Merkel's closing exhortation brought her speech full circle — from the literal Berlin Wall of her youth to the metaphorical walls she saw everywhere in 2019. 'Walls in people's minds. Walls of ignorance and narrow-mindedness. They exist between family members, as well as between groups within society, between people of different skin colors, nations, and religions.' She then delivered a remarkable cascade of optimism from a leader known for pragmatic caution: 'Walls can collapse. Dictatorships can disappear. We can halt global warming. We can eradicate starvation. We can eliminate diseases. We can give people, especially girls, access to education.' The audience gave her repeated standing ovations. Speaking in English (highly unusual for Merkel at such events), she ended with what amounted to her political testament: 'Let's not start by asking what isn't possible. Let's start by asking what is possible.'