same procedure as every year? New Year's speeches compared

'The same procedure as every year?' examines four selected New Year's speeches by German Chancellors Gerhard Schröder and Angela Merkel. The selection covers the disaster years 2004 (tsunami in Thailand) and 2011 (earthquake in Fukushima) as well as the preceding years. Both rhetorical and typological aspects were examined. This was done in the form of an analysis of the visual material and a coding of the speeches. Attention was paid to a variety of thematic, rhetorical-linguistic, semantic and persuasive elements. This was followed by a thorough evaluation, which resulted in a profile for each of the two speakers. The subsequent comparison is based on these profiles. Similarities and differences in speech behaviour and speech intention were identified, most of which can be regarded as generally applicable speech strategies in political communication. The result raises the question of whether the political instrument of 'New Year's speeches' should be implemented in a more innovative way in the future in order to maintain its status as an important ritual.