German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday drew an initial positive balance of progress since 1989, but warned that differences between the former East and West Germany still need to be evened out.
Merkel
Much has been achieved in the three decades since the fall of the Berlin Wall, Merkel said in her podcast ahead of German Unity Day on October 3.
The national holiday celebrates the reunification of Germany in 1990.
However, “a lot remains to be done,” she said.
For example, the economic power of the new federal states in the east at the time of reunification stood at 43 percent of western German states.
That ration has risen to 75 percent, Merkel added.
“So it was a great success. On the other hand, there is still a long way to go. And that in many areas,” the German chancellor stated.
On one side, she said, differences between East and West must be further harmonised, for example in the pension system.
“On the other hand, it is a matter of shaping the future together – that means also thinking about where there are different living conditions throughout Germany,” she said.
Creating equal living conditions in all parts of Germany, both in urban and rural areas, was a major project of Merkel’s government.
She said that one should not “make a general distinction between East and West, because there are now many years of life together”. (NAN)
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