German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has issued a stark warning about the state of the nation’s democracy during his final German Unity Day address. Speaking on Saturday in Bremen, the president highlighted that the optimism surrounding the 1990 reunification has experienced “bitter setbacks,” citing growing threats from right-wing extremism and challenges to international cooperation.
The main national celebrations for the 36th anniversary of reunification are taking place in Bremen, which is hosting the event due to its current rotating presidency of the Bundesrat, Germany’s upper legislative house. The holiday commemorates October 3, 1990, when the five states of former East Germany formally joined the Federal Republic.
More than 400,000 attendees are expected at the public festival, which continues through Sunday with a program of concerts, exhibitions, and discussions under the theme “Many Strengths — One Country.” Following a service at Bremen Cathedral, political leaders gathered at the Die Glocke concert hall for the official ceremony.
Despite more than three decades having passed since unification, significant disparities between eastern and western Germany persist regarding income, wealth, and access to leadership roles. Elisabeth Kaiser, the government’s commissioner for eastern Germany, emphasized the need to bridge this gap to achieve true national unity.
Kaiser, a member of the center-left Social Democratic Party, told the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung that none of Germany’s current top political figures hail from the east. She argued that the next federal president should come from eastern Germany and suggested that a qualified woman from the region would be a suitable candidate.
“That can quickly create the impression that eastern Germans play no role in leading our country and are only sitting at the children’s table,” Kaiser stated. She noted that Joachim Gauck, born in Rostock, remains the only president from eastern Germany since reunification, having served from 2012 to 2017. Former Chancellor Angela Merkel, also raised in East Germany, led the country for 16 years but did not hold the presidency.
Steinmeier’s second term is scheduled to conclude in March 2027. The Federal Convention is set to elect his successor on January 30, marking a key moment in Germany’s political calendar as the country reflects on both its historical achievements and ongoing social divisions.
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