Saturday 10th July 2021
After leaving Afghanistan
Veterans demand honors before the Reichstag
The Bundeswehr’s mission in Afghanistan is to be honored with a public appeal in Berlin. But from the point of view of the Association of German Veterans, the Bendlerblock is the wrong place for the ceremony. The association would rather see the event before the Reichstag.
With a view to the planned appreciation of the Bundeswehr mission in Afghanistan, there are increasing calls for an event in front of the Berlin Reichstag building. “The event should take place in a public space,” said the chairman of the Association of German Veterans, Bernhard Drescher, the editorial network Germany (RND). “Only the meadow in front of the Reichstag building comes into consideration.” The point is that “politics sends a sign of appreciation to the soldiers and into society”.
The defense policy spokeswoman for the SPD parliamentary group, Siemtje Möller, also expressed her sympathy for corresponding demands. “I think it’s a good idea to do that in front of the Reichstag building because we have a parliamentary army,” she told the RND. “In addition, the mission has changed both the Bundeswehr and the Bundestag in dealing with the missions.” Previously, the deputy CDU / CSU parliamentary group leader Johann Wadephul had campaigned for an appeal in front of the Reichstag building. The FDP, on the other hand, spoke out in favor of a major tattoo in front of the Bundestag.
The deployment of the Bundeswehr in Afghanistan had lasted almost 20 years. The last German soldiers returned at the end of June. So far, the Bundeswehr plans to pay tribute to the deployment on August 31 with a public appeal at the Bendlerblock, the Berlin headquarters of the Defense Ministry. Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has already announced his participation.
After the return of the last units, there was criticism because no politician had received the returnees. Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer had rejected this. “The soldiers wanted to go home to their families as quickly as possible. The contingent’s wish is absolutely understandable, as many of them were separated from their families for longer than usual,” said Kramp-Karrenbauer a few days ago.
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