Even 35 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the relationship between East and West remains complicated. There is still a lot of catching up to do in the East. Union and BSW, the report on German-German relations does not go far enough.
East and West – free, united and imperfect. Eastern Commissioner Carsten Schneider explains the unconventional headline for the more than 170-page report as follows: “I didn’t want to do a propaganda number here” – along the lines of saying everything was great.
Because even 35 years after the fall of the Wall, there are big differences between West and East – for example in income or life expectancy or the still lower wealth. The latter means that “one is particularly sensitive in crises because reserves are more likely to be lacking and home ownership is less common,” explained Schneider.
Many East Germans feel like second-class citizens
Schneider cites the question of participation in society as another important difference. “In the economy, only four percent of the decision-making positions are occupied by East Germans. 20 percent of the population in Germany are East German.”
This is probably why – as the report says – many East Germans feel like second-class citizens. Nevertheless, says Schneider, Germany is a different country than it was in 1989/90. West Germany has also changed. “Coming together to shape this country is more advanced than many and often realized.”
From the perspective of SPD man Schneider, the AfD’s successes in the recent state elections are damaging East Germany’s reputation. He fears that the willingness of West Germans to move to the East will decrease and that investors will be deterred.
The vast majority have similar desires for society
The report, which includes the results of the Germany Monitor, also sheds light on the society in which Germans want to live. Jena political scientist Marion Reiser explains that the representative survey showed that most people want a very similar society.
“The vast majority – in some cases significantly more than 80 percent – really want to live in a society in which free, democratic basic rights and basic values are guaranteed” – such as gender equality, equal opportunities, peaceful coexistence between religions, and living social coexistence , social justice, but also the performance principle.
However, as expected, very different ideas and even rejection emerged when it came to the topics of climate and migration. According to Reiser, skepticism and rejection are more widespread in East Germany. “Especially among older people who were socialized in the former GDR.”
More social Cohesion is important for democracy
The survey also shows that a majority of people in Germany lack a social “we” feeling. Only 14 percent believe that there is a lot of cohesion in our society and only a quarter of those surveyed believe that other people support each other.
Here too there are differences between East and West. In the East, such a “we-feeling” is perceived less frequently than in the West.
The eastern representative Schneider, who comes from Erfurt, derives from this that more support should be given to those who take on responsibility in clubs, for example. Because stronger social cohesion remains important in order to protect democracy and shape the future together.
Criticism of the office of Eastern Representative
Meanwhile, the Union in the Bundestag is criticizing the office of the Federal Government’s Eastern Commissioner. Sepp Müller, the deputy parliamentary group leader, believes: “We as the CDU-CSU parliamentary group say that we don’t need a traveling uncle. We need a minister who can assert himself at the cabinet table with a strong voice for Eastern concerns.” There is also a need for an industrial policy so that companies and well-paid jobs would remain in Germany and especially in East Germany.
Sahra Wagenknecht, the founder of the party named after her, also distributes. The commissioner and the report served as political whitewash.