(de-news.net) – Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, on the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe, has warned against isolationism, aggressive nationalism, and the erosion of democratic institutions, citing Germany’s past loss of democracy.

Steinmeier emphasized the ongoing threat to freedom and urged German commitment to peace, stating that Germany is needed where peace has been lost. He underscored that May 8 has become central to Germany’s national identity as a day of liberation but cautioned that freedom is never permanently guaranteed. Expressing deep gratitude, Steinmeier acknowledged the contributions of the Allies—Americans, Britons, and French—while also recognizing the role of the Red Army in liberating Germany from the Nazi regime.

Bundestag President Julia Klöckner highlighted the enormity of German crimes during World War II and called for greater attention to the suffering of women in conflicts in a ceremony including Holocaust survivors and diplomats. Steinmeier and Chancellor Friedrich Merz laid wreaths at the Neue Wache memorial in Berlin, following an ecumenical service at the Kaiser Wilhelm I Memorial Church. Throughout Germany, regional parliaments and memorial sites also marked the occasion.