the future, German Chancellor Angela Merkel failed to strike the tone of confidence familiar to Germans from past chancellors' speeches.

In her televised speech, Merkel looked back on 2011, referring to ongoing unrest across the Arab world, a massive natural-turned-nuclear disaster in Japan, the birth of the world's seven-billionth person and, of course, the financial crisis that continues to threaten Europe's common currency.

"2011 was, without a doubt, a year of profound change," she said.

Looming euro crisis

Merkel stressed that the values of peace, freedom and justice had held Europe together over the last half century, and that they were once again needed, "especially now, at a time when Europe is facing its toughest currency test in decades, when I know many of you are concerned about the stability of our currency."

Hours from the tenth anniversary of the euro's introduction, the chancellor predicted the financial challenges of the coming year to be even more difficult - but pledged that Germany could trust her to do everything in her power to strengthen the common currency.

While Germans cannot expect the traditional message of confidence from their chancellor this New Year's Eve, there is one other New Year's Eve television classic that is sure to deliver.

The English-language comedy sketch known as "The 90th Birthday," or, "Dinner for One," has been running on German television on New Year's Eve since 1963. Virtually unknown in the English-speaking world, the film has two characters: the wealthy Miss Sophie who, despite having outlived her friends, decides to celebrate her 90th birthday by dining with their memories; and James, her butler who must enact her four deceased best friends - and drink for all of them.

But even this cult classic has felt the crisis. With New Year's approaching, a parody called "The 90th Rescue Summit" or "Euros for No One" swept the Internet. In it, Merkel's face is superimposed on the body of Miss Sophie. French President Nicolas Sarkozy, superimposed on the butler, drinks for leaders not present, such as Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou, who stepped down last month amidst Greece's financial crisis. Germany's chancellor, as always, is portrayed as the eurozone's taskmaster; in the end it all comes down to her and her somewhat subservient French counterpart, whether the others are present or not.

Meanwhile, the real Merkel in her address to be televised Saturday spoke of increased cooperation, saying the "common currency can only really be successful if we in Europe work together more than we have until now."

A freer Germany

The euro crisis was not the only shadow looming over Germany in 2011. The chancellor also made mention of a small "right-extremist band of terrorist murderers" exposed this autumn and believed to have killed ten people over a decade.

Germans, Merkel said, owed it to the victims and themselves to get to the bottom of the crimes.

"It is our duty to defend with determination the values of our free and open society - at all times and against all forms of violence."

Promises for improvement

For the year 2012, Merkel named strengthening families and improving elderly and disabled care as her central goals.

The chancellor also pledged advances in Germany's transition to sustainable energy, saying, "We must think of tomorrow." Earlier this year, in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, her ruling coalition gave way to left-wing uproar over its plans to extend the country's nuclear program and promised to shut down Germany's atomic plants by 2022.

Having forecast a year of continued uncertainty, Merkel announced she was opening a dialog with citizens as to Germany's future. The chancellor said she had already begun discussing the matter with over 100 experts and that the public would be invited to take part in her conversations online beginning in February.

Merkel ended her speech that stressed the future's challenges on a positive note, wishing viewers "and your families a happy, healthy and blessed new year 2012."

Author: Peter Stützle, David Levitz

Editor: Matt Zuvela