New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's full speech

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's full speech after taking oath of office

My fellow New Yorkers—today begins a new era.

I stand before you moved by the privilege of taking this sacred oath, humbled by the faith that you have placed in me, and honored to serve as either your 111th or 112th Mayor of New York City. But I do not stand alone.

I stand alongside you, the tens of thousands gathered here in Lower Manhattan, warmed against the January chill by the resurgent flame of hope.

I stand alongside countless more New Yorkers watching from cramped kitchens in Flushing and barbershops in East New York, from cell phones propped against the dashboards of parked taxi cabs at LaGuardia, from hospitals in Mott Haven and libraries in El Barrio that have too long known only neglect.

I stand alongside construction workers in steel-toed boots and halal cart vendors whose knees ache from working all day.

I stand alongside neighbors who carry a plate of food to the elderly couple down the hall, those in a rush who still lift strangers’ strollers up subway stairs, and every person who makes the choice day after day, even when it feels impossible, to call our city home.

I stand alongside over one million New Yorkers who voted for this day nearly two months ago—and I stand just as resolutely alongside those who did not. I know there are some who view this administration with distrust or disdain, or who see politics as permanently broken. And while only action can change minds, I promise you this: if you are a New Yorker, I am your Mayor. Regardless of whether we agree, I will protect you, celebrate with you, mourn alongside you, and never, not for a second, hide from you.

I thank the labor and movement leaders here today, the activists and elected officials who will return to fighting for New Yorkers the second this ceremony concludes, and the performers who have gifted us with their talent.

Thank you to Governor Hochul for joining us. And thank you to Mayor Adams—Dorothy’s son, a son of Brownsville who rose from washing dishes to the highest position in our city—for being here as well. He and I have had our share of disagreements, but I will always be touched that he chose me as the Mayoral candidate that he would most want to be trapped with on an elevator.

Thank you to the two titans who, as an Assemblymember, I’ve had the privilege of being represented by in Congress—Nydia Velázquez and our incredible opening speaker Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. You have paved the way for this moment.

Thank you to the man whose leadership I seek most to emulate, who I am so grateful to be sworn in by today—Senator Bernie Sanders.

Thank you to my teams—from the Assembly, to the campaign, to the transition and now, the team I am so excited to lead from City Hall.

Thank you to my parents, Mama and Baba, for raising me, for teaching me how to be in this world, and for having brought me to this city. Thank you to my family—from Kampala to Delhi. And thank you to my wife Rama for being my best friend, and for always showing me the beauty in everyday things.

Most of all—thank you to the people of New York.

A moment like this comes rarely. Seldom do we hold such an opportunity to transform and reinvent. Rarer still is it the people themselves whose hands are the ones upon the levers of change.

And yet we know that too often in our past, moments of great possibility have been promptly surrendered to small imagination and smaller ambition. What was promised was never pursued, what could have changed remained the same. For the New Yorkers most eager to see our city remade, the weight has only grown heavier, the wait has only grown longer.

In writing this address, I have been told that this is the occasion to reset expectations, that I should use this opportunity to encourage the people of New York to ask for little and expect even less. I will do no such thing. The only expectation I seek to reset is that of small expectations.

Beginning today, we will govern expansively and audaciously. We may not always succeed. But never will we be accused of lacking the courage to try.

To those who insist that the era of big government is over, hear me when I say this—no longer will City Hall hesitate to use its power to improve New Yorkers’ lives.

For too long, we have turned to the private sector for greatness, while accepting mediocrity from those who serve the public. I cannot blame anyone who has come to question the role of government, whose faith in democracy has been eroded by decades of apathy. We will restore that trust by walking a different path—one where government is no longer solely the final recourse for those struggling, one where excellence is no longer the exception.

We expect greatness from the cooks wielding a thousand spices, from those who stride out onto Broadway stages, from our starting point guard at Madison Square Garden. Let us demand the same from those who work in government. In a city where the mere names of our streets are associated with the innovation of the industries that call them home, we will make the words ‘City Hall’ synonymous with both resolve and results.

As we embark upon this work, let us advance a new answer to the question asked of every generation: Who does New York belong to?

For much of our history, the response from City Hall has been simple: it belongs only to the wealthy and well-connected, those who never strain to capture the attention of those in power.

Working people have reckoned with the consequences. Crowded classrooms and public housing developments where the elevators sit out of order; roads littered with potholes and buses that arrive half an hour late, if at all; wages that do not rise and corporations that rip off consumers and employees alike.

And still—there have been brief, fleeting moments where the equation changed.

Twelve years ago, Bill de Blasio stood where I stand now as he promised to “put an end to economic and social inequalities” that divided our city into two.

In 1990, David Dinkins swore the same oath I swore today, vowing to celebrate the “gorgeous mosaic” that is New York, where every one of us is deserving of a decent life.

And nearly six decades before him, Fiorella La Guardia took office with the goal of building a city that was “far greater and more beautiful” for the hungry and the poor.

Some of these Mayors achieved more success than others. But they were unified by a shared belief that New York could belong to more than just a privileged few. It could belong to those who operate our subways and rake our parks, those who feed us biryani and beef patties, picanha and pastrami on rye. And they knew that this belief could be made true if only government dared to work hardest for those who work hardest.

Over the years to come, my administration will resurrect that legacy. City Hall will deliver an agenda of safety, affordability, and abundance—where government looks and lives like the people it represents, never flinches in the fight against corporate greed, and refuses to cower before challenges that others have deemed too complicated.

In so doing, we will provide our own answer to that age-old question—who does New York belong to? Well, my friends, we can look to Madiba and the South African Freedom Charter: New York “belongs to all who live in it.”

Together, we will tell a new story of our city.

This will not be a tale of one city, governed only by the one percent. Nor will it be a tale of two cities, the rich versus the poor.

It will be a tale of 8 and a half million cities, each of them a New Yorker with hopes and fears, each a universe, each of them woven together.

The authors of this story will speak Pashto and Mandarin, Yiddish and Creole. They will pray in mosques, at shul, at church, at Gurdwaras and Mandirs and temples—and many will not pray at all.

They will be Russian Jewish immigrants in Brighton Beach, Italians in Rossville, and Irish families in Woodhaven—many of whom came here with nothing but a dream of a better life, a dream which has withered away. They will be young people in cramped Marble Hill apartments where the walls shake when the subway passes. They will be Black homeowners in St. Albans whose homes represent a physical testament to triumph over decades of lesser-paid labor and redlining. They will be Palestinian New Yorkers in Bay Ridge, who will no longer have to contend with a politics that speaks of universalism and then makes them the exception.

Few of these 8 and a half million will fit into neat and easy boxes. Some will be voters from Hillside Avenue or Fordham Road who supported President Trump a year before they voted for me, tired of being failed by their party’s establishment. The majority will not use the language that we often expect from those who wield influence. I welcome the change. For too long, those fluent in the good grammar of civility have deployed decorum to mask agendas of cruelty.

Many of these people have been betrayed by the established order. But in our administration, their needs will be met. Their hopes and dreams and interests will be reflected transparently in government. They will shape our future.

And if for too long these communities have existed as distinct from one another, we will draw this city closer together. We will replace the frigidity of rugged individualism with the warmth of collectivism. If our campaign demonstrated that the people of New York yearn for solidarity, then let this government foster it. Because no matter what you eat, what language you speak, how you pray, or where you come from—the words that most define us are the two we all share: New Yorkers.

And it will be New Yorkers who reform a long-broken property tax system. New Yorkers who will create a new Department of Community Safety that will tackle the mental health crisis and let the police focus on the job they signed up to do. New Yorkers who will take on the bad landlords who mistreat their tenants and free small business owners from the shackles of bloated bureaucracy. And I am proud to be one of those New Yorkers.

When we won the primary last June, there were many who said that these aspirations and those who held them had come out of nowhere. Yet one man’s nowhere is another man’s somewhere. This movement came out of 8 and a half million somewheres—taxi cab depots and Amazon warehouses, DSA meetings and curbside domino games. The powers that be had looked away from these places for quite some time—if they’d known about them at all—so they dismissed them as nowhere. But in our city, where every corner of these five boroughs holds power, there is no nowhere and there is no no one. There is only New York, and there are only New Yorkers.

8 and a half million New Yorkers will speak this new era into existence. It will be loud. It will be different. It will feel like the New York we love.

No matter how long you have called this city home, that love has shaped your life. I know that it has shaped mine.

This is the city where I set landspeed records on my razor scooter at the age of 12. Quickest four blocks of my life.

The city where I ate powdered donuts at halftime during AYSO soccer games and realized I probably wouldn’t be going pro, devoured too-big slices at Koronet Pizza, played cricket with my friends at Ferry Point Park, and took the 1 train to the BX10 only to still show up late to Bronx Science.

The city where I have gone on hunger strike just outside these gates, sat claustrophobic on a stalled N train just after Atlantic Avenue, and waited in quiet terror for my father to emerge from 26 Federal Plaza.

The city where I took a beautiful woman named Rama to McCarren Park on our first date and swore a different oath to become an American citizen on Pearl Street.

To live in New York, to love New York, is to know that we are the stewards of something without equal in our world. Where else can you hear the sound of the steelpan, savor the smell of sancocho, and pay $9 for coffee on the same block? Where else could a Muslim kid like me grow up eating bagels and lox every Sunday?

That love will be our guide as we pursue our agenda. Here, where the language of the New Deal was born, we will return the vast resources of this city to the workers who call it home. Not only will we make it possible for every New Yorker to afford a life they love once again—we will overcome the isolation that too many feel, and connect the people of this city to one another.

The cost of childcare will no longer discourage young adults from starting a family—because we will deliver universal childcare for the many by taxing the wealthiest few.

Those in rent-stabilized homes will no longer dread the latest rent hike—because we will freeze the rent.

Getting on a bus without worrying about a fare hike or whether you’ll be late to your destination will no longer be deemed a small miracle—because we will make buses fast and free.

These policies are not simply about the costs we make free, but the lives we fill with freedom. For too long in our city, freedom has belonged only to those who can afford to buy it. Our City Hall will change that.

These promises carried our movement to City Hall, and they will carry us from the rallying cries of a campaign to the realities of a new era in politics.

Two Sundays ago, as snow softly fell, I spent twelve hours at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, listening to New Yorkers from every borough as they told me about the city that is theirs.

We discussed construction hours on the Van Wyck Expressway and EBT eligibility, affordable housing for artists and ICE raids. I spoke to a man named TJ who said that one day a few years ago, his heart broke as he realized he would never get ahead here, no matter how hard he worked. I spoke to a Pakistani Auntie named Samina, who told me that this movement had fostered something too rare: softness in people’s hearts. As she said in Urdu: logon ke dil badalgyehe.

142 New Yorkers out of 8 and a half million. And yet—if anything united each person sitting across from me, it was the shared recognition that this moment demands a new politics, and a new approach to power.

We will deliver nothing less as we work each day to make this city belong to more of its people than it did the day before.

Here is what I want you to expect from the administration that this morning moved into the building behind me.

We will transform the culture of City Hall from one of ‘no’ to one of ‘how?’

We will answer to all New Yorkers, not to any billionaire or oligarch who thinks they can buy our democracy.

We will govern without shame and insecurity, making no apology for what we believe. I was elected as a Democratic socialist and I will govern as a Democratic socialist. I will not abandon my principles for fear of being deemed radical. As the great Senator from Vermont once said: “What’s radical is a system which gives so much to so few and denies so many people the basic necessities of life.”

We will strive each day to ensure that no New Yorker is priced out of any one of those basic necessities.

And throughout it all we will, in the words of Jason Terrance Phillips, better known as Jadakiss or J to the Muah, be “outside”—because this is a government of New York, by New York, and for New York.

Before I end, I want to ask you, if you are able, whether you are here today or anywhere watching, to stand.

I ask you to stand with us now, and every day that follows. City Hall will not be able to deliver on our own. And while we will encourage New Yorkers to demand more from those with the great privilege of serving them, we will encourage you to demand more of yourselves as well.

The movement we began over a year ago did not end with our victory on Election Night. It will not end this afternoon. It lives on with every battle we will fight, together; every blizzard and flood we withstand, together; every moment of fiscal challenge we overcome with ambition, not austerity, together; every way we pursue change in working peoples’ interests, rather than at their expense, together.

No longer will we treat victory as an invitation to turn off the news. From today onwards, we will understand victory very simply: something with the power to transform lives, and something that demands effort from each of us, every single day.

What we achieve together will reach across the five boroughs and it will resonate far beyond. There are many who will be watching. They want to know if the left can govern. They want to know if the struggles that afflict them can be solved. They want to know if it is right to hope again.

So, standing together with the wind of purpose at our backs, we will do something that New Yorkers do better than anyone else: we will set an example for the world. If what Sinatra said is true, let us prove that anyone can make it in New York—and anywhere else too. Let us prove that when a city belongs to the people, there is no need too small to be met, no person too sick to be made healthy, no one too alone to feel like New York is their home.

The work continues, the work endures, the work, my friends, has only just begun.

Thank you.

 70％同時通訳スタイルの日本語訳

ニューヨークの皆さん。今日、新しい時代が始まります。
私は今、この厳粛な宣誓を行う機会をいただいたことに胸を打たれ、皆さんが私に寄せてくださった信頼に謙虚な気持ちで、ニューヨーク市の第111代、あるいは112代市長として仕えることを光栄に思っています。しかし、私は一人で立っているのではありません。
ここロウアー・マンハッタンに集まった何万人もの皆さんと共に、1月の寒さの中でも希望の炎に温められながら、私はここに立っています。
フラッシングの狭いキッチンや、イースト・ニューヨークの理髪店、ラガーディア空港のタクシーの車内、モット・ヘイヴンの病院、長く放置されてきたエル・バリオの図書館から見守っている多くのニューヨーカーとも共にあります。
安全靴を履いた建設労働者、1日中働いて膝を痛めているハラール屋台の人々とも共にあります。
廊下の先に住む高齢夫婦に食事を届ける隣人、急いでいても見知らぬ人のベビーカーを階段で持ち上げる人、そしてどんなに大変でもこの街を「自分の家」と呼び続けるすべての人と共にあります。
2か月前、この日を選んで投票してくれた100万人以上のニューヨーカーと共に、そして投票しなかった人々とも同じように共にあります。
この行政を不信や不満の目で見る人、政治は壊れてしまったと感じる人がいることも理解しています。心を変えるのは行動だけですが、私は約束します。
あなたがニューヨーカーである限り、私はあなたの市長です。意見が違っても、私はあなたを守り、喜びを分かち合い、悲しみを共にし、決してあなたから隠れません。

本日ここに集まってくださった労働団体や社会運動のリーダーの皆さん、そしてこの式典が終わればすぐにニューヨーカーのための闘いに戻る活動家や選出議員の皆さん、さらに素晴らしい才能を披露してくれたパフォーマーの皆さんに感謝します。
ホークル州知事、ご出席ありがとうございます。そしてアダムス市長にも感謝します。食器洗いから始まり、この街の最高位にまで上りつめた、ブラウンズビル出身のドロシーの息子である彼が、ここに来てくれたことを嬉しく思います。私たちは意見がぶつかることもありましたが、「エレベーターに閉じ込められるならこの候補者がいい」と彼が言ってくれたことは、ずっと心に残っています。
また、私が州議会議員として仕えてきた中で、連邦議会で私を代表してくれた二人の偉大な議員、ニディア・ベラスケス、そして素晴らしいオープニングスピーカーであるアレクサンドリア・オカシオ＝コルテスにも感謝します。あなた方がこの瞬間への道を切り開いてくれました。
そして、私が最も手本としたいリーダーであり、今日私に宣誓をしてくださったバーニー・サンダース上院議員に深く感謝します。
州議会、選挙キャンペーン、移行チーム、そしてこれから市庁舎で共に働くチームの皆さんにも感謝します。
私を育て、この世界でどう生きるかを教え、この街へ連れてきてくれた両親、ママとババに感謝します。カンパラからデリーに至る家族にも感謝します。そして、日々の小さなものの中に美しさを見せてくれる親友であり妻のラマにも感謝します。
そして何より、ニューヨークの皆さんに感謝します。
このような瞬間は滅多にありません。街を変え、再創造できる機会がこれほど開かれることは少なく、ましてやその変革のレバーを握るのが市民自身であることはさらに稀です。
しかし私たちは知っています。過去には、大きな可能性が小さな想像力と小さな野心によってすぐに手放されてきたことを。約束されたことは実行されず、変えられたはずのものはそのまま残った。街の再生を最も望んでいたニューヨーカーにとって、重荷は増し、待ち時間は長くなるばかりでした。
この演説を書くにあたり、「期待値を下げる場にすべきだ」「市民には少しだけ望み、さらに少なく期待するよう促すべきだ」と言われました。しかし私はそうはしません。私が改めたい唯一の期待は、「小さな期待」という考え方そのものです。

今日から私たちは、より大胆に、より広い視野で市政を進めていきます。成功しないこともあるでしょう。しかし、挑戦する勇気がなかったとは決して言われないでしょう。
「大きな政府の時代は終わった」と言う人たちへ。私ははっきり伝えます。市庁舎は、ニューヨーカーの生活を良くするための力を使うことを、もうためらいません。
長い間、私たちは民間には偉大さを求めながら、公的サービスには平凡さを受け入れてきました。政府の役割に疑問を持つ人々、無関心の積み重ねで民主主義への信頼を失った人々を責めることはできません。私たちは別の道を歩むことで、その信頼を取り戻します。困っている人の最後の頼みの綱としてだけの政府ではなく、優れた行政が例外ではなく当たり前になる道です。
千種類のスパイスを操る料理人、ブロードウェイの舞台に立つ俳優、マディソン・スクエア・ガーデンのポイントガードに偉大さを求めるように、政府で働く人々にも同じ水準を求めましょう。街の通りの名前が、そこに根付く産業の革新を象徴しているこの都市で、「市庁舎」という言葉を、決意と成果の象徴にしていきます。
この仕事を始めるにあたり、世代ごとに問われてきた問いに新しい答えを示しましょう。
ニューヨークは誰のものか。
歴史の多くの時代、市庁舎の答えは単純でした。
それは「富裕層とコネのある人たちのもの」。権力者の注意を引くために苦労する必要のない人たちのものだと。
働く人々はその結果を背負ってきました。
ぎゅうぎゅう詰めの教室、エレベーターが壊れたままの公営住宅、穴だらけの道路、30分遅れて来るかどうかも分からないバス、上がらない賃金、消費者も労働者も搾取する企業。
それでも――ほんの短い、つかの間の瞬間だけ、状況が変わることがありました。

12年前、ビル・デブラシオは私と同じ場所に立ち、「経済的・社会的な不平等を終わらせる」と誓いました。
1990年、デイヴィッド・ディンキンスは、私が今日と同じ宣誓を行い、すべての人が尊厳ある生活に値する「美しいモザイク」としてのニューヨークを称えると誓いました。
さらにその約60年前、フィオレロ・ラガーディアは、飢えた人や貧しい人のために「より偉大で美しい」街をつくるという目標を掲げて就任しました。
成功の度合いはそれぞれ違いましたが、彼らに共通していたのは、ニューヨークは特権階級だけのものではないという信念でした。地下鉄を動かす人、公園を整える人、ビリヤニやビーフパティ、ピッカーニャやパストラミを提供する人たちのものでもあると。そして、最も懸命に働く人のために政府が最も懸命に働くなら、その信念は現実になると知っていました。
これからの数年間、私たちの行政はその遺産を復活させます。市庁舎は、安全、手頃さ、豊かさを軸にした政策を進め、住民と同じ姿を持つ政府として、企業の強欲にひるまず、複雑すぎるとされてきた課題にも逃げずに取り組みます。
そうすることで、古くからの問いに私たちなりの答えを示します。
ニューヨークは誰のものか。
マディバ（ネルソン・マンデラ）と南アフリカ自由憲章の言葉を借りれば、
「ニューヨークはここに住むすべての人のもの」です。
私たちはこの街の新しい物語を語ります。
それは1％だけが支配する「ひとつの街」の物語ではありません。
裕福層と貧困層に分断された「二つの街」の物語でもありません。
850万人それぞれがひとつの街であり、ひとつの宇宙であり、互いに織り合わさった物語です。
その物語の語り手は、パシュトゥー語、北京語、イディッシュ語、クレオール語を話す人々です。
モスク、シナゴーグ、教会、グルドワラ、マンダー、寺院で祈る人もいれば、祈らない人もいます。
ブライトンビーチのロシア系ユダヤ人移民、ロスヴィルのイタリア系、ウッドヘイブンのアイルランド系家族――より良い生活を夢見て来たものの、その夢がしぼんでしまった人々。
地下鉄が通るたび壁が揺れるマーブルヒルの若者たち。
長年の低賃金労働とレッドライニングを乗り越え、家を持つことが勝利の証となっているセント・オールバンズの黒人の住民。
そしてベイリッジのパレスチナ系ニューヨーカー――普遍性を語りながら彼らだけを例外扱いする政治に、もう向き合わなくてよい人々。
この850万人の多くは、単純なカテゴリーには当てはまりません。
ヒルサイド・アベニューやフォーダム・ロードの有権者の中には、1年前はトランプ大統領を支持し、その翌年に私へ投票した人もいます。
影響力を持つ人々が使うような言葉を使わない人が大多数でしょう。私はその変化を歓迎します。長い間、「礼儀正しい言葉」を操る人々が、その裏で冷酷な政策を隠してきたからです。
多くの人々は既存の秩序に裏切られてきました。しかし私たちの行政では、彼らのニーズが満たされます。彼らの希望や夢、利益が透明に政府に反映され、未来を形づくります。
そして、長い間バラバラに存在してきたコミュニティを、私たちは再び近づけます。
冷たい個人主義を、温かい連帯へと置き換えます。
私たちの選挙運動が示したように、ニューヨーカーが連帯を求めているなら、政府がそれを育てます。
食べるもの、話す言語、祈り方、出身地が違っても、私たちを最も定義する言葉は共通しています。
ニューヨーカー。
そして、壊れたままの固定資産税制度を改革するのもニューヨーカー。
メンタルヘルス危機に対応し、警察が本来の仕事に集中できるようにする「地域安全省」をつくるのもニューヨーカー。
悪質な家主と闘い、小規模事業者を官僚主義の束縛から解放するのもニューヨーカーです。
そして私も、そのニューヨーカーの一人であることを誇りに思います。

昨年6月の予備選で私たちが勝利したとき、多くの人が「この理想も、それを掲げる人々も、どこからともなく現れた」と言いました。しかし、ある人にとっての“どこでもない場所”は、別の人にとっての“確かな場所”です。
このムーブメントは、850万の“どこか”から生まれました。タクシーの車庫、アマゾン倉庫、DSAの集会、歩道でのドミノゲーム。権力者たちは長い間、こうした場所を見ようとせず、そもそも知らないことさえあった。だから「どこでもない」と切り捨てたのです。
しかし、この5つの区のすべての角に力が宿るこの街には、“どこでもない場所”も“誰でもない人”も存在しません。あるのはニューヨーク、そしてニューヨーカーだけです。
850万のニューヨーカーが、この新しい時代を声にしてつくっていきます。にぎやかで、これまでと違い、私たちが愛するニューヨークらしい時代になるでしょう。
どれだけ長くこの街を故郷と呼んできたとしても、その愛は人生を形づくってきました。私自身もそうです。
12歳のとき、レイザー・スクーターで“最速記録”を出した街。人生で最も速い4ブロックでした。
AYSOのサッカーのハーフタイムに粉砂糖のドーナツを食べ、プロにはなれないと悟り、コロネット・ピザの巨大スライスを平らげ、フェリーポイントパークで友人とクリケットをし、1番線からBX10に乗り継いでもブロンクス・サイエンスに遅刻した街。
この門の外でハンガーストライキをし、アトランティック・アベニューの先で止まったNトレインの中で息苦しさに耐え、父が26フェデラルプラザから出てくるのを静かに恐れながら待った街。
美しい女性ラマを誘ってマッカレン・パークで初デートをし、パールストリートでアメリカ市民になるための別の誓いを立てた街。
ニューヨークに生き、ニューヨークを愛するということは、世界に他にない何かを預かっているということです。
同じブロックでスティールパンの音を聞き、サンコーチョの香りを味わい、9ドルのコーヒーを買える場所が他にあるでしょうか。
ムスリムの子どもだった私が、毎週日曜にベーグルとロックスを食べて育てる街が他にあるでしょうか。
その愛こそが、私たちの政策の道しるべになります。
ニューディールの言葉が生まれたこの街で、私たちはこの都市の豊かな資源を、ここを故郷とする労働者の手に取り戻します。
すべてのニューヨーカーが再び“愛せる生活”を送れるようにするだけでなく、多くの人が感じている孤立を乗り越え、この街の人々をつなぎ直していきます。

保育の費用が若い世代の子育てをためらわせることは、もうありません。富裕層への課税によって、すべての人のための「保育の無償化」を実現します。
家賃安定住宅に住む人々が、毎年の値上げに怯える必要もなくなります。家賃を凍結するからです。
バスに乗るとき、運賃の値上げや遅延を心配する必要もなくなります。バスを「速く、無料」にするからです。
これらの政策は、単に費用を無料にするという話ではありません。
人々の人生に“自由”を取り戻すことが目的です。
長い間、この街で自由を手にできたのは、それを買える人だけでした。市庁舎はそれを変えます。
こうした約束が私たちの運動を市庁舎へと導き、選挙のスローガンを新しい政治の現実へとつなげていきます。
2週間前の日曜日、雪が静かに降る中、私はアストリアの「Museum of the Moving Image」で12時間、全区から来たニューヨーカーの声に耳を傾けました。
ヴァン・ウィック高速道路の工事時間、EBTの対象、アーティスト向けの住宅、ICEの強制捜査について語り合いました。
TJという男性は、「どれだけ働いても前に進めない」と気づいた日の心の痛みを話してくれました。
サミーナというパキスタン系のおばさまは、この運動が「人々の心に柔らかさを取り戻した」と語り、ウルドゥー語で logon ke dil badalgyehe（人々の心が変わった）と言いました。
850万人のうちの142人。しかし、彼らに共通していたのは、今こそ新しい政治、新しい権力の使い方が必要だという認識でした。
私たちは、昨日よりも多くの人が「この街は自分のものだ」と感じられるよう、毎日取り組んでいきます。
そして、今日から市庁舎に入った私たちの行政に、皆さんが期待すべきことは次の通りです。
市庁舎の文化を「できない」から「どうやるか」へと変えます。
私たちは、民主主義を買えると思っている富豪やオリガルヒではなく、すべてのニューヨーカーに応えます。
恥じることなく、恐れることなく、信念を貫いて統治します。
私は民主的社会主義者として選ばれ、民主的社会主義者として市政を担います。
「急進的」と言われることを恐れて原則を捨てることはありません。
バーモント州の偉大な上院議員が言ったように、
“本当に急進的なのは、ごく少数に多くを与え、多くの人から生活必需品を奪う仕組みの方だ。”
私たちは、どのニューヨーカーも生活必需品を手放さずに済むよう、毎日努力します。
そして常に、ラッパーのジェイダキス（J to the Muah）の言葉を借りれば、私たちは「外にいる」存在であり続けます。
なぜなら、これは ニューヨークの、ニューヨークによる、ニューヨークのための政府 だからです。

終わりにあたり、もし可能であれば――ここにいる方も、どこかで見ている方も――どうか立ち上がってください。
今、そしてこれからの日々、私たちと共に立ってほしいのです。市庁舎だけではすべてを実現できません。私たちは、公務に携わる者にもっと多くを求めるようニューヨーカーに呼びかけますが、同時に皆さん自身にも、より多くを求めてほしいのです。
1年以上前に始まったこの運動は、選挙の勝利で終わったわけではありません。今日の午後で終わることもありません。
私たちが共に戦うすべての闘いの中に、共に耐える吹雪や洪水の中に、緊縮ではなく野心で乗り越える財政の試練の中に、働く人々の利益のために変革を進めるすべての場面の中に、生き続けます。
勝利を「ニュースを消していい合図」として扱う時代は終わりです。
今日から、勝利とはこう理解します。
人生を変える力を持つもの。そして、毎日、私たち一人ひとりの努力を必要とするもの。
私たちが共に成し遂げることは、五つの区すべてに広がり、その先の世界にも響くでしょう。多くの人が見ています。
左派は統治できるのか。
彼らを苦しめる問題は解決できるのか。
再び希望を持ってよいのか。
それを知りたがっています。
だからこそ、目的という追い風を背に、ニューヨーカーが最も得意とすることをやりましょう。
世界に手本を示すのです。
シナトラの言葉が本当なら、ニューヨークで成功できるならどこでも成功できると証明しましょう。
そして、街が人々のものになったとき、満たされないニーズはなく、癒されない病はなく、孤独で「この街は自分の家ではない」と感じる人がいなくなることを証明しましょう。
この仕事は続きます。
この仕事は耐え続けます。
そして皆さん――この仕事は、今まさに始まったばかりです。
ありがとうございました。

70％同時通訳にするための主要テクニック
1. 意味の核だけを残し、装飾をそぎ落とす
原文の「中心メッセージ」「論理構造」「感情の方向性」だけを残し、
•     修辞
•     反復表現
•     比喩の細部
•     長い列挙
などは大胆に削りました。
例:  原文の長い比喩 → 日本語では「〜を象徴する街です」のように要点だけに圧縮。

2. 文の構造を短くし、口頭で聞き取りやすい形に再構成
同時通訳は「耳で理解される」ことが最優先なので、
•     1文を短く
•     主語と述語を近づける
•     論理の順番を自然な日本語に並べ替える
を行いました。
 例:  英語の長い従属節 → 日本語では「〜だからです」「〜のためです」と分割。

3. 感情・トーンは残しつつ、語彙は平易に
スピーチの熱量は維持しながら、
難しい語彙や抽象表現は よりシンプルな日本語 に置き換えました。
例:  “transformative politics” → 「新しい政治」
        “collective struggle” → 「共に取り組むこと」

4. 固有名詞・具体例は必要なものだけ残す
同時通訳では、固有名詞が多いと処理が追いつかないため、
•     重要な人物・象徴的な例 → 残す
•     細かい列挙 → 圧縮
という整理をしました。
例:「多くの言語を話す人々」→ 代表的な数例だけ残す

5. 原文の「論理の流れ」を最優先に保持、70％に圧縮しても、
•     主張
•     理由
•     結論
の流れは崩さないようにしました。
これは同時通訳の基本で、「話者の意図を守る」 ことが最重要です。

6. 日本語スピーチとして自然に聞こえるように調整、直訳ではなく、
•     日本語の語順
•     日本語のリズム
•     聞き手が理解しやすい切れ目
を意識して再構成しました。
例:  英語の強調 → 日本語では語尾や語順で自然に強調。

まとめ：70％同時通訳は以下の5点が柱です。
•     内容の核は残す
•     細部は大胆に削る
•     聞き取りやすさを最優先
•     日本語として自然に再構成
•     話者の意図と感情は守る

 同時通訳の開始タイミング：
一般的には “2〜4秒遅れ” または “ハーフセンテンス遅れ” が標準
どちらも正しいアプローチで、実際には 両方を組み合わせて使います。

1.「2〜4秒遅れ」方式（タイムラグ方式）
•     プロの同通者が最もよく使う方法
•     2〜4秒ほど聞いてから訳し始める
•     話者の意図・文構造をつかむ時間を確保できる
•     特に 論理的なスピーチ・政治演説・専門会議 で有効
メリット
•     文の方向性をつかんでから訳せる
•     誤訳が減る
•     安定した訳出ができる
 デメリット
•     話者が早口だと追いつくのが大変

2.「ハーフセンテンス遅れ」方式（意味のかたまり方式）
•     文の前半を聞いて、意味のかたまりが見えたらすぐ訳し始める
•     文章が短い、会話調、リズムが速い場合に向いている
•     政治家のスピーチやインタビュー でよく使われる
メリット
•     リズムが自然
•     聞き手にとって“同時性”が高い
•     話者の勢いを保ちやすい
デメリット
•     文の方向性を読み違えると修正が難しい

プロはどう使い分ける？
🔹 スピーチ・政治演説 → 2〜4秒遅れが基本
論理構造が長く、修辞が多いので、方向性をつかむ必要がある。
🔹 対談・インタビュー → ハーフセンテンス遅れ
短い文が多く、テンポが速い。
🔹 数字・固有名詞が多い場面 → 少し長めのラグ（3〜5秒）
聞き逃しを防ぐため。

実際のプロの感覚
•     2秒はかなり短い
•     3〜4秒が最も安定
•     5秒以上は「遅れすぎ」で追いつくのが難しくなる
•     ただし、話者がゆっくりなら1〜2秒でも可能

スピーチ・文化説明・歴史的文脈のある話 は、
2〜4秒遅れの“意味把握型”が最も安定します。
文が長い、抽象概念が多い、誤訳が許されない場合は
ハーフセンテンスよりも 短いラグを確保して方向性をつかむ方が安全 です。

ラグを長めに取るときほど、Coping は“より重要”になります。

前提：同時通訳でいう Coping とは、
•     言い換え
•     省略
•     構造の再構成
•     意味の圧縮
•     先読みの調整
などを使って、処理負荷を下げながら訳出を続ける技術 の総称です。
つまり、Coping は「遅れを取り戻すための技術」ではなく、
常に脳内で行われている“負荷調整”のこと です。

 状況別に整理するとこうなります
① 短いラグ
•     文の方向性がすぐに見える
•     そのまま訳しやすい
•     Coping は「軽め」で済む
•     語順調整
•     少しの省略
•     先読みの微調整
テンポ重視の場面（インタビューなど）

② 2〜4秒のラグ
•     文の構造が複雑
•     主語・述語の距離が長い
•     修辞が多い
•     話者の意図をつかむ必要がある
この場合、
Coping はむしろ“強く”必要になります。
•     大胆な省略
•     意味の再構成
•     長い比喩の圧縮
•     文の順番の入れ替え→政治演説・歴史説明・哲学的内容など
 

Prime Minister Mottley's New Year’s Message

Prime Minister Mia Mottley's message to Barbados at the start of 2026.

Fellow Barbadians, residents and visitors, as the old year yields to the new, I join you with a full heart, steady faith and a simple message.

Just days ago, on Christmas morning, I reminded us that Barbados is held together by love; quiet, love, practical love, a love that shows up without needing applause. And I said to you then plainly, stay close, stay connected, stay loving.

Today, as we cross into 2026 I want that same thread to carry us forward, because the work continues. The purpose continues. I want to hold two strands in the same hand, gratitude for what we have achieved together, and resolve for what we must do next.

We’ve always found a way, not by luck, not by accident, but because we are, and have always been, Bajan strong; Bajan strong in how we rebuild after storms and pandemics. Bajan-strong in how we show up for each other when family is hurting. Bajan-strong in how we keep moving forward, even when the road feels steep. Bajan-strong in how we celebrate each other’s victories.

I say it again today with conviction. Barbados has never been a people who fold when times get hard. We bend, we brace, we build, and very often, yes, we do it together. Because one of the truest sayings we have is simple; one hand cannot clap. That is who we are. We share the burden, we share the weight. And when the time comes, my friends and we are doing well, we share that too.

Now, as we welcome 2026, we do so in a year that carries weight and meaning for our nation. This is the year Barbados begins the national Journey to 60, our Diamond Jubilee. This is also the year we enter our fifth year as a Parliamentary Republic. Sixty is maturity, sixty is memory, sixty is responsibility, and a diamond is not formed in comfort. A diamond is formed under pressure and it shines because it has endured.

But being five years old, also as a young republic, gives us the opportunity and the ability to continue to shape who we are and to rid ourselves of the baggage of history. It gives us the confidence to believe in ourselves without the validation of others, personally and as a nation, we do not need anyone to tell us we are good enough. We do what we do because it is the right thing to do for the right reasons. And that, my friends, is the meaning of Bajan-strong.

So this moment, January 1, 2026, yes, ought to be sobering but reassuring, not because we fear the road ahead, but because we respect what it demands of us.

But before I speak of what we must do in 2026, let me speak frankly about 2025. 2025 my friends, was not a gentle year for the world. We saw again how quickly nature can shift, and here at home, we did not have to imagine it. Just think back to a few weeks ago, how within hours I was attending the consecration of Bishop Ezra Paris at the Sharon Moravian Church, and just as I left, what felt like a simple set of showers became a flash flood warning and then suddenly turned deadly for one of our people. That is how quickly life can change, and that is why preparedness and resilience are not slogans or buzz words as others would have you believe. They are our survival.

This past year also saw us continue to live under the shadow of geopolitical fragmentation and uncertainty, the kind that unsettles markets and livelihoods far beyond where conflicts occur. We know the saying all too well when big countries sneeze, small countries catch the cold, and we are witnessing equally the acceleration of the AI revolution, moving from something we discussed in theory to something that is already shaping lives in practice, changing work, changing learning, and for many of our young people, changing their sense of identity and their stability.

We will and must embrace technology, because Barbados never fears progress. But let us equally be honest. One of the greatest threats we now face is not AI itself, but the misuse of AI to manufacture falsehood, to spread panic, to manipulate our young and to corrode trust. We must have guardrails and trust, my friends, you know, and I know, is the currency of any stable society. Without that, we will all descend into anarchy.

So when we measure Barbados, we must measure Barbados fairly within the context of the world that we are navigating. And when we look at 2025, we can say this honestly, Barbados still chose people first. Barbados still moved forward. We didn’t stop building the fundamentals of a stronger society, even as the noise around us grew louder. We increased the national minimum wage in 2025 by 24%, because work must come with dignity, not just survival. We introduced statutory paternity leave this year and strengthened maternity protection, because nation building starts at home. Strong families help to build strong societies. We expanded, yes, the categories of persons living with disabilities, children and adults now entitled to draw the special needs grant. And all of this while passing legislation to protect and empower persons living with disabilities. This government, my friends, understands that inclusion is practical and not poetic. We provided a one off solidarity allowance, because when we do better, no matter how big, no matter how small, everyone, every Bajan here over 18, must share in the pie.

We know that some households, however, have been feeling strained, and the government cannot pretend that pressure is not real. We maintained the targeted support for all households that we started in 2022 with the Prices Compact. And yes, in 2025 we expanded the range of goods that could benefit from tax free status, goods like stew beef, Horlicks, Saga. We developed, also, a price monitoring app that is called Ask Dealia, a free government platform where you can compare prices for basic everyday items across supermarkets, allowing you to plan your basket before you leave home, so that you get value for money. If you have not yet seen Delia, go and look for her and ask Delia every time before you need to shop. How many other governments have done this for their citizens?

We continue to expand the support for persons falling through the cracks in this country. Once we know, we try our best to help wherever there is need. And we continued, my friends, strengthening our national security capacity, including training, recruitment and advancement in the police service. Special constables with three years or more are no police constables. Over 217 police constables with 20 years or more are now senior constables, increasing the numbers that we have to keep Bajans safe by also having job fairs to be able to have others join the police service. My friends, no country can thrive if people do not feel safe.

And beyond these we have made progress that is easy to overlook if we only talk in headlines. We appointed 2095 public officers from today, January 1. And that is not just a statistic. That is 2095 people with families to support, children to raise, parents to help, bills to meet. It means more Bajans with steady incomes, greater security and greater purchasing power, people who can plan, who can now qualify for a loan, who can walk into a bank with confidence, and who can build a more stable home. Because when you stabilize a worker, you stabilize a household, and when you stabilize households, you stabilize communities, and when you stabilize communities, you stabilize our country. We continue to be guided by our commitment as well to enfranchise and empower our workers and ordinary Bajans across different public sector enterprises that we have and in creating other opportunities.

In 2025 we kept road works moving under the Focused Roads Programme, 60 roads were assessed for rehabilitation, with a number of them already completed, and others currently under work. We also completed paving on key stretches of the newly paved section, from the Darcy Scott Roundabout to the Welches roundabout, and we advanced reconstruction and priority areas, including the Scotland District, where another eight roads have already been reconstructed. Are there more to be done? Of course, there’s more to be done. And we know that we still have many of them, because during the lost decade, many were not done, and then again, during the period of shut down in the pandemic, we could not do many.

So that we all equally know that the extreme weather that we more regularly experience in Barbados today is taking its toll on all our roads and infrastructure, so backlog on the one hand, but challenging environments on a daily basis on the other hand, and that is what has made the effort seem even more complex. But I give you the assurance it will all be done, especially since we have stabilized our fiscal situation.

We imported buses and vehicles to help stabilize public transport and other essential services, including garbage collection. Just yesterday, you saw another 35 spanking new buses leave the Bridgetown Port for the people of Barbados to use Wi Fi and air conditioned. But guess what? There are still more to come in this year, 2026. We also advance serious legislative reforms to strengthen our fight against crime in this country, including legislation to provide witness anonymity and to reform our juries, and equally to support generally, the administration of justice. We continue to strengthen our fiscal position, as I said, to the point where it is much healthier than it has ever been.

And yes, we continue to strengthen our fiscal position, healthy as it is now. Why? Because we successfully completed our BERT 1 and BERT 2 programmes and our second IMF programme, the Extended Fund Facility, securing the final disbursements of it and closing that chapter of economic reform with greater policy space and greater confidence in the Barbados economy. Independent judgments by international markets and the credit rating agencies reflected that same confidence. We will now be introducing BERT 3.0 to enhance our competitiveness as a nation, as we know that visitors and investors have choices and as a small open economy, we cannot survive or thrive on our own resources alone. In these uncertain and challenging times internationally, as I’ve said before many times, we will seek to keep the IMF on speed dial, but we will equally be resting, as I said, on BERT 3.0.

With respect to tourism, we kept it moving forward through major modernization and expansion, with new and upgraded product coming on stream, including Hotel Indigo, opening in mid-January 2026, alongside other major projects that are now being built and in advanced planning.

Existing hotels took the opportunity to refurbish and to refresh in their look. I’ve been told that there’s never been more tourism construction at any one time in this country’s history.

As it relates to airlift, this too is showing that momentum. The Grantley Adams International Airport recently recorded its busiest commercial day, with 22 wide body flights and close to 10,000 people moving through it in a single day. And we have seen milestones like 54 flights in one day. And let us remember every extra flight means more jobs and more opportunity for Barbadians.

In October, we opened a new chapter — full free movement among four CARICOM states, because our people must be able to live, work and build across our region with dignity and order.

Now, I know that some people may say, people may feel that we are in a certain season, well, we have one year left before we go back to the people. But that does not mean that we distort the record or we distort facts.

Let me say this much.

These are not wins for any political party. These are wins for the people of Barbados. These are wins for the nation of Barbados, and we should be proud of them, not because any one group benefits alone, but because every Barbadian family is part of the national story that these decisions were designed to strengthen.

At the same time, I also know something else, as I say these things. Some of you listening, may be saying or thinking, “Mia, I hear you, but for some of us, life still hard”.

And I understand that. I do not dismiss it, and I don’t argue with it. I respect it, because two things can, in fact, be true. Pressure can be real, and progress, too, can equally and must also be real.

And real leadership, especially in challenging times, means we can hold both truths at the same time.

My government is not talking about diversification as a theory. We started to create instruments designed to back companies that can grow jobs and foreign exchange, because we need to accelerate what we are doing.

Equally with the new energy economy, including projects like Renewstable Barbados, that pair renewable generation with green hydrogen storage for stability, these things will make a difference to the kind of country and kind of energy stability that we have.

We’re modernizing our business environment with new digital tools and reforms to make it fast and more predictable to invest and expand here. Are we finished? No, we’re not. And therefore we’re very much in the process of this action.

We’ve equally acted to strengthen the Queen Elizabeth Hospital’s operations, especially its Accident and Emergency Department, with practical changes.

We moved ahead, as you know, with the expansion of the A & E, but more importantly, in recent years, we’ve added, also, commitments to new staff, commitments to more money, and commitments to new equipment, some of which has already started to be delivered.

These new posts, almost 250 will cost us annually about $17 million. They’re not all filled yet, because we don’t have the skill set for all of them on island, but we are working assiduously to do so.

We strongly believe that emergency care must be faster, safer and indeed, more humane for every Bajan who walks through those doors.

And all of that matters, because policy is not paper. It’s what people feel.

So let me talk straight about what I know some Barbadians are weighing in their minds right now. Even when we go to the hospital, the most important thing with all the money that we are spending is accountability and communication. We have to communicate with each other, and if we are communicating, we need to make sure that that communication eases the worry and anxiety of the patient and the patient’s families, because without communication, stress and anxiety will rise and nobody wins in that situation.

Similarly, let me talk about a few other issues that I know are on our minds.

“Ease the squeeze”, people say. Well, government cannot control every price that comes into this island, and we said this over.

But we can, and we will use the tools within our reach, whether it is making goods tax free, as we’ve done for so many basic goods, for food and answer and personal hygiene. Or whether it will be equally, as we are having to do now, more of market disruption to reduce pressure where we can and to target support where it is needed most.

Why? Because a country that is serious about its people cannot watch hardship and call it somebody else’s problem. We have not done that at any stage, especially since 2022 when cost of living became a global problem.

Secondly, I’ve spoken to you before about the roads, and I’ve said to you, we hear you, and trust me, I feel it too.

We will continue in 2026 with more monetary allocations for the planning, design and construction, to build on top the Focused Roads Project and to look seriously not just at the repaving of our highways, but the widening of Highway 2A between Redman’s Village and Lancaster, and indeed, equally, looking at other key highways that are needed to be able to relieve the traffic backlog.

he Minister of Public Works, early in the new year, will make new announcements as well on how we can continue to have a sharper focus on reducing the burden of traffic that is now haunting so many of our people on our roads.

Thirdly, jobs and opportunities. Even with unemployment at a record low of 6.1% we are still not satisfied, because too many Bajans still need better pay, better opportunity and a clear path to get ahead. A young person still needs a path. A family still needs upward movement. And so our job in 2026 is not only to protect what has been built, but to unlock new ladders of opportunity, especially for our young people and for those who feel like they are working hard but not getting ahead.

That is why 2026 must be a year where the next horizon becomes visible — a horizon of work, a horizon of training, a horizon of enterprise and entrepreneurship, a horizon of modernization, a horizon of renewed confidence.

And my friends, I’m telling you that early in the new year, we will also speak to aspects of the new FinTech and digital scheme to see how best Bajans can work and integrate into that locally and internationally.

The message for 2026 my friends, however, cannot only be about what Government will do. It must also be what we as a people, we as Bajans and persons living in our country who love Barbados, must do.

Because, while we cannot control every external shock, we can confront the domestic issues that threaten our peace and our cohesion, and we must do it collectively as a people.

We must confront domestic abuse.

We must confront violence in any form.

We must confront dishonesty that breaks trust and tears at the fabric of our community.

And we must confront something else that is creeping in, regrettably; a culture of harshness, a culture of indifference, a culture of constant blame, as if somebody else must always carry the responsibility for how we behave as individuals.

Yes, your government has a duty, but yes, we as citizens in the highest office of the land, equally, have a duty too. And in this year of our Diamond Jubilee, in this the fifth year of our Parliamentary Republic, I want to remind us of the national values that we must choose deliberately every single day.

That is why we articulated the Beacons of Renewal, to call each of us to be voices of accountability, to be guardians of cleanliness in our communities, to be agents of respect to each other, to create solutions, not just to comment on problems.

And Barbadians who embrace global citizenship without losing local responsibility, because, as I said, as a small little island in the middle of the Caribbean Sea, we need equally to engage with the others across the planet.

As we do that, let us keep our national direction simple when we talk about Mission Barbados and what we must do by 2030 it’s just built around six practical missions. And I repeat again: What are they?

To keep our environment and communities clean and resilient, sea as well;

To improve safety and health of Bajans;

To deepen respect and strengthen our social cohesion as Bajans;

To empower and enfranchise workers, and ultimately, to drive digital transformation, because almost every one of you is walking about with a cell phone that is now a smartphone, so that this country can work better for people and for businesses;

And of course, to ensure that every Bajan has access to food and water.

Because Barbados, my friends, cannot become world class by 2030 and sustain that excellence Beyond 2030 if we do not equally, start beyond the missions with the simplest and most powerful thing we control, which is at the core of both the missions and the beacon.

It is how we treat to each other.

It is how we offer service to each other. Service doesn’t cost anybody anything.

It costs us nothing to be polite.

It costs us nothing to be caring and empathetic.

It costs us nothing to be decent.

It equally costs us nothing to be pleasant and smiling.

But you know what? It changes everything when we practice it consistently, and others before us knew it, and that is why they practiced us in that when we were growing up.

So let 2026, my friends, be the year that we renew our spirit and raise our standards. Be good first in spirit, and then, of course in action, not because it’s fashionable, but because it’s necessary.

And today I want to speak directly with families, because I can do my work and the Government can do its work and Parliament can pass its laws, but no government can raise children for you.

This new age will demand skills, yes, but it more than ever demands values and attitudes.

If our children have brilliance but no discipline, they will struggle.

If our children have access but no rootedness, they will drift.

If our children have devices but no direction, they will be vulnerable.

So we must continue to invest in training and opportunity in the small ways, in households, in churches, in communities. We must continue to prepare our people for a change in society and a change in economy.

And I ask today every parent, every guardian, every grandparent, every god parent, every community lead, every coach, every teacher, every one of us who loves this country and loves Bajans, help us to shape character.

And let me put it in the simplest language possible. Our children need love, but they also need guard rails. Firm love, guidance Love, a love that is Bajan-strong, the kind of love that says, I believe in you too much to let you destroy yourself and your life.

How many have heard others say that? And how many of us have said it? Correct when needed. Guide with love. Teach respect, teach responsibility, teach manners, teach kindness.

Let us talk with them, as I keep saying, and not at them. Let us walk with them, not ahead of them. Because all of the infrastructural gains, all of the social gains, all of the economic gains, will mean nothing if we do not produce a generation ready, ready to take the baton from us and to carry Barbados forward.

I’ve always said that we must make this country comfortable for our elderly, for our people who are vulnerable, but we must make it a place that our young people want to live and want to build.

And this brings me back, therefore, to that theme that must carry us into the Diamond Jubilee Year and the fifth year of the parliamentary republic —. into our 60 and five, as I call it.

And this brings me back to the theme that must carry us into our “60 and five”, our Diamond Jubilee, and yes, our fifth year as a parliamentary republic.

Challenges will continue, but resolve develops immediately on January 1, because that’s just how we are. New beginnings each year brings new resolutions. It means that the foundations laid through shared sacrifice and steady work must now translate for us into broader opportunity, stronger systems and a greater sense across Barbados that our people are not only enduring, but progressing.

I want Bajans to feel in 2026 that they’re not only surviving, that we’re building, that we’re stabilizing, that we’re strengthening. And as I said to you on Independence Day, when we get weary, we must see it as an opportunity to redouble our efforts to ensure that we continue because we have not yet reached the top of the hill.

I say simply, with a smile, because I know what many of you are thinking. I have a feeling 2026 can be a very, very, very good year for all of us if we keep doing the work, and if we keep choosing each other.

My friends, on our journey to 60 and five, let us remember what it truly asks of each of us. It asks us as a parent or as a godparent, as a grandmother or grandfather, as an uncle or aunt, a neighbour or a friend, to make that quiet but powerful commitment in this year, in this very year, to be able to make a defining difference in the lives of our young people.

Let us decide deliberately to be the steady hands that our children can lean on, the voices that guide them, the examples that shape them and the community that holds them.

Let us give them love, yes, but also the guard rails. And let us teach them all that have spoken about from respect to discipline, to kindness, to manners, to service, because as we celebrate at 60 and as we celebrate at five, the republic that we are shaping, we will be measured by what we place in the hands of our young people and by the kind of people we help them to become.

That is why the Chapman Challenge issued by our president is so important, and that is why during this year, we will ask so many of you to volunteer to help us ensure that we can have in our schools far more activity that supplements and complements what you do at home and what you do in church.

It also is necessary for us to honour those who built this nation, to protect those who have been there for us before. And I ask us also, as we do so, to let our children understand the world they are inheriting, and the journey that their elders did before them, ask them to be better, not in talk, but in action, day after day, neighbour by neighbour, parish by parish, household by household, and yes, Bajan by Bajan.

Let us reach out and touch life this year. Let us hold hands across households and across communities and be intentional, purposeful about the young people in our care, your own child, your grandchild, or your god child, your neighbour’s child.

Speak with them, guide them, correct them when we must. But always with love, always with love and with the necessary guardrails about their choices, because that is how we prepare them to take the wheel and to keep us going, to keep Barbados strong, steady and safe for generations to come.

May God bless each and every one of you in this new year of 2026. May God bless our families, may God bless our communities, and may God continue to bless our nation Barbados in this 60th and fifth year, as we have come to call it.

Happy New Year, my friends and a prosperous, prosperous, prosperous 2026

PM Holness New Year's Message 2026 JAMAICA

We give God thanks for sparing us to see 2026, and we pause to remember the lives lost to Hurricane Melissa, which is the third most powerful hurricane ever recorded globally, and the most destructive storm ever to strike Jamaica. As we reflect on this moment, we do so with gratitude, with grief, and with a renewed sense of purpose.

In the 65 years since 1960, the Atlantic has produced 799 recorded storms. Remarkably, one quarter of them, 201, occurred in just the last decade. Of the 34 Category 5 hurricanes recorded since 1960, 14 have occurred since 2015. And every year since then, Jamaica has been impacted by a weather- or climate‑related event: unseasonal rains, flooding, tropical storms, major hurricanes, and, on the other extreme, severe drought and record‑breaking heat.

The climate is changing. Our oceans are warming. Weather events are becoming more frequent, more intense, and more destructive. A “once‑in‑50‑years” event now seems to happen every five. No one expected Jamaica to be hit by Hurricane Beryl in 2024 and then by Hurricane Melissa in 2025. But this is the new global reality. And climate is only one dimension of the uncertainty we face. The global order is shifting. Geopolitical and geoeconomic maneuvering is reshaping trade, supply chains, peace and security, the multilateral system, and technology. While no one can predict the future with certainty, the analysis is clear: climate shocks, geopolitical shocks, and economic shocks will create crises in 2026. We must therefore use our strengths, seize opportunities, overcome our weaknesses, and protect ourselves from the threats that will come. We must prepare to withstand crises, absorb their impacts, and recover quickly.

As I look back on almost a decade of leading this country, we have faced multiple, increasingly intense, and overlapping crises. From the once‑in‑a‑century COVID‑19 pandemic, to global supply chain disruptions and inflation, to several major weather events, including two major hurricanes, one of them the most devastating in our history. And on the social front, we confronted an epidemic of murders and violence perpetrated by gangs that captured entire communities. Without fear of contradiction, no other Prime Minister and Government of Jamaica has faced the number and magnitude of crises that my Administration has had to address. And equally, without fear of empirical contradiction, no other Administration can show the results of the last ten years.

Today, I am pleased to report that approximately 90% of customers islandwide now have electricity, telecommunications, and water restored, including parts of Black River. We have launched an extensive programme of school repairs, and we expect all students, especially those preparing for exams, to return to classes using rotational modalities where necessary. Our hospitals are being repaired and brought back online, supported where needed by field hospitals. I want to specially recognize our nurses and doctors, who have given unbroken service throughout this disaster. And I extend sincere commendation to all our first responders: the JCF, the JDF, and our emergency teams, who ensured a credible and effective relief response. There was extensive damage to homes, and I know many Jamaicans cannot rebuild on their own or need additional support. Because of the sound economic management of my Administration, we are in a position to respond effectively as we did during COVID‑19, with one of the largest direct social‑care programmes in our history, and again after Beryl, when over 16,000 Jamaicans received rehabilitation and rebuilding grants.

Shortly, we will launch a targeted home‑repair and household‑rehabilitation programme for persons assessed as being tangibly affected by Hurricane Melissa. The Ministry of Labour and Social Security has already conducted over 50,000 assessments, giving us the critical mass of data needed to begin payments. The JDF, along with volunteer engineering corps from Ghana and Guyana, is already restoring roofs. Modular semi‑permanent housing solutions have been ordered to shelter those who have lost their homes entirely. My Jamaican family, your government is working tirelessly to ensure the resources are in place to support your recovery.

But a crisis also provides a brief window for a turning point. Hurricane Melissa has given us that window, an opportunity to build forward better, both in the affected areas and across nationally strategic infrastructure and economic sectors. To lead this effort, we will establish the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority, with special powers to coordinate a cohesive economic and infrastructure plan for roads, schools, hospitals, security, local government, housing, land regularization, tourism, agriculture, logistics, mining, and the creative industries. This is our opportunity to purposefully build the Jamaica of the future and the Jamaica we all dream of, but which has long been constrained by structures of the past. Because of the strong economic foundation laid by my Administration, we have secured over US$6.7 billion in multilateral support for reconstruction and resilience. While this crisis will necessarily increase our debt, we will continue to be frugal and fiscally conservative. Every dollar spent will be geared toward inducing growth, restoring lost jobs, and recovering economic output in the shortest possible time.

My fellow Jamaicans, for more than 40 years, our nation struggled with an epidemic of violence, both organized violence by criminal gangs and social violence across the society. Entire communities were captured and terrorized. Your government responded with Plan Secure Jamaica, transforming and expanding the JCF and JDF, creating MOCA, tripling the security budget, and implementing States of Public Emergency and Zones of Special Operations. We can now claim the third consecutive year of decline in murders: 8% in 2023, 19% in 2024, and 42% in 2025. Though approximately 670 Jamaicans were murdered last year, still far too many, we give thanks for the more than 470 lives spared relative to 2024. This is the lowest number of murders in 31 years, and well below the psychological barrier of 1,000. This achievement belongs to all of us. It proves that Jamaica can overcome problems once considered impossible to solve, just as we achieved the lowest unemployment in our history, the lowest debt‑to‑GDP ratio in 30 years, and no new taxes for the last 10 budgets.

We will maintain our vigilant posture against gangs. But we also recognize that violence has become a first resort in too many homes, too many relationships, and too many communities. In 2026, our National Security Strategy will focus heavily on peace‑building in homes, in schools, and in communities, as we work to purge our society of violent tendencies and dysregulated behaviours.

The hurricane also exposed another longstanding challenge: waste management. Our changing lifestyle and consumption patterns have increased the volume and types of waste we generate. This year, we will begin divesting garbage collection, mainstreaming waste separation in public institutions, and instituting a ticketing system for public sanitation and littering. As we make Jamaica safer, we must also make Jamaica cleaner and more beautiful. We continue to deliver on our commitments. The Debt Reset Programme through the Students’ Loan Bureau is easing the burden of student financing, with hundreds already benefiting.

The SPARK Programme continues across the country, with approximately 200 roads completed or under construction. Our logistics-hub build‑out continues apace. New hotels are rising, and damaged hotels are rebuilding better. And agriculture will be a major focus, with investments in irrigation, storage, and agro‑parks strengthening our food security.

My fellow Jamaicans, the year behind us tested our nation in profound ways. Hurricane Melissa reminded us that development without future‑proofing carries real costs and that resilience is never accidental. It must be deliberately designed, properly financed, and responsibly governed. Yet Jamaica enters this new chapter on a stronger footing than at many moments in our history. Our economy is more stable. Our public finances are better managed. Our institutions are more credible. We have strengthened our capacity to respond to shocks, whether economic, climatic, or social.

Let us use this foundation not only to rebuild, but to reimagine Jamaica. Let this new year be defined by clarity of purpose, steadiness of effort, and confidence in our shared future. Let us continue building communities that are safer, homes that are stronger, and an economy that works for all Jamaicans. I wish you and your families a year of health, opportunity, and peace as we rebuild our nation to be stronger and more resilient. May God bless each of you, and bless Jamaica land we so deeply love.

Inaugural Speech of President Catherine Connolly

Inaugural Speech of President Catherine Connolly

Dublin Castle, 11 November 2025

A Thaoisigh, A Phríomhbhreithimh, Airí, Baill Chomhairle an Stáit, Baill an Oireachtais, Ambasadóirí, Ceannairí Eaglaise, agus dhaoine uaisle ar fad, chomh maith le an Chéad Aire an Tuaiscirt, Michelle O’Neill, agus ceannairí eile ó gach cairn den Tuaisceart.

Ba mhaith liom céad mile fáilte a chur roimh mo chlann freisin, atá anseo. Mo bheirt mhac, mo fhearchéile, mo dheirfiúracha, mo dheartháireacha, thaisteal siad ó cheann ceann an domhain ó Atlanta, Georgia, ó Ceanada, ó Toronto, agus míle buíochas go chuir siad an dua sin orthu féin.

(“Taoiseach, Chief Justice, Ministers, Members of the Council of State, Members of the Oireachtas, Ambassadors, Church Leaders, and all distinguished guests, as well as the First Minister of the North, Michelle O’Neill, and other leaders from every community in the North.
I would also like to extend a warm welcome to my family, who are here today. My two sons, my husband, my sisters, and my brothers — they travelled from all over the world, from Atlanta, Georgia, from Canada, from Toronto — and I am deeply grateful that they made that effort.”)

I stand before you humbly and proudly as the 10th President of this beautiful country.

The people have spoken and have given their President a powerful mandate to articulate their vision for a new Republic.

A Republic worthy of its name where everyone is valued and diversity is cherished, where sustainable solutions are urgently implemented and where a home is a fundamental human right.

The change that led to this joyful day began with a small group of elected representatives and volunteers facing what appeared to be insurmountable challenges.

We were led to believe that it was too great a leap, that our ideas were too far out, too left, at odds with the prevailing narrative.

In shared conversations all over the country, however, it became evident that the dominant narrative did not reflect or represent people’s values and concerns.

Time and time again, people spoke of how it served to silence, to other, to label, to exclude and to stifle critical thinking.

Along with that however, along with meaningful engagement, we saw the emergence of hope, we saw the emergence of joy, along with the courage and determination of people to use their voices to shape a country that we can be proud of.

As President of Ireland, I will ensure that all voices are represented, heard and valued, and promote a public discourse that nourishes inclusivity, tolerance and active citizenship.

Previous Presidents faced different challenges reflecting the dominant issues of the day.

In 1990, when Mary Robinson – and I want to welcome Mary Robinson and her husband Nick – when Mary was elected, the parameters of geopolitics were shifting following the fall of the Berlin Wall the previous year and the dissolution of the Soviet Union, while at home, Ireland was undergoing its own seismic changes laying the foundation for a modern and inclusive society.

In 1997, one year before the Good Friday Agreement, the former President Mary McAleese – and again I want to welcome the former President and husband Martin – was elected in the midst of the ongoing peace process, a landmark event in shaping a shared vision for the future of Ireland.

In 2011, Michael D. Higgins assumed office – and again I want to pay tribute to his courage and his work – Michael D. assumed office as a global financial collapse shook Ireland and the world. The reverberations of that crisis continue to impact upon and shape people’s lives and our economy.

Now in 2025, as I assume the privilege of office, we face the existential threat of climate change and the threat of ongoing wars, both of course are inextricably linked.

As I speak, I am acutely conscious of the 165 million people currently forcibly displaced from their homes and countries due to war, famine and climate change.

We cannot turn back the clock nor close our eyes to these realities.

These are the challenges of our times, and our actions or inaction will determine the world our children and grandchildren will inherit.

It is both an individual and a collective challenge and one which obliges us to reflect on the way we live and interact with our world and with each other.

It is also the responsibility of those entrusted with public office to come together both nationally and internationally to lead and to create the conditions for a sustainable existence on our planet.

It is significant that today is Remembrance Day, the eleventh of the eleventh 2025. It is significant on so many levels, but it gives us an opportunity to pause and reflect on the horrors of war in a world where unfortunately we have all become witnesses to ongoing wars and genocide.

Given our history, the normalisation of war and genocide has never been and will never be acceptable to us.

As a sovereign independent nation with a long and cherished tradition of neutrality and an uninterrupted record of peacekeeping since 1958, Ireland is particularly well placed to lead and articulate alternative diplomatic solutions to conflict and war.

Indeed, our experience of colonisation and resistance, of a catastrophic man-made Famine and forced emigration gives us a lived understanding of dispossession, hunger and war and a mandate for Ireland to lead.

We can and should take real pride in the success of the Good Friday Agreement, knowing that this is recognised far and wide and is a model for peaceful resolution of conflict.

We also know that this journey of peace and reconciliation was the result of meticulous and methodical work over a long period of time, and this work continues to this day.

I look forward to paying my first official visit to the North and meeting with people from all communities and celebrating the rich heritage and traditions of all who live there.

I am particularly conscious of Article 3 of the Constitution, which sets out in detail the firm wish of the Irish people, the Irish nation to have a united Ireland, albeit in the conditions set out very clearly in the Article on consent.

As President, I will foster an inclusive and open dialogue across the island in a manner that highlights and recognises our similarities and respects our differences.

I want to acknowledge our large and growing diaspora. There is hardly a family on this island that does not have a personal experience of migration. On every continent our emigrants have put their ingenuity and hard work at the service of new homelands. Yet they have kept their love of Ireland and its culture deep in their hearts.

I hope over the next 7 years that there will be many opportunities for me to celebrate with them and share our experiences.

I have never believed more in the spirit of this country. Having travelled the length and breadth of the island, I have witnessed it in every county, in every corner of Ireland. I have heard it in the music, the literature and the dance of our people, in the deep tradition of solidarity and decency that continues to be the dominant force behind our people. I have felt it in the quiet dignity and stoicism of those who simply keep going, despite the very real challenges that they face.

Is sibhse, muintir na tíre, cosmhuintir na tíre, a casadh orm agus mé ar fud na tíre a spreag mé, agus a spreag m’fhoireann le linn an fheachtais. Sibhse a chuaigh agus a théann i ngleic le heaspaí seirbhísí agus riachtanais gach lá beo, easpaí nár cheart a bheith fós ann i dtír atá chomh sabhair. Spreag sibh mé le bhur ndúthracht agus bhur bhfláithiúlacht, ag roinnt bhur scéalta agus taithí liom go fial. Is sibhse a thug agus a thugann misneach dom, misneach a bhainfidh mé úsáid as anois agus a thógfaidh mé air agus mé ag obair ar bhur son mar Uachtarán.

Ar ndóigh, tá tábhacht na teanga chun anam agus spioraid na tíre a thabhairt chun cinn tuigthe agam le blianta fada anois; anam agus spioraid a bhí curtha faoi chois le blianta, bíodh sin d’aon ghnó, de bharr smacht na dtíoránach nó de bharr neamhaird, neamhchúram nó easpa tuisceanaí. Tír gan teanga, tír gan anam, agus is fíor sin, mar nuair atá a teanga múchta, ní féidir leis an tír, nó aon tír, a mianta, a luachanna nó a spioraid a chur in iúl.

Cuireadh ár dteanga, teanga ársa ár sinsir, teanga ina bhfuil spioraid ár sinsir agus nádúr ár dtíre le mothú i gchuile fhocal, sa dara háit, gan meas nó ómós tugtha di. Plúchadh croí ár muintir nuair a cuireadh stop leo úsáid a bhaint as a dteanga féin, teanga a chuireann mothúchain agus croí in iúl le chuile fhocal. Ach scaoilimis le chéile anois leis an bhfaitíos sin. Ligfimis don Ghaeilge bláthú. Éistimis leo siúd ar fad nach bhfuil uathu ach aitheantas a bheith tugtha dóibh mar Ghaeilgeoirí ina dtír féin agus in ómós dóibh agus dúinne.

Gaeilgeoirí, Gael, agus lucht foghlama na Gaeilge, ní sa gcúinne á labhairt go híseal a bhéas an Ghaeilge san Áras ach sa chéad áit mar theanga oibre agus beidh sí á labhairt ar fud na tíre go misniúil, go fileata, go ceolmhar, faoi mar atá cloiste agam agus mé ar fud na tíre, agus dár ndóigh, déanfar í a labhairt go húdarásach agus gan aon drogall nuair is gá.

Mar fhocal scoir, to conclude, I believe that the President should be a unifying presence—a steady hand yes, but also a catalyst for change reflecting our desire for a Republic that lives up to its name.

I will embrace the role of the President with dignity, determination and courage.

Go raibh míle maith agaibh.

(Here is a clear, natural English translation of your full passage. I’ve kept the tone dignified and ceremonial, matching the original Irish style:

“It is you, the people of this country, the ordinary people I met as I travelled throughout the land, who inspired me, and who inspired my team during the campaign. You who have faced, and continue to face, gaps in services and daily needs—gaps that should not still exist in a country as wealthy as ours. You inspired me with your dedication and your generosity, sharing your stories and experiences with me so openly. It is you who gave, and continue to give, me courage—courage that I will now draw upon and build upon as I work on your behalf as President.
Of course, I have long understood the importance of language in expressing the soul and spirit of a nation; a soul and spirit that were suppressed for many years, whether deliberately through the control of others, or through neglect, indifference, or lack of understanding. A country without a language is a country without a soul—and this is true, for when a language is silenced, a nation, any nation, loses the ability to express its aspirations, its values, and its spirit.
Our language—the ancient language of our ancestors, a language in which the spirit of our forebears and the nature of our land can be felt in every word—was pushed aside, denied respect and honour. The hearts of our people were stifled when they were prevented from using their own language, a language that expresses emotion and heart in every phrase. But let us now release that fear together. Let us allow the Irish language to flourish. Let us listen to all those who want nothing more than recognition as Irish speakers in their own country, in honour of them and of ourselves.
Irish speakers, Gaels, and learners of the language: the Irish language will not be spoken quietly in a corner of Áras an Uachtaráin, but placed first as a working language, and it will be spoken confidently, poetically, musically throughout the country, just as I have heard it spoken on my travels. And of course, it will be spoken with authority and without hesitation whenever needed.
Finally, to conclude, I believe that the President should be a unifying presence—a steady hand, yes, but also a catalyst for change that reflects our desire for a Republic that lives up to its name.
I will embrace the role of President with dignity, determination, and courage.
Thank you very much.”)

 

President Cyril Ramaphosa: 2026 New Year message

My Fellow South Africans,

A new year is upon us. As we welcome the New Year, we do so with reflection, resolve, and hope.

The year behind us was not easy.

Many South Africans faced the strain of a myriad of challenges over the past year.

It is a matter of concern that many South Africans are unemployed and that poverty and inequality persist. The high cost of living has imposed huge burdens of South African households.

Many communities live in fear of gangsters. Women and children live in fear of gender-based violence and femicide.

The delivery of basic services In our cities, towns and villages are often disrupted or do not exist at all.

These are difficult and complex challenges faced by many of our people.

I acknowledge these difficulties plainly, and give assurance that your struggles are known and understood. We are continuing to take a variety of actions to address these challenges.

Our success in addressing these challenges includes working together in  partnership between the government, business, labour, civil society, and every citizen committed to the future of our country.

We look back on the many initiatives we have taken to address our challenges.

On reflection we are encouraged by the emerging progress that is laying the foundation for even better progress in the year ahead. Yes much more still needs to be done.

We therefore enter the New Year with renewed hope, greater purpose and even greater confidence in the potential of our great country and its people.

We are grateful for your resilience, for the way we have stood together through difficult moments, and for a unity that remains firm.

Together, we are changing our country for the better.

Our economy is recovering.

We are working on creating more jobs, especially for young people.

Inflation has eased. The cost of living is coming down. The rand has strengthened.

South Africa’s sovereign credit rating has been upgraded for the first time in nearly two decades. This means government can mobilise funding for infrastructure investment and social development at a lower rate.

The structural transformation programme that we embarked on five years ago is showing positive progress.

Eskom’s performance, which in the recent past caused hardship to households, communities and businesses, has improved steadily. As a result, our country has gone without load shedding for many months.

More goods are being transported on our rail network and handled through our ports.

We have restored more commuter rail corridors, making it possible for more people to travel safely and affordably.

Infrastructure is one of our key priorities. We have for the first time budgeted more than R1 trillion for infrastructure investment over the next three years. This has catalysed the revitalisation of our country’s roads, port, rail, energy and water systems.

Through the Presidential Employment Stimulus, the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention and other public employment programs, we have enabled thousands of people to find opportunities to earn, learn and build livelihoods.

We have worked with the private sector to establish the Youth Employment Service that has created more than 200,000 work experience opportunities for young unemployed South Africans and is set to increase this number in the coming period.

The continuing improvement of the business environment is contributing to the improvement of our economy and job creation. Our state-owned enterprises are being strengthened and are set to play their key role in the economy.

Rooting out corruption is our overriding priority. Through the excellent work of the Special Investigating Unit, the SIU, and the Asset Forfeiture Unit we have recovered billions of stolen money.

Specialised task teams have made breakthroughs against illegal mining, kidnapping, economic infrastructure crimes and construction site extortion.

We are determined to continue to take decisive steps to clean up our law enforcement agencies. The recommendations of the Madlanga Commission will be implemented to enhance the reforms that are needed to reposition our police service and other law enforcement agencies.

This year, we launched the National Dialogue and held the first National Convention, which brought together delegates from across society to define the agenda for an inclusive, nationwide conversation about the next chapter in our democracy.

The National Dialogue continues our country’s proud tradition of holding inclusive conversations to resolve challenges, to build consensus and to chart a course for the future.

We are traversing a path we have walked before, and will be guided in the National Dialogue process by the Eminent Persons Group who will be the guarantors of the Dialogue’s  inclusivity and integrity. The Steering Committee comprised of community-based representatives will steer the national consultations next year.

South Africa’s standing in the global community has been enhanced and reaffirmed by our successful hosting of the first G20 Summit ever held on African soil.

The Leaders’ Declaration adopted by the Summit articulated global commitments on inclusive economic growth, debt sustainability, climate action, food security, reform of global financial institutions, and a number of other key issues.

We can stand proud that the legacy of our G20 Presidency is that we ensured that the voice of our continent Africa and the Global South is recognised, reflected and respected.

Fellow South Africans,

Our nation is like a river fed by many streams.

We may at times diverge and differ, but we always converge like streams of a mighty river.

There may be boulders in our way, but we get around them like the flowing waters of a mighty river.

We have shown that when we work together, we overcome even the most difficult obstacles.

Our spirits have been lifted by the excellent performance of our artists, our sports people, our musicians and our writers.

We salute all who continue to proudly fly our national flag high across the world in international forums in sports, arts and culture, academia, commerce, science, medicine, the judiciary, politics, labour, trade, investment and many other endeavours.

To our young people: you are the future of our nation. Your energy, creativity and skills are vital to South Africa’s renewal and progress.

To the workers of our country, entrepreneurs, business people and professionals: your contribution drives our economy forward.

To the women of our country: you are the backbone of our nation; we honour and respect you.

To our men and women in uniform: we salute you as you perform your duty of protecting our nation.

To our civil servants: you serve the people of our country diligently and with respect.

To our doctors, nurses and other health workers: we thank you for working to heal the wounds of our people by keeping them healthy and alive.

To our public representatives: you are the guardians of our democracy.

To our traditional leaders: you are the custodians of our rich heritage and the conscience of our nation.

To the people living with disabilities: your strength and resilience gives us courage to work harder to stand by you, and ease your burdens.

To our sports men and women: you make us proud to be South African on the world sporting stage.

To our media people who cocntinue to keep the nation informed of what is happening in our country.

To our elders: your wisdom continues to guide us.

For the contribution that every South African has made in all of our people’s lives endeavours over the last year, we thank you.

Despite the challenges we face our country is getting stronger, our economy is improving. As we prepare to welcome a new year let us remain united to building the South Africa of our dreams.

I call upon the men of South Africa to respect and honour the young girls and the women of South Africa and desist from gender-based violence and fermicide.

Wherever you may be across our beautiful land, I wish you a happy and blessed new year.

May God bless South Africa and protect its people.

Anthony Joshua vs Jake Paul - Post Fight Presser

Anthony Joshua (00:05):

Jake would have either come full steam ahead 100 mile an hour, or Jake would have moved around the ring 100 mile an hour. There's two things I would have done. Tried to shut Jake down at 100 mile an hour or I would have gone on the back foot. So, Jake decided to move around the ring, and I decided to put the pressure on.
What I could have done better is a lot of things, 100%. In the fight game, you've seen the amazing fighters that have graced us over the last 100 years and the expectations that we put on ourselves are immense, but I tried my best. Jake done well while it lasted, but if you remember what I said in the interview with Cameron is, fighting's not just physical, it's psychological. And, when you understand the psychological warfare, I did say to you is that, Jake, what's going to happen? I'm going to see a time when I'm going to take your soul and you're either going to give up or you're going to get knocked out. And, unless you have that instinct, you just will never be a good fighter.
So, I wish that I could have knocked him out at the start, but as we saw tonight, Jake has spirit. He has some heart. He tried his best and I take my hat off to him because, number one, a lot of fighters haven't got in the ring with me, and Jake did. And secondly, even when he got knocked down, he kept on trying to get up and I take my hat off to him. So, America, I think you have someone who could potentially, if he still has the heart for it, come back again, dust the dirt off his shoulder and come again, and maybe set out this center sometime in 2026, maybe against a Gervonta Davis, a Ryan Garcia. Who knows?

Speaker 1 (02:04):

Eddie, I want to follow with you, because when this fight was first announced, you had said something to the effect of, this would end Jake Paul's career. After what you saw tonight, do you think that Jacob should continue to box or what do you think the future holds for him?

Eddie (02:15):

Yeah, look, I really take my hat off. I mean, we have to see. If it is a broken jaw, those injuries are very difficult to come back from. But, as AJ said, that last shot would've knocked out a lot of heavyweights. And I know he went down heavy, but he was conscious on the floor, and I thought his game plan, although obviously very negative early on, which it had to be, was smart at times. And there were times where he held his feet and let his hands go. It was a very one-sided fight. It was always going to be a one-sided fight, but you can't give him anything but credit and respect. There's a lot of negative people out there. There's a lot of people who want to criticize people. They're not doing what Jake Paul's done. He just went in with Anthony Joshua and gave it his best shot. Took a lot of punishment and ended the fight eventually on his feet after the stoppage. So, I think he'll have to see physically how that jaw, I don't know the severity of it. It's very difficult injury to come back from, but he showed he's got ability, and that's what we said.

Anthony Joshua (03:17):He has, yeah.

Eddie (03:17):He's dedicated to the game.

Speaker 1 (03:19):

He has got ability. He done well. Last one, AJ. Before this fight, we talked and you said, "I'm not thinking about 2026 until after this fight." Now, what is the plan? Because there was talk about Turki Alalshikh, saying that you would take an interim fight before you would fight Tyson Fury. Can you guys illuminate what the plan is, entering next year?

Anthony Joshua (03:37):

So, the best promoter in the world has been speaking with Turki, his excellency, rear season. And now, he's going to relay those messages and speak to my training team, the right to fight team. They're going to have conversations. They're going to speak to my manager, and everyone's going to see where I'm at. My training team know my body really well. They know what I've been through over the X amount of weeks I've been with them. So, it's up to them to make a decision. They're going to speak with Eddie, and then, hopefully in a week or so, I'll have some news.
I'm a strong guy, I want to push on, but the coaches, it's really up to them. They're the ones that guide me. Fighters will always fight. Coaches are there to guide us.

Kevin Garcia (04:28):

AJ, it's Kevin Garcia, the Puerto Rican KKG, and I just wanted to get your assessment. You've now been in the ring with Jake Paul and Francis Ngannou. What do you think about them comparatively when you assess what they were like up against you?

Anthony Joshua (04:44):

Both good. Both have heart. It takes a lot. That ring walk. Obviously, 1000 fighters have done it before me, but it's a… Imagine sleeping the night before a big fight, and then, you wake up in the morning and you're waiting for that moment when it's time to leave. You get to the changing room, you make that walk. I take my heart off to Francis Ngannou because he's ultimately an MMA fighter and he crossed over into boxing twice. He beat up Tyson Fury and then had a short fight with me, but he walked in that ring twice, credit to him.
Then, Jake Paul, who has been boxing now for five or so years at an elite level, the amount of pressure that's been put on his shoulders and he's lived up to that pressure. I'm not going to say that they're world-class because in our modern day era, there's maybe four, five, six, seven Anthony Joshuas that can punch, that can avoid punches, that know what they're doing in the ring. So, Jake will struggle at top level, but he has a place in boxing if he wants to stay, in my opinion. So, credit him and his team for getting him this far.

Kevin Garcia (05:55):

Thank you. And just one other question for you, Anthony. Can you talk a little bit about, was it frustration, or what was going through your mind when some of the clinching was happening? You had hit him a few times on the… You let him go a few times, but then there was a time on the break where you gave him a few good body shots. What was happening in the ring?

Anthony Joshua (06:11):

So, two things were happening in my mind in the clinches. In the clinch, he done really well. When you're in survival mode, you will always find a way. So, I was trying to look for certain shots. I actually wanted to let my hands go in the clinch, but he done well to tie my hands up. And, as you could see, when they were free, I tried to land a few body shots. And yeah, I tried when I could. It was a bit messy, but from a systematical breakdown, the right hand landed, it found its home, and the referee waved it off after. Did he get counted out or did the ref wave it off?

Eddie (06:52):I believe he got counted out.

Anthony Joshua (06:54):So, the right hand found its home.

Eddie (06:56):Yeah, looking at it.

Anthony Joshua (06:56):I would've loved to have landed some more body shots, but it weren't for tonight, maybe in the future, but we got the job done in the end anyway.

Jeffrey (07:05):Congrats on the win, AJ. Thank

Anthony Joshua (07:07):You, mate.

Jeffrey (07:07):

Jeffrey from the Sun. A question for you, Eddie. There's actually been some rumors around the circuit this week that there's a fight for AJ in February next year against the kickboxing champion, Rico Verhoeven. Is there any legs to that?

Eddie (07:19):

No, we've been talking about a possible fight with Turki Alalshikh. Couple of opponents mentioned. The biggest challenge now, as AJ said, it's eight weeks tonight. He had a very tough camp, eight or nine weeks with a new team who gave him a good working over. So, we will sit down with that team and talk about when he will be ready to return.
So, in an ideal world, that would be the time, but we're going to see when he's ready. Rico, whoever it is, we haven't finalized that yet, but the date really is what we're going to work on over the next four, five, six days because we're not going to rush him back if he's not quite ready, but it won't be long. And the plan is to fight in the spring and then obviously fight Tyson Fury.

Jeffrey (08:05):AJ, if you had it your way, would you just go in to fight Tyson next or would you-

Anthony Joshua (08:11):Yeah.

Jeffrey (08:12):… like one more?

Anthony Joshua (08:13):Yeah. I would. I would. I would.

Eddie (08:19):We can do that, by the way, straight away. No interim fights. If Tyson's ready and AJ's ready, we don't have to fight in February or March. I think he's saying he needs to fight.

Anthony Joshua (08:29):I'll give the dosser eight weeks. 24 hours to sign a contract. Let's see if he's a man.

Raphael Fratto (08:39):AJ right here.

Anthony Joshua (08:42):Greedy Belly.

Raphael Fratto (08:49):Right here. Raphael Fratto with fightnews.com.

Anthony Joshua (08:52):He's looking saying, let me do the mocking. Go, go, go, go, go, go. Can't wait. We have Tyson Fury's cousin here. Go on, let them hear your skills.

Eddie (09:12):Tyson, what are you saying about maybe going straight into the fight with no warmup?

Raphael Fratto (09:16):Well, I'll tell you what, I'll do it right now, 100%. Go back into that Kaseya Center, put that ring together, and put me in with him. 100%.

Anthony Joshua (09:24):And what's John Fury saying? How's he feeling about a fight?

Raphael Fratto (09:28):I tell you what, you know it. We all know it. Everyone here in America knows it. It's the biggest fight in boxing. Let's do it, 100%.

Eddie (09:38):And part of the new team, obviously Oleksandr Usyk. Who do you see winning the fight?

Raphael Fratto (09:43):For me, you know, I have to go with the teammate. I have to go, but it's a very big fight and we look forward to it, okay?

Anthony Joshua (09:54):So, obviously AJ is a fan of you, Mike Tyson. What do you think about the fight

Anthony Joshua (10:00):With him and Tyson Fury.

Andreas Hale (10:02):

I'll tell you what, you know it's huge. There's something so big about it. And I think it's a big fight for British boxing, but not just, it's a big fight globally. But we are in America and I know Donald Trump wants to see it.
It would be great if we could have it in America. It's a big fight.

Anthony Joshua (10:18):Yeah.

Andreas Hale (10:18):It's a very big fight.

Anthony Joshua (10:21):How's Trump? What do you think Trump would say about bringing that fight to the USA?

Andreas Hale (10:24):We could. We could bring it to the USA. We've got the World Cup here. That's going to be so big. The biggest World Cup you've ever seen in your entire life. So let's have it here. We've got big stadiums.

Eddie Hearn (10:34):And Mike, I saw earlier when you just spoke, you also turned into Robert De Niro halfway through.

Andreas Hale (10:39):I did. I did. I enjoyed that.

Eddie Hearn (10:41):I mean Al Pacino.

Andreas Hale (10:43):Oh, we're in Miami in Scarface. I got to tell you, I mean, with Jake Paul, you said, "Say hello to my little friend." That's how you did it.

Anthony Joshua (10:52):I wanted to ask you-

Andreas Hale (10:52):It is Christmas season, by the way. Joe Pesci likes Home Alone.

Anthony Joshua (10:56):I wanted to ask you as well, Eubank Sr. about what you thought, how I carried myself with the Warriors Code.

Andreas Hale (11:03):Yes. I thought you carried yourself very well. I really did. I did that, and it was amazing to see. But I believe your promoter does a far better Chris Eubank Sr. And he doesn't do it in the interviews of me, so I think he should do it right now for me.

Anthony Joshua (11:18):Anthony Joshua, how do you think you done tonight?

Andreas Hale (11:21):Listen, man, I'm working on you. I am. I'm working on you. That's it.

Anthony Joshua (11:25):I'm going to come over there and give you one of these.

Andreas Hale (11:28):No, man, it's a work in progress. Thank you.

Rafael Fratto (11:38):

Hey, Rafael Fratto with the fightnews.com. AJ, I want to ask you, you mentioned the psychological aspect of the game. It seemed like all your answers, the look in your eyes, everything, you just seem to be very in-tune, very aligned during the lead up to this fight. Was that just your reassessment of the game from being off for that amount of time or the new camp with Usyk and his team or is it just that you're a veteran now and the way you approach the game is different?

Anthony Joshua (12:04):

Good question. New team, they're giving me a spark, a love for the game again. I took a year out. I needed that. Sometimes things can be going 100 mile an hour, just needed to slow it down a bit and actually have a look at what's going on around me. And I think that's been important. And now I can just say, I'm just an athlete. That's what I want to be. I just want to be an athlete now. While I'm still competing and just give it 100%. I don't want to be anything else. I just want to be an athlete. I don't want to be distracted. No, I don't want to be a businessman. I just want to be an athlete and I think that's my business. That's my business. And if I can focus on that, I think I can reign again.
I've still got a lot of passion for the game. And yeah, that's what's happened over the last year, focusing more, taking away a lot of distractions and the team I'm with are pushing me. And I think even though it's hard, I know that's what's needed and I'm welcoming more. I'm welcoming more challenges in the gym. I say it now, but it's what I need if I'm going to be successful in boxing.

Rafael Fratto (13:18):Well, you can see it shining through and it showed.

Anthony Joshua (13:21):Sorry.

Rafael Fratto (13:21):You can see it shining through and it showed leading up to this fight.

Anthony Joshua (13:25):You can see it?

Rafael Fratto (13:25):Yeah.

Anthony Joshua (13:25):For real?

Rafael Fratto (13:26):I definitely felt that way.

Anthony Joshua (13:28):Okay. That's positive then, and long may it continue.

Sarah (13:34):Hi, AJ.

Anthony Joshua (13:35):Good to see you.

Sarah (13:37):Sarah from the athletic. Congrats on the win.

Anthony Joshua (13:38):Thank you.

Sarah (13:39):Obviously you said you had 15 months out, a time when I'm guessing you had lots of questions in your own mind. Did tonight answer any of those questions?

Anthony Joshua (13:48):

Well, I wanted to fight. So the question is, I was asking myself, do I actually want to fight? The only way I'm going to find out is if I get in the ring and have a feel for it. So getting in the ring today, I definitely want to fight, but I definitely want to get better as well. So I'm hungry for more. I'm hungry to get back on that gravy chain and just continue everything that I kind of left behind in 2025. I had a tough defeat in my last fight and I just want to… 2024, I had a tough defeat in 2024 and I just want to pick up and move forward again. So yeah, I'm glad that I got back in the ring and I figured out that this is where I want to be. It was a real test for me to figure out if I still want to continue or not. And this was a good eye-opener to say, this is where I want to be. I want to get back in the ring and go again.

Sarah (14:39):Thanks.

Anthony Joshua (14:40):Thank you.

Travis Hartman (14:41):Anthony. I'm Travis with Weighing In with Travis Hartman. I don't know if you remember me, but at the very-

Anthony Joshua (14:46):You said to Jake about his record.

Travis Hartman (14:49):I did.

Anthony Joshua (14:51):He fought better fighters than this person and that, right?

Travis Hartman (14:56):Yep. And he fought you at his 14th. But do you remember what I asked you?

Anthony Joshua (14:59):So you asked me, I can't remember.

Travis Hartman (15:02):So I fought Terence Crawford in the pros. I went the distance with Terence Crawford.

Anthony Joshua (15:06):You fought who?

Travis Hartman (15:06):Terence Crawford in the pros.

Anthony Joshua (15:07):Yeah.

Travis Hartman (15:08):I went the distance with him, lost the decision on points. But I asked you if you went the distance with Jake Paul, would that be a loss?

Anthony Joshua (15:16):Okay.

Travis Hartman (15:16):And you said, yes, I had to knock him out.

Anthony Joshua (15:18):Yeah.

Travis Hartman (15:18):So tonight, did it go how you thought it would go? And is it a success for you? I know you won. We all seen that, right? Is it a success for you tonight? I have a follow-up.

Anthony Joshua (15:28):

No. I needed to do better. I needed to do better. Yeah. No, it's a win, but it's not a success. I think my coach expects more from me and I expect more for myself, but what can we do? We can't reverse the clocks. I have to move forward. I have to put that in the past now. After today, you may see a bit of social media trying to lap up all of the algorithm attention, but for me, it's in the past. I can't live off of that win. I've got a lot of improvement that I need to do, so yeah, I'm not happy.

Travis Hartman (16:06):

So I saw you when you were walking out, I got to see you, you're right below me, you were standing there for a little bit. And I was just wondering, did this fight feel like a real fight, like a fight when you go into a heavyweight championship of the world? Did it feel like that? Because to me, it just looked a little different because was it hard for you to really get up knowing that that's not [inaudible 00:16:31], Joseph Parker, all those guys?

Anthony Joshua (16:33):There was a lot of riding on this fight.

Travis Hartman (16:34):Yeah.

Anthony Joshua (16:35):

There was a lot riding on this fight, a lot of pressure, a lot of expectations. So I had to perform. A lot of people doubt me. I saw Mauricio Sulaimán put a picture up of Jake. He don't put a picture up on me. A lot of people don't respect me, so there's a lot of pressure. And I had boxing on my back today, and that was what it was really. I took Jake as serious as I needed to, but most importantly, I take myself as serious as I need to. I respect myself, I respect boxing, and I know what it takes to get in the ring. You have to be prepared, and one slip up could cost you in that ring. One slip up could cost you in that ring. As I said, credit to Jake, I'll stand on that. I'm not going to sit up here. If he would have beaten me, he would bash me. You know that, right? Imagine him up here now. They would have torn me and Eddie apart, but I'm not going to do that to Jake. I'm going to give him the credit. But if he wants to stay at the top level at heavyweight, he needs to work harder because it's very difficult. It's a very difficult division to reign in.

Travis Hartman (17:47):Thank you for what you did for boxing tonight.

Anthony Joshua (17:49):Thank you, bro.

Eddie Hearn (17:50):Two more guys.

Anthony Joshua (17:50):You all right Michelle?

Michelle Joy Phelps (17:52):Hi. Hey, how are you?

Anthony Joshua (17:53):Good, you?

Michelle Joy Phelps (17:54):

Michelle Joy Phelps with BoxNation. Anthony, I could be wrong here, but I'd like to have you address this because there was a lot of speculation that in the last year, year and a half, that maybe you had fallen out of love with boxing because we weren't quite sure if we were going to see you back in the ring. I understand why you would take a fight like this because I think for you, it was probably a bit fun, right? Despite the pressure. But was it true? Did you fall out of love with boxing? And if so, how did you find it again?

Anthony Joshua (18:23):

I was trying to fall back in love with boxing. I realized if you're a family, man, I realized that I was working away from home. I was spending time with my friends and my wife wasn't happy. So I had to kind of look up the decisions I was making and I had to come back home to boxing and I had to sacrifice. I had to take a look at my life, make necessary changes to put my love back to the sport. This sport is unforgiving. If you don't give 100% attention, those belts will be torn away from you and be put on someone else's waist who gives it the love and attention that boxing needs. And I wasn't giving it enough love and attention. So it wasn't that I stepped away because I didn't want to fight, it's I stepped away because I knew if I'm going to be in boxing, I need to be 100%.
And that's what it was. And it took me… I gave myself a year. I said, "I'm going to give myself a year." And on September 21st, 2025, the year was done. We normally do 12-week training camp, September 21st, October 21st, November 21st, December 19th, three months of training and we get straight back in the ring. So for me, it was a perfect plan and I don't want to start losing my focus now and go and start socializing and let's get lit, you're popping right now. You know what I'm saying?

Anthony Joshua (20:00):

Your boy's got to try and stay focused. It's difficult. Staying focused takes effort. I do need to though, because as I said, boxing, if you don't give it the love it needs, it will get up and leave and go and spend the night. Your belts will spend the night with someone else. So I need to focus, man. I took the time out because I just wanted to regain the focus I need if I'm going to fight.

Michelle Joy Phelps (20:23):Joining Oleksandr Usyk, his team, it came a bit of a shock to the boxing world. How did that come about and how did you feel that you guys mashed?

Anthony Joshua (20:33):

So I spoke to Sergey who works with Usyk, and he invited me down to their training camp, ultimately, just to do some rounds. There was nothing more to it, but our schedules didn't align at the time. I spoke to them. I then spoke to Tom Hall, who's a good friend of mine, and he said, "Look, let's try and find some time in your schedule. Put boxing first and go out there. They're a very good team. You want to win. They're winners. If you want to win, surround yourself with winners." Spoke to Eddie. Spoke to family. Everyone said it's a good idea.
I was initially going to go out there for two weeks. That turned into three months. That turned into a fight, and long may continue. It's been a really good experience, a really good eye-opener, and I think I can definitely do more. I've done well. I've become a two-time heavyweight champion of the world, but I think if I would've known what it takes, I think I would've been undisputed.
To the young fighters coming up, you have to work harder. If you really want to win and you really want to get to the top of boxing like Usyk has, you have to work harder. That's what I've learned with these guys. It's hard work doesn't lie. Hard work will give you the results you need. Tonight wasn't perfect, but the result was a win. That only happened because of the work we put in over the last two, three months. So thank you to the team for your efforts. I appreciate it. Thank you to MVP. Thank you to Matchroom. Thank you to everybody involved. I hope I see you guys soon.
For those that celebrate Christmas, enjoy your Christmas. For those that don't, enjoy the festive period. Thank you for your love, appreciation for the sport, and we'll see you soon.

Nakisa Bidarian (22:28):

Thank you. 12, 3s, the knockdown that was almost the knockout, came near the end of the third minute. That speaks to our focus of allowing these athletes to have the opportunity to choose to compete on the same playing field as the men. Alycia, do you want to say a few words before we open it up?

Alycia Baumgardner (22:48):

Yes. First off, thank you everybody just for tuning in. This has been an amazing moment just to be a part of. MVP has done an amazing job with us women, with the team as a unit. I think it's so important to keep highlighting the things that they are doing and having game changers like myself be on the front of everything just to showcase what women have already known to do. That's to be a winner, that's to be a warrior, that's to stand tall, and that's to stand on business and to say, "Hey, we can do 12 rounds, three minutes."

Speaker 2 (23:26):Questions?

Andreas Hale (23:29):

Andreas Hale, ESPN. Alycia, congratulations. When we talked earlier this week, you said you've been searching for that knockout, and I know you wanted it, but you show some new wrinkles in the game. You worked to the body well, the footwork has improved. Talk about what you've gotten under Derrick James and how much you've been able to showcase that tonight.

Alycia Baumgardner (23:47):

Yes. As mentioned before, I was able to spend more time with Derrick, and we were able to work on a lot of things. When it comes to doing three minutes, it's strategic. You have to set things up. It's not a 2-minute just fight. I wanted to showcase the skills that I have, and you saw that with the jab, you saw that me going to the body, faints, using the ring, utilizing the ring.
I'm so proud of myself because I was able to be in there and do what I love to do. That's the fight, that's the box, that's the punch, that's the move. Derrick and I are continuing to work on this dynamic to really showcase what more there is.

Andreas Hale (24:25):Now, we all know about the right hand and all of your opponents, they scout that right hand very well, but it finally broke through. How bad did you think you had her hurt? Did you think you were close to a finish?

Alycia Baumgardner (24:34):

Yeah, no. Leila was hurt pretty bad. I could tell I was reading her energy throughout those rounds. Again, my corner was just saying, "Be patient." That two minute mentality was kicking, and I'm like, "No, chill out. You still got another minute." But I knew she was her. Again, I was taking my time and making it look good.

Eli Sponko (24:56):

Hello, this is Eli Sponko with the Split Decision Boxing. Alycia, first 12, 3s, and in this fight, it looked like you were implementing Derrick James' game plan to a tee. You were jabbing a lot. You were landing a lot around her guard. Was that something you were focusing on going into the fight?

Alycia Baumgardner (25:14):

Yeah, absolutely. It was important that when we stepped up to this challenge to do three minutes, that the world was going to see a dynamic fighter, a complete fighter. I think it's important that people know that women like myself can fight, can box, can actually utilize the ring. When we think about boxing, we think about the sweet science and having it look good and setting up punches up and setting up that knockout. So yeah, I listened to my corner, and we look dominant in there, for sure.

Eli Sponko (25:42):Absolutely. This fight you dedicated to your father, and you said you were going to tear up after the fight. Did you get that chance to let the emotions out and feel everything?

Alycia Baumgardner (25:51):

Man, they're still bottled up and I'm still really seeing them little by little. But just to make it through, the transition, and to make it for another month in camp, and to be in this moment, I'm just happy to be here. Sometimes you just have to continue to see it through. I know my dad's very proud of me, and we have a lot to celebrate.

Eli Sponko (26:13):

My last question's for Nakisa. Nakisa, 2025 was a big year for most valuable promotions. You signed a lot of major world-class talent, you had monthly events, two Netflix cards, the first ever fight night back in August. When you think about the growth of the promotion this year, what do you reflect on it?

Nakisa Bidarian (26:29):

I think it just speaks to the ability to disrupt the sport led by Jake Paul at the forefront for a company that started in August of 2021, so a little bit less than four years ago. I'm excited about what our prospects are going into 2026 in terms of boxing, in terms of women's boxing, in terms of going international, and in terms of getting into different business lines as well.
We've shown we can put on the biggest events in the world with the biggest distributor in the world, and having their support and their confidence and their belief in what Jake and I do on the rest of the team is invaluable.

Eli Sponko (27:03):Thank you, guys.

Danny Segura (27:06):

Danny Segura for MMA Junkie. For Nakisa, we talked pre-fight, and you mentioned how, initially, you were a bit concerned for Jake, and those concerns kind of went away over time. But now that the fight's over, how concerned were you when Jake stepped in the ring with AJ? Is there a sense of relief now that in the grand scheme of things, obviously he's a bit injured, but all in all, he's all right?

Nakisa Bidarian (27:27):

Yeah. It was interesting. Every time I spoke about this is a dangerous fight or put out a tweet that says, "No matter what happens, he's already won," it turned into you don't even believe in your man. But at the flip side was the event is rigged, Jake's going to win or he's not going to knock him out.
Maybe the powers that be unboxing pay Jake Paul to lose tonight. Maybe that's what happened. Maybe it was a flip rigged, right? Jake was going to kick AJ's. But the reality is, my hope was that nobody would get hurt from the first fight of the night to the last fight of the night. Ultimately, that's what happened.
Ultimately, Jake Paul lasted a lot longer than anyone said he was going to. I haven't seen the official scorecards. I don't know if anyone else has, but I think he might have won a round or two or even three. He was doing tremendously well in there against a person who is vastly more skilled, vastly larger, vastly more powerful. He did it on four weeks preparation.

Danny Segura (28:27):What would you like to see next for Jake?

Nakisa Bidarian (28:29):

I'd like him to take a beat, relax, and then think about when he's going to fight next. We talked about June, July timeframe. He loves this sport. He loves MVP. He loves the athletes. He loves giving them platform and push.
This young lady right here, the whole time when I was talking to her, I said, "What do you think?" She goes, "Jake's going to win. I believe in him. He can do whatever he wants to do." That's the kind of family that we're building at MVP. It's a fighter first organization. You guys saw our way in yesterday. That stuff costs a lot of money, but we want to put on the best brand for these fighters to show the world what boxing is about.

Danny Segura (29:07):

Just one last question. Alycia, you made history, 3-minute round. Have you thought about that just for a second? Obviously, the win is great and all that, but have you thought about the history that you made for wins boxing?

Alycia Baumgardner (29:18):

I'm so soaking in this win. Like I said, when Nakisa mentioned, "Hey, three minutes, 12 rounds, what do you think? " I said, "Let's do it." To be able to say that I did it, I made history. I'm the best woman fighter there is in the game right now. My skills are a 10 out of 10, and I'm only getting better. That's the thing. You guys see just glimpses of who Alycia Baumgartner is. This was just one of those moments where you saw just a little bit.
So I'm looking forward to what the future looks like and still continuing to fight these 12, 3-minute rounds.

Nakisa Bidarian (29:55):Again, the knockdown came in the third minute, right?

Alycia Baumgardner (29:57):That's right.

Nakisa Bidarian (29:58):That's the critical component of that analysis.

Nakisa Bidarian (30:00):… analysis.

Geoffrey (30:01):

Nakisa, just down here, [inaudible 00:30:03] from The Sun. Just to follow up on Jake, he said he broke his jaw in the aftermath. Has he gone to hospital? What's the health update on Jake?

Nakisa Bidarian (30:11):

Yeah, we think he broke his jaw. He's fine. We met with Netflix afterwards. He took a shower. He drove himself to the hospital. A broken jaw is very common in sports, particularly in boxing or MMA. And I think the recovery time from the doctors and surgeons we've already talked to is four to six weeks.

Kevin Garcia (30:33):Hi, it's Kevin Garcia, AKA the Puerto Rican Kid KG. Nakisa, on Jake, when you look at his performance and you think about what Francis Ngannou was able to accomplish or how long he was able to last against Anthony Joshua, what does it say about Jake Paul?

Nakisa Bidarian (30:46):

I think a great, great game plan and preparation. Unbelievable heart. And the reality is Jake lost because of the size difference, not because of the skill difference. AJ was hanging on that neck, pushing him down. And when you have someone that heavy, constantly doing that, it does suck the energy out of you. AJ talked about sucking out or taking out the man's soul. He didn't take out his soul. He did take out his energy and that's when he was able to get the finish.

Kevin Garcia (31:14):

And just a quick follow up. Obviously we don't want to look too far into the future. I know you said Jake wants a break. He's coming off a tough fight, but I mean, it seems written on the wall that that would be an obvious fight to look forward to in the future. Could you see Jake versus Francis Ngannou?

Nakisa Bidarian (31:30):

The whole situation with Francis was very confusing to me. And he's done a couple of interviews back and forth on terms of how he thought about our conversation. I think Francis is a revolutionary when it comes to fight sports. He stood up against the UFC, showed what kind of man he is. And this process was just, again, a little bit confusing for me given who I know who he is as a human being.

Speaker 3 (31:58):

Hi, Alycia. Well done for another spectacular performance. 12 three-minute rounds. First of all, how do you feel? And is that now the standard for fighting you? That's it. If you want to fight me, it's 12, three-minute rounds, or are you willing to go back to two-minute rounds?

Alycia Baumgardner (32:13):

For one, I feel amazing after that performance. And yes, there is a standard and there's high expectations that I have for myself. The expectations that MVP has for me, when you think of an athlete, when you think of someone who is a competitor, you think of Alycia Baumgardner and you think about Alycia stepping up to the plate and showcasing what she always talks about and backing it up. And so yes, it is a standard and I think it only gets better. Like he said, the knockout came that last minute. So I know exactly what that feeling is and I know exactly how I want to do things moving forward.

Speaker 3 (32:49):

Nakisa, one question for you. You have such a brilliant UK stable, now adding Caroline Dubois. Are you looking to expand more into the UK market, potentially TV deals, selling out stadiums with maybe even Jake headlining them?

Nakisa Bidarian (33:03):

Yeah. Look, baby steps in terms of the company in some ways, big steps in others. We've done the biggest events in the world with Netflix over the past 12 months. This is our third event with them. Our goal is to come to the UK sometime in Q1. We're actively working on that analysis. Bryce Holden, our CEO, is leading that charge. We have an unbelievable roster of amazing fighters in the UK already. One of them has been going back and forth with Alycia. And I think to Alycia's credit, she did say it should be three-minute rounds. If and when they both want to do it, they both have to want to do it. We can't force that. But the UK is pound for pound, the most important boxing market in the world. The US is the most lucrative market in the world. So we want to be relevant in both.

Speaker 4 (33:48):

Hey, Alycia. Los with FightHype. First off, congratulations on your win. Dubois, on her post-fight, she said that the next biggest fight in women's boxing is herself and you. What are your thoughts on that?

Alycia Baumgardner (34:03):

Listen, like I said before, she's a puppy, right? And with puppies, they need some potty training and that's what she needs. She needs some potty training before she steps up to a big dog like myself. And like I said, the standard that I'm setting for myself is 12 rounds, three minutes, and I saw her performance. She looked like she got tired and she didn't look like what she talks about. So she knows exactly what she has to do and I know what I'm doing. So there's a difference.

Speaker 4 (34:27):Absolutely.

Nakisa Bidarian (34:27):They did both get knockdowns though. I will highlight that point there.

Speaker 4 (34:31):Absolutely.

Alycia Baumgardner (34:32):That's cool.

Speaker 4 (34:33):And Nakisa, question for you. In your mind, what is next for Alycia?

Nakisa Bidarian (34:37):For what?

Speaker 4 (34:38):I said, in your mind, what is next for Alycia Baumgardner?

Nakisa Bidarian (34:42):Headline event when she's ready. That's what's next for The Bomb.

Alycia Baumgardner (34:47):The Bomb, baby.

Speaker 5 (34:49):For Alycia, just a little bit of a lighter hearted one. What do you think the dollar value was of the ice in the ring tonight between you and Johnny Dang? And how did that collaboration come about?

Alycia Baumgardner (34:59):

High, baby. High, lot five mil. No, but for real, when we think about performance and we thinking about a brand, I'm so happy to be a game changer in the sport of boxing. Alycia Baumgardner comes with looks, she comes with hooks, she comes with a mouthpiece, and she comes with just a different aura. And I want people to recognize that boxing is more than combat. It's a state where myself is a warrior and I can look like a beauty and I can look like a beast and I can embrace both. And I think this empowers women to understand that you don't have to look one way and you can do it the way you want to. And that's why I love MVP, Jake Paul, Nakisa because they have allowed me and given me a platform like Netflix, shout out Netflix, to be the game changer that I'm doing in the sport of boxing.

Speaker 6 (35:56):

Congratulations to both of you on a great night. Question for you. It seems like every single event, the selling point to the casual viewer is, "Oh, I want to see Jake Paul lose." But it seems like the tide is turning where now the focal point is what you guys have done for boxing, building women's combat boxing and the entire division, bringing boxing to Netflix, fixing boxing and course correcting boxing. Do you feel the tide is starting to turn? And by the way, Jake, his name anchoring has essentially introduced a new audience to great talent like the woman next to you. So do you see the tide finally turning with the casual viewer that folks are finally getting on board of what you guys are accomplishing for boxing?

Nakisa Bidarian (36:38):

I hope so. I think Jake said it best at the press conference. Boxing should want Jake to win because he's using his platform, his money, his time to try to build it for the better. And when you look at everything that we've accomplished, none of it happens without Jake. He is the tip of the spear and he enabled us to go out and partner with Netflix and then create an all women's card on Netflix and then push Netflix to say, "We want to make sure Alycia Baumgardner is the co-main here to get those eyeballs. Oh, and by the way, we want to add three more other championship level women's bouts on the card." So is the tide turning? I hope so. Do I care? No, because the results speak for themselves. And as I said, the number one trending thing on Twitter was respect to Jake Paul, and that means a lot to me.

Speaker 6 (37:24):

And one more question for the champ. When it comes to performances and your sparkling resume, this fight was Michael Jackson Thriller. This was incredible. Do you feel the pressure now every single fight? Like, man, everyone's going to expect a barn burner, everyone's going to expect in tremendous performance. How do you deal with that type of pressure now that you have so many more eyeballs on you?

Alycia Baumgardner (37:43):

Yeah, no pressure at all. I'm thankful for the team that I've been building for years now. And as a professional, I understand that there's ways of doing things and I like to do them at the highest level. And you can't go any lower than the bar that I've set for myself. So I know moving forward that the bar just keeps getting higher. There's no glass ceiling. You can't put me in a box and there's a time to be had and we're going to have that time.

Nakisa Bidarian (38:13):

Lot of comments, particularly from the UK, about Jake Paul as a novice boxer and shouldn't be in the ring with Anthony Joshua. He took some rounds from Anthony Joshua. It took Anthony Joshua six rounds to put out a man who's been in the sport for six years and took on the challenge in four weeks. So put some respect on Jake Paul's name in the UK. Thank you.

観光産業の舞台裏 4 飯倉 山野 9:25

09:25 高付加価値体験の提供 富裕層向けに高付加価値の日本文化体験を提供するサービス事業を解説。

飯倉：はい。えっと、我々は、え、インバウンド向けの、え、高交付化価値の体験を提供する サービスをやってまして、ちょ、山野さん に怒られちゃうかもしれない。簡単に言う と、アビューさんのインバウンド向けの 高付加みたいなそんなイメージになってます 。はい。で、ま、具体的に言うとこう 1期組みあたり10万円とか20万使って いただいて、ま、通常お寺さんですと 500円とか600円とかで参拝できます が、我々のサービスから予約すると閉門後 に貸し切って住職の方があのプライベート で座然やってくれたりだとか、精進料理 提供してくださったりだとか、ま、直接 職人さんとかね、刀鍛冶体験を、え、教えて もらったりだとか、そういうのを インターネットで予約できるそんな サービスをしております。で、規模間で 言うと、今コンテンツは全て我々 オリジナルでコンテンツ作ってるんですが 、800から900ぐらいのコンテンツが ありまして、え、月に数100組ぐらいのお客様 をあの、お迎えさせていただいております 。

で、ま、インバンド今回あの戦略という AIを使った戦略っていうテーマもあり ますが、我々体験のみならず今後施設 だったりとか、あのロッジだったりとか、 あの、あとガイドビジネスとかそういう とこに展開していきたいなという風に思ってます。 で、最終的には地域の蘇生だったり、あと我々のテーマではサプライヤーを支援していくというとこで事業者さん、地方の職人さんだったりとか事業者さんを支援にしていきたいなという風に思っております。はい、本日よろしくお願いします。 

飯倉：ありがとうございます。おとなみというサービス？

（10:41）

 飯倉：おとなみ、国内向けがおとなみというサービスで、え、外国人向けは和文化というサービス

山野：はい。和文化。はい。あの、控室もあったんですけど、よくあのアビューさんの競合ですよねって言われるんですけど、競合です。冗談です。すいません。はい、ありがとうございます。 なんか、あの、先ほどの体験を、え、自前でご自身たち作っているっていうところが、ま、ちょっと若干我々のビジネスとのちょっと違いも含めて少し、もう少しオーディエンスの方に教えていただきますか? 

飯倉： そうですね、えっと、我々ありあり物のコンテンツをインターネットに掲載して売るっていうだけではなくて、事業者さんに、ま、こういったコンテンツだったらもっと外国人の方に人気になったり満足で高いんじゃないですかっていうご提案させていただいたりだとか、あと実際に作ったコンテンツ、一緒に作ったコンテンツを、え、写真を我々撮りに行ったり、あの、記事にしてライターも行って記事にして、ま、我々ラッピングっていう風に言ってるんですけど、ちゃんと外国人の方があのんでしょう情報ちゃんと取れてこれいいなって思って購入してもらえるまでをあの支援しているというような形です。 

山野：で、外国人向けに、えっと、ちゃんとハンドメイドで体験を企画してで、それを、ま、実行、ま、最高会社さんと提携をしてやっていただくって、そういうモデルですよね。 

飯倉：その通りですね。で、あと一部ガイドのあの派遣だとかも我々の方でさせていただいてるというような形ですね。圧役ですね。はい。

 山野：ありがとう。ありがとうございます。 じゃあ、えっと、最後に、青木さんですか 、すいません。ちょっと先にお伝えするの 忘れたんですけど、青木さんになんで冒頭 話してもらったか、あの、セットアップし てもらったかって言うと、青木さんは実は ああ、4000人ぐらい来るですね、え、 インバウンドサミットの主催している立場 もあって、で、あの、メタ的に、え、 インバウンドの、ま、あの、トレンドだっ たりとか、ま、テールデータをよく知っ てるのでセットアップしてもらったんです が、本業はあの、MATCHっていうサービス をやっておりますので、そのMATCHAについてのちょっと説明をお願いします。

9:25

Iikura:
Yes. So, our company provides high value‑added experiences for inbound travelers. Yamano‑san might scold me for saying this, but to put it simply, we’re like a high‑end, inbound‑focused version of what Aview does.
To give you concrete examples: our customers typically spend around 100,000 to 200,000 yen per group. Normally, you can visit a temple for 500 or 600 yen, but if you book through our service, you can reserve the entire temple after closing hours, have the head priest lead a private zazen session, enjoy a shōjin‑ryōri meal prepared specially for you, or learn directly from artisans—such as doing a hands‑on swordsmithing experience. All of this can be booked online.
In terms of scale, all of our content is original, and we currently offer around 800 to 900 different experiences. We welcome a few hundred groups of customers every month.
And since today’s theme includes AI‑driven strategies for inbound tourism, I’ll add that we’re planning to expand beyond experiences into facilities, lodges, and guide services. Ultimately, our mission is regional revitalization and supporting suppliers—local artisans and small businesses across Japan. That’s the direction we want to pursue. Thank you very much.
Yamano: Thank you.

Iikura:　Our domestic service is called Otonami, and the version for foreign visitors is branded as Wabunka.
Yamano: Yes—Wabunka. Earlier in the waiting room, people were saying, “Aren’t you a competitor of Aview?” And well… yes, we are. Just kidding. Sorry.　Thank you. So, regarding what you mentioned earlier about creating your own experiences in‑house—could you explain that a bit more for the audience, especially how it differs from our business model?
Iikura: Right. So, we don’t just take existing activities and list them online to sell. We actually propose ideas to local businesses—suggesting what kinds of experiences might be more appealing or satisfying for foreign visitors. And for the experiences we create together, we go on-site to take photos, send writers to produce articles, and package everything properly.
We call this “wrapping”—making sure that foreign visitors can clearly understand the information, feel that it’s attractive, and ultimately decide to book it. That’s the kind of support we provide.

Yamano:　So you’re essentially creating handcrafted experiences specifically for foreign visitors, and then partnering with local operators to actually deliver those experiences. That’s the model, right?
Iikura:　Exactly. And we also handle things like dispatching guides for some of the experiences. That’s part of what we do as well.
Yamano: Great, thank you.　Now, lastly—Aoki‑san. Sorry, I forgot to mention this earlier, but the reason we had Aoki‑san speak at the beginning to set things up is because he actually organizes the Inbound Summit, which brings in around 4,000 participants. So he has a very meta-level understanding of inbound trends and tail data.
But his main business is a service called MATCHA, so I’d like to ask him to explain a bit about MATCHA.

Summary Interpretation

Iikura explains that their company offers premium, handcrafted cultural experiences for inbound travelers—far beyond typical temple visits. Their offerings include private after-hours temple access, zazen with a head priest, shōjin‑ryōri, and artisan-led workshops like swordsmithing. They create all content themselves, currently offering 800–900 unique experiences and serving hundreds of groups monthly.

Their model differs from simple listing platforms: they co-create experiences with local businesses, produce photos and articles, and “wrap” the content so foreign visitors can easily understand and book it. They also dispatch guides. Their long-term goal is regional revitalization and supporting local artisans and suppliers, with future expansion into facilities, lodges, and guide services.

 Idiomatic Interpretation

Iikura:
To put it in simple terms—though Yamano-san might tease me for saying this—we’re basically the high-end, inbound-focused version of Aview. Our guests typically spend ¥100,000 to ¥200,000 per group. Instead of a standard ¥500 temple visit, they get exclusive after-hours access, a private zazen session with the head priest, a beautifully prepared shōjin‑ryōri meal, or hands-on workshops with real artisans—like learning from a swordsmith. And everything can be booked online.

All of our experiences are original. We’ve built around 800 to 900 of them so far, and we host a few hundred groups every month.

Looking ahead, we want to expand beyond experiences into accommodations, facilities, and guide services. Ultimately, our mission is to revitalize local regions and support the craftspeople and small businesses behind these cultural experiences.

As for our brands, the domestic service is Otonami, and the inbound version is Wabunka. People often joke that we’re Aview’s competitor—and honestly, they’re not wrong. Just kidding… mostly.

What makes us different is that we don’t just list whatever’s already out there. We help local partners design experiences that truly resonate with international travelers. We shoot the photos, write the articles, and package everything so visitors can easily understand and feel excited enough to book. We even provide guides when needed.

観光産業の舞台裏 ３ 高原 山野 5:51

5:51

高原：うちはですね、あの移動っていう 軸であの地域の課題解決に向き合ってる スタートアップなんですけど、ま、元々 あの、ま、ドア通道の移動課題解決しよう と思って、ま、AIを活用しが、ま、 ライドシェアのサービスを、ま、やってる んですが、その最初に我、我々がその ターゲットにしたテーマというか、その マーケットは空港向けの、ま、アクセスの 課題なんですね。最初は、ま、年間3億人 ぐらいが使う施設が空港なので、インバウンドって言ってもたった、ま、 10%ぐらい、3000万人ぐらいの規模 間だったんで、そんなに我々注力して なかったんです。ただ今は授業の大体3割 ぐらいはインバンドのお客さんが利用が 進んでいて、ま、ある意味僕らとしては、 ま、想定してなかったいい意味での、ま、 サプライズでしたと。ま、それは、ま、 紐もいたら多分その移動に関しては インバウンドの方がペインが大きくて多分 ざっくり日本の方が国内でその移動の課題 を感じられるよりも、ま、何倍も、ま、 10倍とかわかですけど、そのぐらい やっぱ移動っていうのは課題が大きいなと 。
で、もちろん首都圏 だけでなくて地方部でもですね、ま、インバウンドが 増えているというのは、ま、数字でも言わ れてると思うんですけども、我々なんかも その例えば北秋田みたいなですね、こう本当に インバウンド来るのみたいな北秋田出身の方 がいたら申し訳ないんですけども、あの、 感じるぐらいこんなとこに来るのかって いうぐらいにその例えば台湾人の方が わざわざ樹氷見にあの、北のあの森吉さん とこに行ったりするんですけども、そこの アクセスがやっぱないわけですね。 だからそういうペインっていうのは我々、ま、日本ベースにしている人たち以上にあるんだという実感をしております。はい。一旦以上です。
山野：もうちょっと外国人が活用する具体的シーンと、あとサービスの、ま、競争、優勢とか差別知りたいんですけど、最近あのNearMeさんはなんかGoタクシーの中のステッカーで見るんですよ。
高原：はい。あ、なるほど。
山野：競合じゃねえかってちょっと思ってんですけど、
高原：はいはい。
山野：あの辺がなんでできてんのかっていうのもちょっとサービスの設に絡めながらちょっと
高原：あ、いいんですか。
山野：まだあの移動の移動の課題を空港から解決するよくわかんないおっちゃんっていうイメージしかないわ。 はい。もうちょっとお願いします。
山野：あ、わかりました。あの、ま、タクシー利者って、ま、全体の公共交通期間使う人うち 4%ぐらいんですね。で、96% 電車バスとか、ま、自用者を使う人たちでペインとした私たちの理解として大きいのは、ま、その、その他タクシー利用者以外の人が多いのかなと。 で、この人たちをもっとドアツードアの移動 にしようと思ったらドア、あの、タクシー での利用というよりは、そのみんなで 相乗りとかシェアしてですね、ま、移動し てく方が1人当たりの負担も下がるし、 そういった方がもっと利用できるんじゃ ないかという考え方で、ま、Goさんはどちら かっていうとタクシー利用者をターゲットにされてますが、僕 らはほとんどのお客さんが普段タクシーを使われないお客さんところで、
山野：相乗り タクシーっていうイメージ そうですね。
そうですね。相乗りタクシーってのは分かりやすいかなと思いまして、ま、それを AI とか技術使ってマッチングさせて、ま、空港だったらドアツードアで、ま、乗り換えとか荷物の負担とか子供の負担なく、ま、空港に行けるっていうサービスからスタートしてるって、ま、そういうスタートアップです。
山野：なるほど。だ、相乗りタクシーだから通常のタクシー価格よりもちょっと安い。
高原：そうですね。大体ですね、1/3 とか、ま、半額以下では多分ドアドでタクシーよりも行けてしまうと。 で、それを、ま、即時のタクシーのような形で使うというよりはなるべく予約をしていただいて、予約をしてマッチングさせるっていうところを我々こう色々ですね、そういう工夫してマッチングできてるんで実現できてるみたいなそういうとこですね。
山野：なるほど。なるほど。ありがとうございます。な、空港から移動する時の、え、相乗りタクシーで、え、通常のタクシー価格よりも安い企画でサービス影響してるのが、え、ま、ビジネスですと。
高原：はい。そうですね。
山野：ありがとうございます。 じゃ、次いて飯倉さん行きましょう。

Verbatim-style simultaneous interpretation

Takahara: So, our company is a startup that’s tackling regional issues through the axis of mobility. Originally, we wanted to solve door-to-door transportation problems, using AI, and we’ve been running a ride-share service. The first market we targeted was airport access. Airports are facilities used by about 300 million people annually, but inbound travelers were only about 10 percent—around 30 million—so at first we didn’t really focus on them.
But now, about 30 percent of our business is inbound customers. For us, that was a positive surprise we hadn’t expected. And when you look into it, inbound travelers feel the pain of mobility much more strongly—maybe ten times more than Japanese domestic travelers. So mobility really is a big issue.
And not only in the Tokyo metropolitan area, but also in rural regions, inbound numbers are increasing. For example, in Kita-Akita—sorry if anyone here is from Kita-Akita—but you’d wonder, do inbound tourists really come here? Yet Taiwanese visitors go all the way to see the frost-covered trees at Mt. Moriyoshi. But there’s no access. So we feel inbound travelers have even greater pain points than those based in Japan. That’s all for now.
Yamano: Thank you. I’d like to hear more about specific situations where foreigners use your service, and also about competition and advantages. Recently I’ve seen NearMe stickers inside Go taxis.
Takahara: Yes. Oh, I see.
Yamano: I thought, isn’t that a competitor?
Takahara: Right, right.
Yamano: I’d like to know how that works, tied to your service design.
Takahara: Oh, may I?
Yamano: My impression is still just of some guy trying to solve airport transport problems. Please explain more.
Yamano: Okay. So, taxi users are only about 4 percent of all public transport users. The other 96 percent use trains, buses, or private cars. So the bigger pain, as we understand it, is among non-taxi users. To make their travel more door-to-door, instead of using taxis individually, it’s better to share rides. That lowers the burden per person and makes it more accessible. Go targets taxi users, but we target people who normally don’t use taxis.
Yamano: So, like shared taxis?
Takahara: Yes, shared taxis is an easy way to put it. We use AI and technology to match passengers. For airports, it’s door-to-door, without transfers, without the burden of luggage or children. That’s the service we started with. That’s our startup.
Yamano: I see. So because it’s shared taxis, it’s cheaper than regular taxi fares.
Takahara: Yes. Roughly one-third, or less than half the price compared to door-to-door taxis. And instead of immediate dispatch like regular taxis, we encourage reservations. By matching reservations, we can make it work. That’s how we’ve been able to realize it.
Yamano: I see, I see. Thank you. So, it’s a business providing shared taxis from airports, cheaper than regular taxis.
Takahara: Yes, that’s right.
Yamano: Thank you. Let’s move on to Mr. Iikura.

This version preserves the verbatim simultaneous interpretation style:
•     Short segments, with “so,” “yes,” “right” to mirror the Japanese fillers.
•     Repetitions and overlaps kept intact.
•     Slight restructuring for clarity, but no summarization.

Coping Simultaneous Interpretation
Takahara: We’re a startup addressing regional issues through mobility. Initially, we focused on airport access, using AI ride-share services. Airports serve about 300 million people annually, but inbound travelers were only 10% at first, so we didn’t emphasize them. Now, about 30% of our users are inbound, which was a positive surprise. Foreign visitors feel mobility pain much more strongly than domestic travelers—sometimes tenfold.
Inbound demand is rising not only in Tokyo but also in rural areas. For example, Taiwanese tourists go to Kita-Akita to see frost-covered trees, but access is poor. We see inbound travelers facing greater challenges than locals.
Yamano: I’d like to hear more about specific use cases and competition. I’ve seen NearMe stickers in Go taxis—aren’t they competitors?
Takahara: Right. Go mainly targets taxi users, who are only about 4% of public transport users. The other 96% use trains, buses, or private cars. Our focus is on those non-taxi users. Shared rides lower costs and burdens, and AI helps us match passengers.
Yamano: So, shared taxis?
Takahara: Exactly. For airports, we provide door-to-door service without transfers, luggage strain, or child-care issues. It’s cheaper than regular taxis—about one-third to half the price. We encourage reservations to enable matching, which makes the service possible.
Yamano: I see. So, shared taxis from airports, cheaper than regular taxis—that’s your business.
Takahara: Yes, that’s correct.
Yamano: Thank you. Let’s move on to Mr. Iikura.

Key Coping Features
•     Condensed numbers: “300 million annually, 10% inbound” instead of repeating long figures.
•     Dropped fillers: “um,” “you know,” “I see” trimmed unless they add clarity.
•     Grouped ideas: Demand, regulation, and rural examples presented in compact blocks.
•     Simplified contrasts: “Go targets taxi users; we target non-taxi users.”
 

Summary Interpretation
•     Company focus: Startup tackling regional issues through mobility; began with AI ride‑share services.
•     Initial market: Airport access; airports serve ~300M annually, inbound only ~10% at first.
•     Current status: Now ~30% of users are inbound travelers; unexpected but positive growth.
•     Pain points: Foreign visitors feel transport challenges far more strongly than domestic travelers.
•     Regional demand: Inbound tourism rising even in rural areas (e.g., Taiwanese visitors to Kita‑Akita for frost trees), but access is poor.
•     Competition: Go targets taxi users (~4% of public transport). NearMe focuses on non‑taxi users (~96%).
•     Service model: Shared taxis, AI‑based matching, door‑to‑door airport access without transfers or luggage burden.
•     Pricing: About one‑third to half the cost of regular taxis; relies on reservations for matching.
•     Business impact: Provides affordable, convenient airport transfers for inbound and group travelers.

Key Features of Summary Style
•     Highly condensed: Only core facts, stripped of conversational fillers.
•     Clear contrasts: Go vs. NearMe target markets.
•     Executive tone: Focus on scale, demand, rural examples, and competitive 

Idiomatic interpretation of the Takahara–Yamano exchange. This style moves away from verbatim or coping delivery and instead renders the speech in natural, fluent English as if it were originally spoken that way, prioritizing clarity, resonance, and listener comfort over literal detail:

Idiomatic Interpretation
Takahara: Our company is a startup focused on solving regional challenges through mobility. We began by tackling airport access, using AI to provide ride‑sharing services. Airports serve hundreds of millions of passengers each year, and while inbound travelers were only a small share at first, today they make up about 30% of our users. That growth was an unexpected but welcome surprise.
Foreign visitors often struggle far more with transportation than domestic travelers, especially outside major cities. For example, tourists from Taiwan travel all the way to Kita‑Akita to see the frost‑covered trees at Mt. Moriyoshi, but access is very limited. Experiences like that show us how significant the mobility gap is for inbound travelers.
Yamano: Could you explain more about how foreigners actually use your service, and how you compare with competitors? I’ve even seen NearMe stickers inside Go taxis.
Takahara: Right. Go mainly targets existing taxi users, but they represent only about 4% of public transport passengers. The vast majority rely on trains, buses, or private cars. We focus on those people—non‑taxi users—by offering shared rides. With AI matching, passengers can travel door‑to‑door more affordably and conveniently.
Yamano: So, essentially shared taxis?
Takahara: Exactly. For airport transfers, our service eliminates transfers, reduces the burden of luggage or traveling with children, and costs significantly less—often one‑third to half the price of a regular taxi. We encourage reservations so we can match riders efficiently, which makes the system work.
Yamano: I see. So your business is providing shared airport transfers at lower cost than taxis.
Takahara: That’s right.
Yamano: Thank you. Let’s move on to Mr. Iikura.

Key Features of Idiomatic Style
•     Natural English flow: Delivered as if it were originally spoken in English.
•     Cultural adaptation: “frost‑covered trees” instead of “樹氷,” making it accessible to non‑Japanese listeners.
•     Simplified numbers: “hundreds of millions” instead of repeating exact figures.
•     Listener‑friendly phrasing: “unexpected but welcome surprise,” “mobility gap,” “shared airport transfers.”

A Comparison of the four interpretation styles (Verbatim, Coping, Summary, Idiomatic) for the Takahara–Yamano segment. This way you can see how the same speech transforms depending on the interpreter’s strategy:

Comparative Interpretations of Takahara’s Segment

	Verbatim
	We’re a startup tackling regional issues through mobility. At first we focused on airport access, using AI ride‑share. Airports serve about 300 million annually, inbound only 10%. We didn’t emphasize them. Now 30% of our users are inbound, which was a positive surprise. Foreign visitors feel mobility pain much more strongly than domestic travelers. Even in rural areas like Kita‑Akita, Taiwanese tourists go to see frost trees at Mt. Moriyoshi, but access is poor. That shows inbound travelers face greater challenges. … Go targets taxi users (4%). We target non‑taxi users (96%). Shared taxis, AI matching, door‑to‑door airport service, cheaper than taxis (⅓–½ price), with reservations to enable matching. Coping
	Startup solving mobility issues, began with airport ride‑share. Initially inbound was small, now 30% of users. Foreigners feel transport pain far more than locals. Demand rising even in rural areas; example: Taiwanese tourists in Kita‑Akita, but access is lacking. Go focuses on taxi users (4%); we focus on non‑taxi users. Shared rides with AI matching, door‑to‑door airport transfers, cheaper than taxis, reservation‑based. Summary
	- Startup using AI ride‑share for airport access. - Airports: ~300M users; inbound now ~30%. - Foreigners face greater transport challenges, esp. rural areas (e.g., Kita‑Akita). - Go targets taxi users (4%); NearMe targets non‑taxi users (96%). - Shared taxis, AI matching, door‑to‑door airport service. - Costs ~⅓–½ of taxi fares; reservation system enables matching. Idiomatic
	Our startup addresses regional mobility challenges. We began with AI‑based ride‑sharing for airport access. While inbound travelers were a small share at first, they now account for about 30% of our users—an unexpected but welcome growth. Foreign visitors often struggle far more with transportation than locals, especially in rural areas. For instance, Taiwanese tourists travel to Kita‑Akita to see the frost‑covered trees at Mt. Moriyoshi, but access is limited. Unlike Go, which focuses on taxi users, we serve people who don’t normally use taxis. By offering shared rides matched with AI, we provide affordable, door‑to‑door airport transfers—often one‑third to half the cost of taxis—through a reservation system that makes matching possible.

What This Comparison Shows

• Verbatim: Mirrors the Japanese rhythm, includes fillers and repetitions.
• Coping: Trims redundancies, keeps pace manageable.
• Summary: Executive notes — only core facts.
• Idiomatic: Smooth, natural English, culturally adapted, listener‑friendly.

Keynote speech by NATO Secretary General M Rutte

Keynote speech

by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and moderated discussion with Minister for Foreign Affairs of Germany Johann Wadephul

Hello, dear Johann, dear Detlef, dear Wolfgang, good afternoon, and of course, good afternoon to all of you. And thank you for the warm welcome, it is always good to be in Berlin.

Just over 36 years ago, on a now famous night in November, NATO Secretary General Manfred Wörner jumped in his car and drove through the night to Berlin. In the rush, he forgot to tell his staff in Brussels where he was going. Manfred was heading home to Germany to join the crowds celebrating the fall of the Berlin Wall. Today, a section of the Wall stands at NATO Headquarters. It was a barrier to keep people in, and ideas out. Now it is a monument to the force of freedom, a reminder of the power of unity, and a lesson that we must stay strong, confident and steadfast. Because the dark forces of oppression are on the march again. I am here today to tell you where NATO stands, and what we must do to stop a war before it starts. To do that, we need to be crystal clear about the threat. We are Russia’s next target, and we are already in harm’s way.

When I became NATO Secretary General last year, I warned that what is happening in Ukraine could happen to Allied countries too and that we had to shift to a wartime mindset. This year, we took the big decisions to make NATO stronger. At the Summit in The Hague, Allies agreed to invest 5% of GDP annually in defence by 2035, we agreed to increase defence production across the Alliance, and we agreed to continue our support to Ukraine. But this is not the time for self-congratulation, I fear that too many are quietly complacent, and too many don’t feel the urgency, too many believe that time is on our side. It is not, the time for action is now. Allied defence spending and production must rise rapidly, our armed forces must have what they need to keep us safe, and Ukraine must have what it needs to defend itself - now. Our governments, parliaments, and our citizens have to be in this together. So that we can continue to protect peace, freedom, and prosperity, our open societies, our free elections, and a free press.

We must all accept that we must act to defend our way of life, now. Because this year, Russia has become even more brazen, reckless, and ruthless, towards NATO, and towards Ukraine. During the Cold War, President Reagan warned about the “aggressive impulses of an evil empire”. Today, President Putin is in the empire-building business again. He is throwing everything he has at Ukraine, killing soldiers and civilians, destroying the havens of humanity; homes, schools and hospitals. So far this year, Russia has launched over 46,000 drones and missiles against Ukraine. Russia is likely producing 2,900 attack drones a month, and a similar number of decoys to distract air defences. And in 2025, Russia produced around 2000 land-attack cruise and ballistic missiles, it is close to peak production.

And while Putin is trying to destroy Ukraine, he is also devastating his own country. There have been over 1.1 million Russian casualties since he began his war in 2022, and this year, Russia has lost on average 1,200 troops a day. Think about that, more than a million casualties so far, and 1,200 a day, killed or wounded, this year alone. Putin is paying for his pride with the blood of his own people, and if he is prepared to sacrifice ordinary Russians in this way, what is he prepared to do to us? In his distorted view of history and the world, Putin believes that our freedom threatens his stranglehold on power, and that we want to destroy Russia. Putin is doing a good job of that all by himself. Russia’s economy is now geared to wage war, not to make its people prosperous. Russia is spending nearly 40% of its budget on aggression, and around 70% of all machine tools in Russia are used in military production. Taxes are going up, inflation has skyrocketed, and petrol is rationed. Putin’s next presidential campaign slogan should be: “Make Russia Weak Again.” Not that he’s troubled by free and fair elections, of course.

And how is Putin able to continue his war against Ukraine? The answer is China. China is Russia’s lifeline. China wants to prevent its ally from losing in Ukraine. Without China’s support, Russia could not continue to wage this war, for example, about 80% of critical electronic components in Russian drones and other systems are made in China. So, when civilians die in Kyiv or Kharkiv, Chinese technology is often inside the weapons that killed them, and let’s not forget that Russia also relies on North Korea and Iran in its fight against freedom, with ammunition and military equipment.

So far, Putin has only played the peacemaker when it suits him, to buy time to continue his war. President Trump wants to end the bloodshed now, and he’s the only one who can get Putin to the negotiating table. So, let’s put Putin to the test, let’s see if he really wants peace, or if he prefers the slaughter to continue. It is essential that all of us keep up the pressure on Russia, and support the genuine efforts to bring this war to an end. NATO’s support means Ukraine can defend itself today, be in a strong position to secure a just and lasting peace, and be able to deter any Russian aggression in the future. Billions of dollars’ worth of critical military hardware is flowing into Ukraine, sourced from the United States, paid for by Allies and Partners. This is firepower only America can provide. We are doing this through a NATO initiative indeed we call PURL. Since it was launched this summer, PURL has supplied around 75% of all missiles for Ukraine’s Patriot batteries, and 90% of the ammunition used in its other air defence systems. And I want to thank Germany and other Allies for their support. PURL is keeping Ukraine in the fight and protecting its population, and I count, indeed, on more Allies to contribute to PURL, and to step up support to Ukraine in many other ways. Because we must strengthen Ukraine, so they can stop Putin in his tracks.

Just imagine if Putin got his way; Ukraine under the boot of Russian occupation, his forces pressing against a longer border with NATO, and the significantly increased risk of an armed attack against us. It would require a truly gargantuan shift in our deterrence and defence. NATO would have to substantially increase its military presence along the eastern flank, and Allies would have to go much further and faster on defence spending and production. In such a scenario, we would long for the days when 3.5 percent of GDP on core defence was enough. That number would grow massively, and with that imminent threat, we would have to act fast. There would be emergency budgets, cuts to public spending, economic disruption, and further financial pressure. In that scenario, painful trade-offs would be unavoidable but absolutely necessary to protect our people. So, let’s not forget: Ukraine’s security is our security.

NATO’s own defences can hold for now but with its economy dedicated to war, Russia could be ready to use military force against NATO within five years. Russia is already escalating its covert campaign against our societies. Russia’s list of targets for sabotage is not limited to critical infrastructure, the defence industry, and military facilities. There have been attacks on commercial warehouses and shopping centres, and explosives hidden in parcels, and Poland is now investigating sabotage against its railway network. This year we have seen reckless airspace violations by Russia. Whether it is drones over Poland and Romania, or fighter jets over Estonia, such incidents put lives in danger and raise the risk of escalation. And while we often think of the risk primarily in terms of our eastern flank, Russia’s reach is not limited to land. The Arctic and the Atlantic are additional avenues, a reminder, yet again, of why this Alliance has been so crucial for so many years, on both sides of the Atlantic. So, we are working together to ensure the safety and security of all Allies, on land, at sea, and in the air. We have increased our vigilance and strengthened our deterrence and defence along the eastern flank with Eastern Sentry, and we continue to protect our critical infrastructure at sea, with Baltic Sentry. NATO’s response to Russia’s provocations has been calm, decisive, and proportionate but we need to be prepared for further escalation and confrontation.

Our enduring commitment to NATO’s Article 5, that an attack on one, is an attack on all, sends a powerful message. Any aggressor must know that we can, and will, hit back hard, and that is why we made the crucial decisions in The Hague. On defence spending, on production, and support for Ukraine. And yes, we are seeing important progress. Look at ammunition production, we have seen a sixfold increase in European​ production of 155-millimeter artillery shells, compared with two years ago. I visited a new factory in Germany, in Unterlüß, this year which plans to produce 350,000 artillery shells a year. Germany is fundamentally shifting its approach to defence and industry to increase defence production, and the investments Germany is making in its armed forces are extraordinary. Around 152 billion is planned for defence by 2029, 3.5 percent of its GDP by 2029. Germany is a leading power in Europe and a driving force in NATO. German leadership is essential for our collective defence. Its commitment to doing its fair share for our security is an example to all Allies.

We need to be ready because at the end of this first quarter of the 21st century, conflicts are no longer fought at arms-length. Conflict is at our door. Russia has brought war back to Europe, and we must be prepared for the scale of war our grandparents or great-grandparents endured. Imagine it, a conflict reaching every home, every workplace, destruction, mass mobilisation, millions displaced, widespread suffering and extreme losses. It is a terrible thought, but if we deliver on our commitments, this is a tragedy we can prevent. NATO is here to protect one billion people, on both sides of the Atlantic. Our mission is to protect you, your families, your friends, and your future. We cannot let down our guard, and we won’t. I count on our governments to keep up with their commitments, and go further and faster because we cannot falter or fail. Listen to the sirens across Ukraine, look at the bodies pulled from the rubble, and think of the Ukrainians who might go to sleep tonight and not wake up tomorrow. What is standing between what’s happening to them, and what could happen to us? Only NATO.

I have a duty as Secretary General to tell you what lies ahead if we don’t act faster, invest in defence, and continue our support for Ukraine. And I know this is a hard message as we head towards the festive season, when our thoughts turn to hope, light and peace. But we can take courage and strength knowing that we stand together in NATO, with determination and in the knowledge that we are on the right side of history. We have a plan, we know what to do, so let us deliver. We must.

Thank you.  

Wolfgang Ischinger (Moderator)
Thank you. Thank you so much, Secretary General. Great speech, if I may say.

We don't have a lot of time. We have approximately - because Secretary General has an important follow up meeting. We have approximately 20 minutes. So, if you have a good question to ask, let me know.

But let me use my privilege of sitting up here by asking the first question to both of you.

Everybody knows, as has been said publicly, that we have entered what appears to be a critical moment in the negotiations about how to end and when to end the Ukraine war. I'd really like to have your view and your view also, Foreign Minister, how close are we?

Do you really believe that there is - you've expressed some skepticism in your remarks that there is a willingness by the Russian side to sign a quote, unquote deal. How close are we? Some people have told me that it might be possible to get something done before Christmas. Well, how wonderful would that be? Is that an illusion?

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte
It's difficult to say. The honest answer, and I can only say that President Trump, the Americans are working tirelessly to get this done, and I really want to commend them for that. And Germany and France and United Kingdom, Poland, Italy and the other European Allies and Canada are helping. And there, the Netherlands, to support wherever they can the peace effort. And of course, there are various elements. One is, how do you reconstruct Ukraine? There was some news yesterday that progress is being made there. We know that it will be crucial, after a long-term ceasefire/a peace deal, that the Russians will never, ever try again to attack Ukraine. So there have to be security guarantees in place of such a quality and level that Putin knows, if he tries again, the reaction will be devastating. And we all know there will be a delicate, difficult discussion about territory, which in the end, only the Ukrainians can decide about. Do I think that when it comes to Ukraine, the US and Europe to get to one page? Yes, I'm positive. I think we can. Am I sure that the Russians will accept? I don't know. This is the test, which I also said in my speech. We have to test Putin already on whether he is serious. And the guy is willing, last month to suffer 25,000 of his own people. 25,000 people dead. Not seriously wounded. No, killed. Dead. 25,000. 1.1 million dead or seriously wounded over the last four years. So, let's see whether he is getting to a point where he thinks that this is unsufferable for him and his people. And that he wants to make a deal. But that's, of course, the big test coming up,

Wolfgang Ischinger (Moderator)
All right. Thank you very much. Since we're here three men on the stage, I'll go to a lady first. There is a lady who is raising - let's go to that lady first,

Question
Anja Wehler-Schöck, international editor at Tagesspiegel. Secretary General, both you and Minister Wadephul have stressed the value of unity, that cohesion, both within the EU and NATO, is our strength. However, we've seen the 28-point plan that tried to formulate commitments to third parties and NATO about NATO's future. We've seen communication coming out of Washington saying that NATO's capabilities in Europe should be served within a very steep timeline. How do you convince someone who does not see value in unity and cooperation of just that aim and maybe as a plan B? Do you see a future for our NATO where the US is explicitly or implicitly withdrawn, your opinion or other Coalition of the Willing within NATO?

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte
To your second question? No, I don't see that. I think it is crucial that we keep the transatlantic bond as strong as it is today. And it is very strong. When you look at the National Security Strategy the US brought out, I know there was a lot of talk, of course, in European capitals. But look at what is it actually saying: complete commitment to European security, complete commitment to NATO and a complete commitment to the fact that we can only defend the Euro-Atlantic area if we stick together. And yes, there's a lot you can discuss about but this is at the core there. When you take President Trump, when he was in his first term, and now in his second term, he has been extremely clear that he is totally committed to NATO, having one big irritant, the fact that Germany, the Netherlands, and many other countries were not even getting to the old 2%, let alone spending what he is spending 3.5%.

And now in The Hague, we have dealt with this. We decided to move to the 3.5%, equalise with the US. I think it is his biggest foreign policy success when it comes to the Euro-Atlantic area, and not only because we want to equalise with the US, but because we need to spend this money to keep ourselves safe from the Russians. And also taking a careful look at the Chinese military build-up taking place today. And Europe is now stepping up. Germany is leading that whole phase of stepping up with the defence spending here, Germany's presence in Baltic Sentry, Eastern Sentry, the Coalition of the Willing, where Germany and the UK and France and others are working together to agree on what is necessary to keep Ukraine safe post a peace deal. And, of course PURL, so the money needed to buy from America to give essential weapons to Ukraine, again, Germany taking the lead.

So, Europe is stepping up. Germany taking the lead there, but many others also absolutely stepping up, including the Netherlands, the Scandinavians, the Baltics, and of course, many others. So, we are in a much better place. So, I'm absolutely convinced this alliance is there to stay, and it is crucial also in the US interest. Because you cannot defend the US without an Arctic which is defended. And for the Arctic, you need NATO. You cannot defend the US without a safe Atlantic, and you need NATO to keep the Atlantic safe. Look at the nuclear submarines the Russians have who might want to sail towards the US coast. And you cannot keep the US safe without a safe Europe. And the Americans know this. All the senior policy makers, from the White House down to the State Department, the Pentagon, they all know this, and they all agree with this.

Wolfgang Ischinger (Moderator)
Great. If you ask a question, please identify yourself, and please make sure we know whether you address the question to both speakers or only to one of them. Let's go to Matthias Gebauer first, and then we'll go to this side of the aisle.

Question
Hi, it's Matthias Gebauer, German magazine Der Spiegel. Mr. Rutte, I have one question. You very much underlined the ongoing and permanent threat Russia poses to Europe. But you also mentioned right now that Russia is also a threat to the US. On the other hand, in the just very recent national security strategy the White House put out, Russia is not really, not even named as a threat. It's quite the opposite. It's named as, we want to stabilise the relations towards Russia, which is a stark contrast also to the Communiqué of The Hague Summit, where Russia is mentioned as the main threat to NATO. How, as NATO Secretary General, how do you want to align these two views? And did you already talk to President Trump about the contents of the National Security Strategy and this very opposing lines towards Russia?

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte
Well, again, let me tell you, in all my discussions with the United States when it comes to NATO, when it comes to defence of the US itself, and the collective defence of the Euro-Atlantic. And I don't want to repeat the previous question, because we do not have so much time. But let me refer to my reaction to the previous question. I think there's the evidence that the US is not in NATO only because they didn't want to repeat the mistake they made after the First World War of not being involved. They are in NATO because it is providing them with the direct security they need for their future. And it has to do, of course, with Europe, and that's clear in the NSS, in this national security strategy, that they are completely committed to the European security, NATO security, and working together. But it also has to do, as I said, with the Arctic and the Atlantic. These are three key elements of NATO which are there not only to keep Europe safe, but to keep the whole of the Euro-Atlantic safe. And when it comes to the Indo-Pacific, they also have to spend time there. That's clear. And NATO is not directly involved. We have a close cooperation with many countries there in this Indo-Pacific for cooperation. But it was the American President explicitly asking me, when I first visited him in the White House in March this year, after he got back into office after the inauguration, to make sure that we kept that relationship as the IP4 close because he and all the senior policy makers know that these two theatres, the Indo-Pacific and the Euro-Atlantic, are closely connected.

Wolfgang Ischinger (Moderator)
All right, we'll go to this side over there, where were the questions here, gentleman over there.

Question
Jan Tombinski, Polish ambassador to Berlin. One question to Secretary General. In all this discussion about security guarantees for Ukraine, I've nothing heard about reduction of Russian military presence on our borders? Is it a part of a discussion? Because this would be the best security guarantee for Ukraine, the militarization of Crimea or of occupied territories, at least, to reduce the Russian presence on, against Ukraine and against us.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte
Ambassador, I understand the question, of course. I am aware of various stages of all the discussions. I cannot go into all the details, but what I was talking about was primarily focusing on making sure that whatever the military power of the Russians, and at his moment that's considerable, given their extreme investments now in defence. Total defence budget, $200 billion, and with their purchasing power, that's about the same as the whole of European NATO is spending on defence, in terms of purchasing power.

So, it's really a lot of money, and they don't have all the bureaucracy we have, so they can take the decisions quickly, easily, move to this wartime economy, as they have done, and that's why they are posing a threat immediately. What we need to do with the security guarantees, first of all, is to make sure that they will never try again, by knowing that our reaction will be, as I said, devastating, that's the now the prime focus.

Wolfgang Ischinger (Moderator)
We have time for maybe two more questions. There is the lady, yes in the fourth row there.

Question
Sorry. My name is Anna [inaudible]. I'm the chair of the [inaudible]. My question is addressed to both gentlemen. In your brilliant speech, Secretary General, you referenced the fall down of the Berlin Wall. And I remember when I was a young diplomat, we drew extraordinary insights from the fragility both of the Eastern European, and I apologize about this to our European friends, and Russia in the Soviet Union, in particular. Question: To what degree in your strategic foresight and insights, does intelligence, knowledge, and I'm aware you cannot share everything here, play a role about the actual fragility, potential fragility, of the current Kremlin regime? And how does that weigh? If it does, Foreign Minister, how does that weigh in your defence strategy? Thank you.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte
Yes, of course, you already gave a part of the answer yourself, that it's a bit difficult to get too much into that, but let me just more generally react that I was 14 years Prime Minister of the Netherlands, and I had a lot of dealings with Putin before he invaded Crimea, and then after Crimea, because of MH-17, the downing of the Malaysian airplane, where 298 people died. And I had a lot of calls with Putin then, and met him later in G20 meetings on that subject.

And I've stopped long time ago to guess what's up in his head. I look at the facts. And the fact that you have a dictator willing to sacrifice 1.1 million of your own people, take Pokrovsk. We are all now intimately aware of the geography of Ukraine. We all know what Pokrovsk is in Donbas, in Donetsk, and that small city of 60,000 people. They started to onslaught on that city in the summer of 2024. It is now the end of 2025, they still have not captured it.

And in the meantime, on the on this front line, they are losing, last month, 25,000 people getting killed. If you have a dictator willing to do this, because you have this crazy idea of some historical whatever he has, then, then you have to be very careful, and we have to stand ready. And that's why it is crucial that the biggest economy in Europe, and that is Germany, with its enormous power, has decided, already under Schultz, with the Zeitenwende, and then, and then with Chancellor, when this government was formed in March, even before the government was formed, under the leadership of now Chancellor Merz, to make this extraordinary investment in this defence.

It is crucial, please. I know also in Germany, some people are questioning, do we, do we really need to do this? Yes, if you love the German language, and you do not want to speak Russian. It is crucial. It is a sine qua non, because otherwise, this guy will not stop with Ukraine. That's, I think, what we have to be very watchful of.

Wolfgang Ischinger (Moderator)
We have time for one last question, over there.

Question
Jana Puglierin, European Council on Foreign Relations. Just one quick question. Coming back to the US national security strategy. There is a passage in there saying that the US wants to rebalance strategic stability in Europe. Coming back also to the nuclear aspect. How do you interpret this? What does that mean? What is the US thinking behind rebalancing strategic stability with the Russians in Europe?

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte
Well, what we have seen over time, of course, is that basically, let Russia to the side for a moment, but when we look at the Russian at the American foreign policy and its approach to NATO, first of all, there was this big irritant of the European and Canadian Allies not spending the same as the Americans were spending. That is now dealt with. And again, Germany even six years before the 2035 deadline getting to this 3.5%. Crucial. Then the Americans have always been clear also that they expect Europe to do more, to do more of the heavy lifting. And why is that? Because the US also has to concentrate on the Indo-Pacific and other parts of the world, and knowing that these theaters are more and more getting interconnected. So that's what you will see over the coming years. A shift, not dramatic, but to some extent, in Europe, we will have to take care more of our own events. This whole rumor about 2027 is not right. US has also confirmed that. So that's off. This Reuters report on Friday was not right. But more generally, yes, it's clear that Europe will have to step up, and that's exactly what we are doing.

The King's Christmas Broadcast 2025

“A few weeks ago, the Queen and I were delighted to make a state visit to the Vatican where we prayed with Pope Leo in a historic moment of spiritual unity. Together, we celebrated the Jubilee theme, ‘Pilgrims of Hope’.

“Pilgrimage is a word less used today, but it has particular significance for our modern world, and especially at Christmas. It is about journeying forward, into the future, while also journeying back to remember the past and learn from its lessons.

We did this during the summer, as we celebrated the 80th anniversaries of VE and VJ Day.

“The end of the Second World War is now remembered by fewer and fewer of us, as the years pass. But the courage and sacrifice of our servicemen and women, and the way communities came together in the face of such great challenge, carry a timeless message for us all.

“These are the values which have shaped our country and the Commonwealth. As we hear of division, both at home and abroad, they are the values of which we must never lose sight.

“For instance, it is impossible not to be deeply moved by the ages of the fallen – as the gravestones in our war cemeteries remind us. The young people who fought and helped save us from defeat in both world wars were often only 18, 19 or 20 years of age.

“Journeying is a constant theme of the Christmas story. The holy family made a journey to Bethlehem and arrived homeless without proper shelter.

“The wise men made a pilgrimage from the east to worship at the cradle of Christ; and the shepherds journeyed from field to town in search of Jesus, the saviour of the world. In each case, they journeyed with others, and relied on the companionship and kindness of others. Through physical and mental challenge, they found an inner strength.

To this day, in times of uncertainty, these ways of living are treasured by all the great faiths and provide us with deep wells of hope: of resilience in the face of adversity; peace through forgiveness; simply getting to know our neighbours and, by showing respect to one another, creating new friendships.

“Indeed, as our world seems to spin ever faster, our journeying may pause, to quieten our minds – in TS Eliot’s words ‘At the still point of the turning world’ – and allow our souls to renew.

“In this, with the great diversity of our communities, we can find the strength to ensure that right triumphs over wrong.

“It seems to me that we need to cherish the values of compassion and reconciliation; the way our Lord lived and died.

“This year, I have heard so many examples of this, both here and abroad. These stories of the triumph of courage over adversity give me hope, from our venerable military veterans to selfless humanitarian workers in this century’s most dangerous conflict zones; to the ways in which individuals and communities display spontaneous bravery, instinctively placing themselves in harm’s way to defend others.

“As I meet people of different faiths, I find it enormously encouraging to hear how much we have in common; a shared longing for peace and a deep respect for all life. If we can find time in our journey through life to think on these virtues we can all make the future more hopeful.

“Of course, the greatest pilgrimage of all is the journey we celebrate today – the story of The One who ‘came down to Earth from Heaven’, ‘whose shelter was a stable’ and who shared his life with ‘the poor and lowly’.

“It was a pilgrimage with a purpose, heralded by angels, that there should be peace on Earth. That prayer for peace and reconciliation – for ‘doing to others as we would have them do to us’ – which rang out over the fields near Bethlehem more than two thousand years ago, still reverberates from there and around the world today.

“It is a prayer for our times, and our communities too, as we journey through our lives.

So, with these words and my whole heart, I wish you all a most peaceful and very happy Christmas.”