Germany celebrates its first Veterans Day

A celebration of honor for the active and former soldiers of the Bundeswehr: The first National Veterans Day was celebrated on Sunday with around 100 events nationwide. As patron, Bundestag President Julia Klöckner (CDU) described the day as a mission for society. It is an opportunity to thank all "who have served us in the Bundeswehr" for their services, she said in Berlin.

‍

What has long been a tradition in the USA and is even a national holiday is a novelty in Germany: On one day a year, the concerns of the approximately ten million active and former soldiers and their families were to be highlighted. Specifically, the topics addressed included injuries, mental illness, and integration problems among soldiers.

‍

The Bundestag passed the decree to introduce the day in April 2024. Veterans Day is intended to strengthen the bond between the military and society and will now be celebrated annually. A veteran is defined as a soldier in the Bundeswehr who is on active duty or has honorably discharged from service. This includes approximately ten million women and men in Germany.

‍

At the opening of the stage program in front of Berlin's Reichstag building, Klöckner said: "This day creates something that has been missing for a long time." It creates "public visibility, recognition, and respect" for soldiers and their families "who are there every day, in silence and also in worry." At the same time, Klöckner emphasized, with a view to the time after Veterans Day: "The recognition must not stop." What is needed is "a society that also pays attention- not just on Veterans Day."

‍

Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) described the Bundeswehr on Sunday as an "integral part of our society." "The women and men who serve or have served in it deserve our thanks, our recognition, and our respect," Merz wrote on the short message service X. "This service to our country belongs at the heart of our society."

‍

Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) called June 15 "a special date." Politicians and society across Germany publicly demonstrated their close ties with veterans, the minister said in Hamburg, referring to more than 100 events across Germany. He was pleased "that our society is demonstrating this appreciation more visibly than in the past." June 15 is "an unmistakable expression of our support, our appreciation, and our gratitude."

‍

The German Peace Society – United War Resisters (DFGVK) called for the abolition of Veterans Day. "Instead of celebrating soldiers whose job it is to kill people in an emergency, we should celebrate civilian helpers such as nurses or disaster relief workers who save lives," said political director Michael Schulze von Glaßer to the German Editorial Network.

‍

The Bundestag's Commissioner for the Armed Forces, Henning Otte (CDU), countered that the freedom of peace activists would "ultimately be protected by the Bundeswehr."

‍

On the occasion of Veterans Day, the possible reintroduction of conscription was again discussed. Jens Spahn, the leader of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, expressed his openness to this idea. "We must become capable of defense again. And that includes up to 60,000 additional soldiers for the Bundeswehr," Spahn told the "Rheinische Post."

‍

Left Party parliamentary manager Christian Görke criticized Spahn for his statements. "Military service has always been and will always be associated with violence. No one should be forced to do so," Görke explained. 

‍

In the coalition agreement, the CDU/CSU and SPD agreed to base military service "initially on voluntary participation," following the Swedish model. Minister Pistorius emphasized, however, that the voluntary nature of the service would only apply until further notice, provided that sufficient personnel could be recruited. According to Pistorius, the Bundeswehr still needs 50,000 to 60,000 additional soldiers.

‍

Against this backdrop, the Federal Armed Forces Commissioner Otte called for the Bundeswehr to be made more attractive as an employer. "The Bundeswehr must (...) respond to applications quickly. Quickly means within 48 hours," he told the RND (Radio Broadcasting). "At the moment, that takes far too long. Furthermore, the Bundeswehr must be an environment in which people feel comfortable."