The Nazi past has weighed down the army of Germany for decades, a country that was demilitarized after World War II. Until 1992 none of its soldiers had participated in any foreign mission. But—as Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in his famous speech at the turn of the era (Zeitenwende), after the start of the war in Ukraine more than two years ago—times have changed and the rearmament of Germany also implies recognizing the work of the military.
Along these lines, the German Parliament approved this Thursday by a large majority that the country have a National Veterans Day. From now on, every June 15, Germany will celebrate and honor the work of the country’s approximately 10 million veterans, whether they have completed military service or been professional or regular soldiers. Of these, some 500,000 were deployed on Armed Forces missions.
“It is about giving the recognition that those who have dedicated their lives to the defense of justice and freedom in our country deserve,” declared the Minister of Defense, Boris Pistorius, before the deputies on a proposal presented jointly by the parties of the Coalition government—social democrats, greens and liberals—and the conservative opposition. For the minister, this also has to do with giving “a signal to society.” “Too often in recent years there has arisen the feeling that our life in freedom and peace can be taken for granted. Veterans Day makes it clear that this is not the case and that it has never been this way in many regions of the world where our soldiers are deployed,” he noted.
Remembrance of the world wars
Unlike other countries such as the United Kingdom, France or the United States, there was no Veterans Day in post-war Germany. The reason is that the memory of the two world wars was associated more with defeat and crime than with glory and honor. This also led to a complicated relationship between the Germans and their flag and their national feelings, despite the fact that the colors of the German flag were established in the Weimar Republic in 1919. But if the Germans had—or still have—reservations regarding his flag, no less with his army, despite the fact that he is now a parliamentarian and his missions must be approved by the deputies.
The motion, presented at the initiative of Social Democratic MP and former soldier Johannes Arlt, who said that such a day “should have been established a long time ago”, also calls on the Government to guarantee better care for veterans, which should include rehabilitation measures. , therapy programs and points of contact for victims and their families.
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Almost all parties voted in favor, including the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). The only vote against came from Die Linke (The Left). His deputy and co-president of the parliamentary group Dietmar Bartsch criticized the proposal for being, above all, “symbolic politics” in line with “a change of atmosphere” in a country “where the minister talks about being prepared for war.”
The movement, however, has drawn criticism from pacifist groups such as the German Peace Organization and United Opponents of Military Service (DFG-VK), which has announced its intention to turn that day into “a day of protest against militarism.” . Meanwhile, Willi van Ooyen, president of the Frankfurt Group for Peace and the Future, was also clear. “For me, the introduction of Veterans Day is confirmation that militarism and war have once again been the basis of German politics,” he told the newspaper. taz.
In 2012, the then Minister of Defense, the Christian Democrat Thomas de Maizière, made a first attempt to increase acceptance of Germany’s participation in the controversial war in Afghanistan, but was met with rejection not only from the Left, but also from the social democrats and the Greens. Neither society nor politics were prepared to honor their Armed Forces at that time.
This has now changed following the large-scale invasion of Ukraine decreed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in February 2022. Germany created a special fund of 100 billion euros two years ago to modernize the army and this year it will comply with the objective of spending 2% of the gross domestic product on defense, as NATO demands. In addition, the tripartite headed by Scholz recently announced a profound restructuring of its Armed Forces with the aim that, as the Minister of Defense said, they are “prepared for war.” The change in language and policy is evident and has made it possible for Germany to finally have a Veterans Day. “It may not seem like much, but it is a big step. “Away from old Germany and towards a new realism,” wrote the German publication Der Spiegel.
Clash with AfD over Chinese espionage and Russian influences
The German Parliament experienced a heated debate this Thursday in which the majority of deputies attacked a common objective: the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) and the accusations that it maintains relations with China and Russia.
“Germany has been and is the object of espionage and sabotage, disinformation and propaganda. With the aim of dividing us as a society and weakening us politically and economically,” declared the Minister of the Interior, the social democrat Nancy Faeser, during her appearance, in which she also warned of the large number of Russian spies that have been expelled in the last two years, since the start of the war in Ukraine.
The debate on espionage was put on the agenda following the arrest earlier this week of one of AfD MEP Maximilian Krah’s parliamentary advisors. Meanwhile, the second on the list for the European Championships on June 9 behind Krah, Petr Bystron, is suspected of accepting money from Russia.
For Faeser, it is “a serious accusation that the arm of foreign powers is reaching our parliaments.” “It is unacceptable that the representatives of the people become henchmen of [Vladímir] Putin or Beijing and as an instrument of their propaganda machinery. And I can tell you that we will not allow it,” added the social democratic politician.
At the same time, he rejected the AfD’s accusations that it was a campaign articulated by the Government to put an end to the opposition and reminded the ultra deputies that the arrest was carried out by court order in which the Government has no influence. “That is the decisive difference between a rule of law and the states that threaten us,” he pointed out to the AfD bench, which was ostensibly laughing at his words, after his deputy Stefan Keuter had accused the Government of being afraid of the opposition and stating that it reminded him “of the darkest times in German history.”
The Greens deputy Konstantin von Notz, president of the parliamentary control committee of the secret services, was much harsher with the AfD, whom he described as “a shame” for Parliament and for the entire country. “They are simply undemocratic and disgraceful,” he concluded.
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