Germany’s conservative opposition parties think what the country needs is more patriotism — to overcome political polarization and make eastern Germans feel more included. But what does patriotism mean in Germany?
The center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) presented a proposal to the German parliament last week that touches a nerve that has been bothering the country since the end of World War II: When can Germans be proud to be German again?
Germany, the conservative party said, should hold a national commemoration day on May 23 to mark the adoption of the German constitution, or Basic Law, in 1949, along with a new “Federal Program of Patriotism.” The latter would include plans to:
- Increase the “year-round visibility” of national symbols — especially the national flag — in public spaces
- Have the national anthem sung more often on public occasions.
- Have the German military hold more public ceremonies and roll calls “in order to emphasize the bond between the armed forces and civil society and to develop the patriotic potential of this connection.”