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At the same time, people everywhere finally want normality again after turbulent years. There were challenges in earlier times, too. They were more or less mastered. But the speed from one extreme to the next was new, unsettled people and raised fundamental questions about the future.

Let us recall Brexit, which many predicted would be the downfall of the West and which ultimately blew through the country as a more or less lukewarm breeze.

The policy from the U.S., which was pursued by an unpredictable president, was somewhat more stormy. Here, one had to fear that things would escalate. He left behind a divided society and the memory of a storm on the Capitol.

Comparatively quietly and on silent soles, something then reached us that had a lasting impact on all our lives, shaking up society and the economy in a way that we could not have imagined before.
The pandemic.

In between, as you will recall, there was also a “Goodbye, Mrs. Merkel,” which - regardless of the respective political home – after 16 years and six days was probably viewed rather calmly by everyone.

In the meantime, we have been able to make the pleasant discovery: There are a few Greens who are doing a surprisingly good job. Baerbock and Habeck had certainly imagined their entry into government responsibility differently.

For them, as for us, it was inconceivable that a “flawless democrat“ would start a war in Europe.

February marked the beginning of a new era. Germany recognized its amateur status in the Bundeswehr and energy supply. The subsequent discussion about the delivery of heavy weapons to Ukraine was reminiscent of old times, but old political forces were still at work.

The recent state elections in Saarland, Schleswig-Holstein and North Rhine-Westphalia have placed encouragingly younger politicians in charge, which gives cause for hope.

They have enough to do: climate, education and digitization are just a few of the urgent areas for action. It’s not just the economy that needs to close its supply chains, but the government as well.

That’s enough! Let's keep in mind, behind us lie extraordinary times, more shadow than sun.

The valve industry has nevertheless met the challenges of this period in a gratifyingly robust manner.

The VDMA Valves Association has simply continued to workduring these troubled times, developingits services and keepingexisting networks online.

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