Thirty years have passed since the reunification of Germany, which was divided into East and West during the Cold War. It is noteworthy that stability and prosperity have been achieved through tenacious efforts to promote development in former East Germany and the integration of the country.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed gratitude to the entire nation for this unprecedented achievement to mark the 30th anniversary of reunification on Oct. 3.
The biggest challenge at the time of reunification was to integrate the economy of East Germany, which had been under the inefficient planned economy of the communist dictatorship, into the market economy of the West. The government focused on improving infrastructure in the eastern region, including housing, transportation, communication networks, and schools.
Figures clearly show that the strategy of bridging the gap between the East and West by improving infrastructure and the investment environment, and creating employment opportunities was successful.
The per capita gross regional product in the former East German region has increased more than fourfold since reunification. The level of wages has caught up to 85% of the level in the west of the country. Companies with technological capabilities in such fields as electronics, construction and optics have become established in the region.
It is worth noting that the population decline in the east, which continued after reunification, has been halted in the past decade. The decrease in migration to the west has been balanced by an influx of people to the east. Partly due to the improvement in childcare facilities, the birthrate has returned to the same level as in the west, at 1.6.
In its report in September, the German government stressed that the east-west divide has been largely overcome, probably because it is proud of the success of its policies.
Some issues still remain. It was not envisioned at the time of reunification that a "mental wall" would continue to exist between the west and the east, in which people in the west feel superior and the people in the east suffer.
Even though the economic gap between the east and west has narrowed, the rancor stemming from feeling like second-class citizens has not disappeared in the east. The fact that emerging right-wing parties with anti-refugee slogans have been gaining support in the east in recent years is a sign of dissatisfaction with the established parties based in the west.
On the other hand, policy continuity has undoubtedly been the driving force behind development. The leftist government of then Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder began structural reforms to reduce the budget deficit, which had grown due to investments in the east and other factors, and the conservative Merkel continued on the path to restoring fiscal health.
Merkel, who is from the former East Germany, will retire from politics in autumn next year. The question is whether German politics can maintain its stability in the wake of the growth of the emerging right-wing and environmental parties and the growing number of parties in German politics.
It is also important that Germany, as Europe's leading economy, contributes to the stability of the European Union. Germany needs to take a more flexible approach, including support for countries that are suffering from the novel coronavirus crisis.
-- The original Japanese article appeared in The Yomiuri Shimbun on Oct. 5, 2020.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
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