Overview

• Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged Germans to “venture a new start,” appealing for confidence, volunteer service and reforms to strengthen defense, cut red tape and boost technological competitiveness.
• France’s President Emmanuel Macron took part as honored guest, signaling the celebration’s European dimension in the Franco‑German border city.
• Saarbrücken is hosting a large Bürgerfest with art, music and debates through the weekend, alongside tightened security that includes a flight and drone ban over the city.
• Fresh polling underscores persistent East–West gaps, with sizable shares saying differences outweigh commonalities and many judging reunification issues as still unresolved.
• Angela Merkel criticized the guest lineup in advance, saying an Eastern European or East German voice would have suited the 35th anniversary.