“Trust — in a democracy it rests on a very fragile understanding between citizens and the state: ‘You, state, do your part, I, citizen, do mine,’” he said. “I know that you, the citizens, are doing your part in this historic crisis. You have done much and you have gone without much.”

“Your expectation for those in government is, ‘Get it together.’”

Steinmeier said the country had swung from self-satisfaction over lower infection numbers in the early stage of the pandemic to excessive pessimism today.

He urged Germans to “pull together” and put aside “constant indignation over others or over people in high places.” He said that vaccine deliveries would increase sharply in the coming weeks, Europe was building up its production capacities, and general practitioners would join the vaccination effort in addition to large vaccine centers.