Steinmeier Warns Democracy Faces ‘Bitter Setbacks’ in Final Unity Day Address

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier delivered a stark warning about the state of the nation’s democracy during his final Unity Day address on Saturday, describing recent years as marked by “bitter setbacks” to the optimism surrounding reunification.

Speaking at official ceremonies in Bremen, the 70-year-old president reflected on the political transformations since 1989, noting that expectations for the advancement of liberal democracy and international cooperation had not been fully realized.

Steinmeier expressed particular concern over the resurgence of right-wing extremism. “I thought everyone had learned the lesson from history, and now I see supporters of right-wing extremism seeking to erase the memory of the victims of the Holocaust,” he said. “I believed our democracy was secure and now have to experience it being challenged anew.”

The formal celebrations began with an ecumenical service at Bremen’s St. Peter’s Cathedral, attended by Steinmeier, Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and other senior government officials. Over 550 events are scheduled across the city through Sunday to mark the 36th anniversary of German reunification, which occurred on October 3, 1990, when the former East German states joined the Federal Republic.

More than 400,000 people are expected to attend the public festival in Bremen, hosted under the motto “Many Strengths — One Country.” The city holds the rotating presidency of the Bundesrat, Germany’s upper house of parliament, which determines the host of the national festivities.

Looking ahead to his departure from office in March 2027, Steinmeier cautioned that the presidency is “not an office to be taken lightly.” He emphasized that fostering social cohesion and maintaining national unity will become increasingly demanding tasks for his successor.

Meanwhile, Elisabeth Kaiser, the government’s commissioner for eastern Germany, advocated for the next federal president to be a woman from the east. Kaiser, a member of the center-left Social Democratic Party, noted that no current top political leaders originate from eastern Germany, arguing this creates the impression that eastern citizens are marginalized.

“I think the time is right for an eastern German head of state again,” Kaiser told the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung. “Why shouldn’t the next federal president be a smart woman from eastern Germany?” She pointed out that significant disparities in income, wealth, and leadership representation persist more than three decades after reunification.

Joachim Gauck remains the only president from eastern Germany since 1990, having served from 2012 to 2017. The Federal Convention is scheduled to elect Steinmeier’s successor on January 30, 2027.