It's not often that a German president writes a book while still in office but Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who's been Germany's head of state for over seven years, has done just that.

He says the decision was prompted by the approach this year of major anniversaries for two significant events in German history: the 75th anniversary of the Proclamation of the Constitution [Germany's Basic Law] on May 23; and the 35th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9.

Looking ahead to those milestones, the president — who plays a rather more ceremonial role in matters of state — feels uneasier than he does celebratory when considering the state of the nation.

You could even say Steinmeier is alarmed in the face of rising right-wing populism, despondency, and skepticism about democracy, as well as unresolved social issues tied to migration, the welfare state, and the fight against climate change.

In Steinmeier's book, titled "Wir" ("We"), he describes a country plagued by great uncertainty.

"Those who can never rest, never establish themselves, never know that they have a safe harbor, but rather must expect the unexpected at every turn — whether that be the emergence of a virus that paralyzes public life or a war that threatens to rob people of heating gas in winter — they lose faith in the most natural things," he writes.

Steinmeier has tirelessly traveled the country, including visiting small towns and communities to talk with people whose opinions........

© Deutsche Welle