Overview

• Chancellor Friedrich Merz used the central festakt to call for a “new beginning,” urging confidence and a collective effort after 35 years of reunification.
• French President Emmanuel Macron warned of democratic erosion and pressed for greater European defense capacity and strategic autonomy.
• Commentators noted the absence of East German speakers on the Saarbrücken stage, intensifying debate over whose voices are highlighted in national remembrance.
• Police in Erfurt counted roughly 950 participants at a demonstration against an AfD rally, compared with about 320 at the AfD event.
• Thousands attended the Bürgerfest in Saarbrücken featuring around 600 artists on 20 stages, while cities such as Frankfurt held parallel ceremonies and community events.