 Thank you, Mr. President. President Macron and the Sergio Mattarella, Madam President-designate and elect now of the European Commission, Ms. von der Leyen, Minister President of the Federal Land of Hessen, Excellencies, Madam Lagarde, and, of course, Mr. Mario Draghi. And also, I address my warm words to the family of Mr. Draghi. The links between your hometown of Rome and Frankfurt are obvious, I think, to all. The Limes is only a few kilometers away from here. The traces of Roman life are to be found everywhere here in this region. And even the Rathaus City Hall, the Frankfurter Römer, and also the Römerberg of Roman Hill in the heart of the Old City. Well, close aliquin testimony to the close cultural and intellectual bonds with the Eternal City. And basically, you, dear Mario, continue in the well-established tradition of the Romans, who leave traces here wherever they've been. For this indeed is what you have done during your tenure, these eight years as President of the ECB, not only here, but in the whole of Europe. And you have guided the ECB, indeed, through turbulent times in which the weaknesses, but not only the weaknesses, of the immobile aid bear. I remember very well how we met in Frankfurt eight years ago, shortly before you assumed office. We met here in Frankfurt. And immediately after the inaugural celebrations, the first joint crisis meeting was scheduled. And many more were to follow. These were not easy times. And the markets at the time were actually betting on the collapse of the eurozone. Today, eight years later, we are far away from this. The trust of the market players in the euro and the euro area has long since returned. Monetary area, currency area is still not without problems, but it has become much, much stronger than before the European sovereign debt crisis. And under your leadership, the ECB has given an important and, indeed, crucial contribution to the stability of the euro area as one of the instruments in the overall orchestra of the euro area, and also as an independent institution. And this cannot only be measured in figures and data, but also in the fact that so many of our citizens in the member states approve of the euro and, indeed, support it. And during your tenure, the ECB has given a crucial contribution to stability of the euro area. You've been able to do that first, because you are an independent institution. And because of this independence of the central bank, you have been able to fulfill this job. And you are actually in line with a long and tried and true tradition, a tradition we have here also in the Bundestag. Sometimes independence is always also, in a way, a protection when you're not in agreement with what policymakers pursue. But this independence is also an essential pre-exit for a central bank to fulfill its prime objective, namely, ensuring price stability. And as a guarantor for price stability, that, indeed, is the only thing that will be ensuring the acceptance of the citizens. We have to be able to defend this independence also, and in particular, in economically difficult times. You, dear Mario Draghi, have never allowed for any doubt regarding the independence of the European central bank. You said, for example, in a quote, we are not forced by anybody. We are independent and make our own judgment. And that's it, end of quote. Secondly, during your tenure, the ECB has made significant strides in further developing email. On the one hand, because you and your colleagues have stood up, resolutely, for the euro on the international stage. I remind all of us of the jewel in July 2012. Within our mandate, the European Central Bank is ready to do whatever it takes to uphold the euro. And this is probably one of the most significant sentences we will remember from your term in office. As usual in Germany, the Federal Constitutional Court has immediately sort of seized the matter and looked at this sentence and also evaluated your analysis of the situation and the consequences of it and actually decided that it was in agreement with it. So the European Southern debt crisis made completely new demands on all of us. The banking union was such an answer that was needed. Never again should individual banks drag down whole member states. And thanks to the ECB, we were able to implement the first steps on building up the banking union very quickly. At the time, we decided to install the oversight mechanism for a systemically important bank at the ECB and that immediately shows also the trust that we place in the ECB as a capable institution for the whole of the union. And further steps will have to follow for building up and enhancing the banking union. We need also a couple of market union in Europe, and you've constantly warned us of the necessity of that. But the ECB has also always said where there are the limits of its possibilities and its mandate for monetary policy may achieve quite a lot, not everything. And the ECB cannot relieve governments of their responsibility to do their homework on strengthening competitiveness of the individual countries. And this is why you, time and again, in the European Council, enjoined member states to live up to their responsibilities. This is particularly true in economically good times. They have to be used for structural reforms so that we do not always, as regards our fiscal and economic policy in crisis mode, but that we act preemptively and strengthen foundations for future growth. Thirdly, a prime objective of the ECB was and continues to be a stable euro, thanks to the banking union, to the European mechanism, a rescue mechanism, ESM, and the strengthening of the stability pact. The euro rests on a far more solid foundation than only eight years ago, but there is also room for further improvement. We have to go one step further with this new EU budget instrument for competitiveness and convergence and the strengthening of the ESM. Particularly convergence is of crucial importance for the eurozone because we have to see and acknowledge that over the past few years, we have not been able to achieve convergence to a necessary extent. And with the creation of this new budget instrument on the basis of the most recent Franco-German proposals, we adopted the central cornerstones to make this happen, and we hope that we shall be able to adopt this in December once we have also the financial perspective. And, Madam President-Elect, we will have to work on this and the Commission will have to work on this, and we have all of this on solid ground. And, ladies and gentlemen, we have to acknowledge that the euro is far more than a mere currency, generally fulfilling the functions one generally associates with a currency. The euro is maybe even more than the Schengen agreement at any rate on par with Schengen, a central symbol of the irreversibility of the European integration process. And this is why Germany and the city of Frankfurt are so proud to be home to the European central bank. The rise of Frankfurt as one of the most important financial centers of Europe, obviously there are also competitors, but it is nowhere exemplified more clearly than in this impressive building in which we are gathered here today. It is visible from afar, yet integrated in the Frankfurt skyline and shows very clearly that the ECB is part and parcel of this city. And for the first time that the ECB is established, there will be a female president very shortly at the helm of this institution. And let me say, dear Christine Lagarde, I am delighted that such an admin and personality is taking over from Mario Draghi. You will shoulder in your capacity as president responsible task and this in exciting times. And I wish you a steady hand at the helm of this institution and every success. And you, dear Mario, well, it may well serve perhaps as a consolation in leaving office that you leave the leadership of the ECB in such capable hands. I would like to thank you most warmly for your passionate commitment to your office. And you have ensured the institution, the independence of this institution of the ECB, filled it with life, strengthened the monetary union. In so doing, you have given outstanding service to Europe. You have never shirked away from controversy. And you have ensured also the stability of this currency of the Euro area. And these are truly large footsteps that you leave behind and that are also important for the city of Frankfurt. Thank you very much and all the best to you personally.