German president promotes democracy at seafarers benefit banquet

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier made the case for democracy in a speech at Bremen's annual Schaffermahlzeit ("Worker's Meal") banquet at the northern German port city's town hall on Friday evening.

Steinmeier, who was guest of honour at the banquet, acknowledged the many challenges of the day, including climate change, but warned against turning away from democracy.

"There is only one thing that we should not, indeed must not, allow to be taken away from us, because it is the only way that we can meet these challenges fairly and humanely, peacefully and freely: our democratic, free community based on justice and law, Steinmeier said.

Prior to his speech he joked that he was most looking forward "to the 11 speeches ahead of me."

A shanty choir welcomed Steinmeier to the city on Friday afternoon, along with Bremen's mayor, Andreas Bovenschulte.

The Schaffermahlzeit banquet dates back to 1545 and is considered one of the oldest fraternal banquets in the world. Women were first allowed to attend beginning in 2015.

Steinmeier previously attended the Schaffermahlzeit in 2016 when he was serving as foreign minister under then-chancellor Angela Merkel.

Traditional rules state that each guest is only allowed to attend the banquet once, but there are exceptions for Germany's president and for the mayor of Bremen.

At the event, around 300 participants eat traditional seafaring food and listen to speeches for five hours following a precisely regulated ceremony in Bremen's town hall.

The meal is organized and paid for by the creators of the Haus Seefahrt Foundation, an organization founded in 1545 to care for ageing seafarers and their wives or widows in the port city.

During the meal, donations are collected for the foundation.