The committee which organised the commemorations for the end of World War II says that Liberation Day should become a public holiday.

Currently, many workers are given May 5 off once every five years but it is not an official public holiday.

‘I hope to convince employers and unions that this should be the case,’ said committee chairman Jacques Wallage. ‘Given the tensions in society and the wide differences between us, we need one day to reflect together on the importance of our freedom.’

World War II

The Comité 4 en 5 mei published its recommendations for Remembrance Day (May 4) and Liberation Day, on Tuesday.

World War II must remain central to the occasion even though many people today did not experience the war, Wallage said.

Nevertheless, he said, ‘we are beginning to lose people who can tell us about their experiences of the war. We need to think about which direction we need to take the commemorations,’ he told the NRC.