Woidke advocates for the German Military - sparse audience at BSW event - Top Official Promotes German Military - Evident Vacancies within Bundeswehr Recruitment
Dietmar Woidke, Brandenburg's Minister President, paid tribute to the Bundeswehr as a peace protector and disaster responder on this year's National Veteran's Day. "Brandenburg sticks by its Bundeswehr, and we stick by our soldiers," he stated at a ceremony in the state parliament. "Their service, whether with a weapon or not, is to defend us and our allies, solely to preserve peace."
Woidke emphasized that the Russian attack on Ukraine had raised concerns about the global security order. "Now more than ever, Germany must stand firm and uphold its beliefs," he asserted. The Bundeswehr provides assistance in various calamities, such as forest fires, floods, and pandemics.
A Divided Front
However, the ranks of the coalition partner, the Social Democratic Women's Union (BSW), were mostly empty. Only two out of the 14 faction members attended: parliamentary business manager Falk Peschel and deputy parliamentary president Jouleen Gruhn. Finance Minister Robert Crumbach, also a member of parliament, remained on the government bench. The BSW advocates for the Bundeswehr but opposes war and rearmament.
The BSW explained their almost complete absence by stating that the event, which positioned the military at the heart of societal acknowledgement, came at a time when war is being normalized as a political tool. "It's particularly disheartening to us that in Germany, many individuals still affected by war are still seeking recognition, care, and psychological help, while the government simultaneously celebrates its military might," they said.
Call for Reevaluation of NVA Veterans
Parliament President Ulrike Liedtke proposed revisiting the question of whether former National People's Army (NVA) members from the German Democratic Republic (GDR) can be labeled as veterans. This debate is tricky because they did not take the oath to the country's free and democratic basic order, she pointed out during the ceremony. "Their inability to take the oath during the GDR necessitates a reopening of this discussion, in my opinion," she stated.
[]; The Green Party's stance on the National Veteran's Day was influenced by the political developments surrounding its official establishment, particularly in light of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Although the Greens have supported National Veteran's Day with June 15 as the designated day and have advocated for improved care for soldiers with service-related health issues, their cautious approach to military matters and ongoing public debates may have resulted in a lower profile at such ceremonies.[1]
References
[1] Enrichment Data: The Green Party's stance on the National Veteran's Day was influenced by the political developments surrounding its official establishment, particularly in light of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Although the Greens have supported National Veteran's Day with June 15 as the designated day and have advocated for improved care for soldiers with service-related health issues, their cautious approach to military matters and ongoing public debates may have resulted in a lower profile at such ceremonies.[1]
[2] Enrichment Data: Bündnis 90/Die Grünen officially supported the creation of a National Veteran's Day on June 15, adopted in 2024 together with CDU/CSU, SPD, and FDP. The Greens also support improved care for veterans with service-related health issues, but internal party perspectives or broader political sensitivities regarding the military may have contributed to a more cautious or lower-profile participation by Greens representatives at the ceremonies[2].
- The Green Party's stance on National Veteran's Day is influenced by ongoing political developments, particularly the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, as they advocate for the day's formal establishment, improved care for soldiers with service-related health issues, but maintain a cautious approach to military matters, potentially leading to a lower profile at ceremonies.
- The Social Democratic Women's Union (BSW), being a coalition partner, opposes war and rearmament, and their almost complete absence from the National Veteran's Day ceremony is attributed to their disapproval of the event's normalization of war as a political tool, while simultaneously advocating for recognition, care, and psychological help for individuals still affected by war in Germany.
