Overview

• Germany’s central Festakt begins around midday in Saarbrücken, where Chancellor Friedrich Merz says he will focus on urgent solutions, as unions demand closing the East–West wage gap and the FDP calls for bold reforms.
• French President Emmanuel Macron attends as guest of honor and is due to speak, adding a European dimension after Angela Merkel questioned the absence of an East German or Eastern European guest speaker.
• Saarbrücken’s city center hosts a large citizen festival with a Ländermeile for all 16 states, multiple stages and interactive exhibits by roughly 600 performers, with host Anke Rehlinger later passing the Bundesrat baton to Bremen.
• Heightened security includes a flight and drone ban over Saarbrücken during the celebrations, with several hundred thousand visitors expected through Saturday.
• Surveys show many perceive persistent East–West differences, while commemorations nationwide include concerts, services and the “Deutschland singt & klingt” candlelight events at more than 200 sites such as Halle, Cottbus and Potsdam.