20 years of reunification

After celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Berlin Wall, Germany on October 3rd has another anniversary to celebrate : the reunification. Twenty years later, the economic promises made to the East Germans have been held. However, unification is far from complete ... in the people's head.The inflated optimism that Chancellor Helmut Kohl had presented to Germany's future income is the unification of East Germany to the east and west Germany. When presenting its annual report on the state of German unity, Thomas de Maiziere, the German interior minister, did not hide his satisfaction, declaring : "The united Germany has done great things. This is a great success story. "If little by little, the economic differences are fading, it is clear that the West is still very attractive. Since reunification, it is not less than 2.6 million East Germans who joined the West. However, the former GDR still shows somewhat nostalgic about his past. The reality of this phenomenon, which is described in Germany as "Ostalgie", has been further confirmed by a survey by the Emnid institute for the daily Berliner Zeitung. It reveals that a majority of East Germans still think the former GDR had "more positive than negative." "The situation in practice is better than the atmosphere,". Even if it appears statistically the positive balance of reunified Germany there is still reported some difficulties. As revealed in a study by the Institute for Demoskopie Allensbach, published by the daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, the pictures have not disappeared. 69% of East Germans still feel that their compatriots in the west's are "arrogant". 54% think they think only about money. To the west 49% of Germans associate the inhabitants of eastern Germany at the end of "dissatisfaction". All is not completely rosa. According to the study of the Institut für Demoskopie Allensbach, 41% of respondents also say that "the differences outweigh the similarities" between the people of both parts of the country. Figures that are being told to Thomas Petersen, researcher of the Institute, that "the propaganda apparatus of the GDR was excellent, unfortunately. It still has the effect and can not get rid of it easily." "But the Germans are clearly tired of discussions between East and West," he says. For 64% of respondents to its study it seems absurd, twenty years after unification, to dwell on the differences between East and West. And only 20% of respondents indicate to feel "a little stranger."