The Brief – Germany’s wrong holiday

German Unity Day on 3 October, a public holiday, is a date that most Germans do not emotionally connect to. The right national holiday would be 9 November, the fall of the Berlin Wall, which is, however, a cursed date for the country.

On 3 October 1990, the East German Democratic Republic ceased to exist. The states of Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia joined the (West German) Federal Republic after the first freely elected parliament of the GDR, decided to do so.

The date was chosen not for any symbolic reason but simply because German politicians wanted to complete the process as fast as possible, doing so the day after the last meeting of the former occupying forces. Most Germans do not feel an emotional connection to what is now the national holiday, and no tradition has emerged on that day (apart from a separate tradition to celebrate the 'open doors' of mosques).

Thirty-four years on, most West Germans still grapple with understanding the Ossis (slang for people from East Germany),  currently relevant following three regional elections in the east, which saw the far-right AfD “winning one gold medal and two times silver,” as party leader (and Ossi) Tino Chrupalla put it.

While most East Germans take pride in the Wende, the peaceful revolution that ended their communist dictatorship, debate has emerged over how many people were actively protesting (probably fewer than who now say so, which is normal) and whether joining the Federal Republic (instead of setting up a new, joint constitution) was a mistake.

More meaningful would be to find joint experiences that can finally unite the country emotionally, after legal and economic unification (the latter remaining incomplete).

So far, it is mostly football that has managed to do so, as seen in this year’s European Championship (even though only 1 of 10 stadiums was located in the East, which accounts for 17% of the German population) and particularly in the Sommermärchen of 2006.

One of the most emotional moments in German history, however, was the fall of the Berlin Wall on 9 November 1989, which started the whole reunification process.

When watching video footage of that day, even this author (born in the late 1990s in the far-west city of Dortmund and a cynic by nature and profession) is moved to tears.

On the 25th anniversary in 2014, the former Berlin Wall was lit up with light balloons, which disappeared into the sky one by one, another moment of joyful tears.

Making 9 November the national holiday would be the obvious choice – if there was not the big problem that on the very same day in 1923, Hitler tried to seize power through a coup d’etat, and, most crucially, in 1938, Jewish life all across Nazi Germany fell victim to a pogrom, by the same nation which celebrated freedom 51 years later.

Therefore, it is more than understandable that this “day of destiny” for the German people was not designated a national holiday. But it is a mistake, as no better day reflects the ambiguity of German history.

When working together, the German people can achieve the worst or the best things imaginable; from the atrocities of 1938 and the systematic killing of six million Jews in the Holocaust that followed to tearing down the Wall in 1989, becoming one of the freest countries of the world as a result.

But today, the country’s mood is at one of the lowest points in its modern history, and there are fears concerning losing peace, prosperity, and social cohesion.

Therefore, a reminder seems warranted: Germany does not lack the ability to achieve its goals, but Germans must be guided by their history when setting them.

The Roundup

Read our latest EU Politics Decoded - Knives in: MEPs keep fragile truce ahead of hearings

A Hungarian "Defence of Sovereignty" law allowing the state to investigate foreign-funded organizations is being challenged in the European Union's top court by the European Commission, the EU executive announced on Thursday (3 October).

EU defence agency to advise European Investment Bank on investment priorities. This collaboration aims to “boost financing for Europe’s security and defence capabilities”.

New right-wing alliance bars environment MEPs from grilling fisheries and agriculture commissioners.  Some MEPs have accused the EPP of throwing them, and EU values under the bus.

Two individuals who travelled from Rwanda to Hamburg, suspected of contracting the deadly Marburg virus, have tested negative, easing concerns of a potential outbreak in Germany.

Newly appointed NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte travelled to Kyiv on Thursday (3 October), only a few days after taking over the top position in the Western military alliance.

Spain's progressive government led by the Socialist Party on Tuesday (3 October), reached an agreement with the Basque separatist far-left formation EH Bildu, and other left-wing forces, to reform a controversial law on the security of citizens, the changes to the current regulation and updating of text, is expected to be approved in the coming months.

Germany's border restrictions have recently dominated political discussions within the country, triggering similar debates across the EU, however, a newly published Eurobarometer survey reveals that this issue has been on the public's mind for some time.

Lead AI developers are poor at risk management according to a rating published by SaferAI on Wednesday (2 October), with French company Mistral AI scoring among the worst.

A Commission committee is considering how to define "significant" cybersecurity incidents that, under the EU-wide cybersecurity legislation NIS2, must be quickly reported to authorities.

Look out for…

• European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen meets members of the Committee of the Permanent Representatives of the Member States to the European Union (COREPER) for a working lunch, in Brussels, Belgium.
• European Commissioner Štrbské Pleso, participates in the 13th GLOBSEC Tatra Summit in Slovakia.
• European Commissioner Stella Kyriakides is in Nicosia, Cyprus, delivering a lecture at Frederick University on the European Health Union.
• European Commissioner Vĕra Jourová is in Isla de La Toja, Pontevedra, Spain, speaking at the La Toja Forum, she will also meet the President-elect of the European Council Atónio Costa.
• European Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski is in Moldova meeting Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Agriculture and Food Industry Vladimir Bolea, he will participate in the Business and Policy Networking event “EU 4 Farmers”.