By Janet Ekstract, ISTANBUL – German Chancellor Friedrich Merz gave a rousing opening speech on October 3, 2025 to mark the 35th anniversary celebrations of German unification, commemorating the breaking of the wall between East and West Germany in 1989. The commemoration known as German Unity Day was marked by a number of festivities and speeches. Merz who spoke to a welcoming crowd in Saarbrucken or Saarland as it is known which is a region in Germany that is part German and part French. French President Emmanuel Macron was the guest of honor as Merz highlighted French support for Germany throughout the decades. As Merz opened the ceremony for German Unity Day, he emphasized: “Our unity is far from something to be taken for granted.” The German chancellor spoke about how in the past both East and West Germans had many misconceptions of one another but reminded everyone that those were overcome. Merz called for a “new unity” in Germany, adding Germans need to ask themselves “What kind of country do we want to be?” Merz underscored that Germany is at a critical juncture now because he reiterated: “The West cannot be taken for granted to be democratic anymore,” adding: “New alliances of autocracies are arising all over and threatening us.” Merz highlighted, “Much has to change if things are to be better” in Germany and one of those changes he said is remaking Germany as the tech and innovation “master” that it has always been. He also said that Germany belongs to the “we” – that “means all Germans – “We are all equal in front of the law,” further stating that: “The State must not put an obstacle in front of somebody who wants to develop.” As Merz spoke to thundering applause, he remarked: “We want to be a free democratic country, we want to be a country which can determine its own destiny in the future. We need to come to an understanding of where we want to go because the State – it’s all of us.”
Meanwhile, Merz praised special guest French President Macron and the support France has given Germany over the years. Macron spoke about the importance of German unity and how it was a “turning point in history.” Both Merz and Macron said that European countries must relearn how to defend themselves and not rely on the West anymore due to changing political allegiances. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier also reiterated how European democracies are being challenged while warning that certain political groups were fomenting hatred to divide and break democracy and its values. Macron’s final statement received much applause when he said: “Our generation now has a choice, to be doubting, to be fatigued, to choose extremes that are fake promises or do we want to stand up and live with our new era and make it a bold, determined era, together.” As Merz had echoed: “Democracy is a public debate” while stressing that the European way of life is rooted in being “economically innovative” and that “this is what defines Europe, this is the European way of life.” Merz added that what defines him is that “We want to be the good power for Europe” that “thinks and acts alongside European lines in a European way.” The German leader made it clear that the citizens of Germany are the deciding factor and that he wants to make sure that “those who come from less advantaged backgrounds” have what they need to succeed. Merz added, “We want to be a European country which is open to the world,” reminding everyone that “We are a strong Europe only together.”
