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Thomas de Maizière, the Minister of the German Interior (CDU), also in charge of the "new" Eastern Länder, has defended yesterday with force balance of reunification, which it celebrates 20 years on October 3. Armed with the annual report 2010 on German unity, he presented a set of encouraging curves. GDP per capita in the new Länder now represents 73 of the West German level, against just over 40 in 1991. Other positive developments: the decrease of unemployment, which has long been more than twice in the East. In 2010, for the first time since reunification, the number of unemployed fell below 1 million to the East; the unemployment rate was 11.5 (7.6 to the West). If the regions have actually lost 2.7 million people, parties, live close to 1, 6 million are in the same time in the new Länder. "Movements of huge population, that there was normally no outside troubled periods such as the wars", stressed the Minister of the Interior.

Everyone does not share the enthusiasm of Thomas de Maizière, a "Wessi", i.e. a German in the West who has made a career in the East. Among the "second-class", these former East, many Germans are those who complain of being treated as "second class" citizens Matthias Platzeck, Minister-President of Brandenburg, former President of the (Federal) of the social democratic party, gave an interview highly critical to the "Spiegel" end of August, in which he said would see no defêter reason the twenty years of reunification, in which he sees just "annexation". Thomas de Maizière recognizes, of course, to the process of integration "shadows". "It should resume more Eastern than simply the Matchstick traffic lights", he said, citing as an example the Organization of nurseries, of the day of the children at the school, which facilitated the work of the mothers, or even medical houses, which employed several specialists. There is not less, according to him, that family reunification is a success: "It is a good thing that the Germany have a Chancellor who grew up in the East." According him, young people studying in the East today, in very well with universities, have the same chance of success than their comrades of the West.

Calm trends

At the address of the West Germans embittered by the financial burden of the process of unification, which still results in a "solidarity tax" paid to the East and West, Thomas de Maizière was also placed, or even challenged, estimates that one reads here and there - 1,600 billion euros were transferred in 20 years. The Minister considers impossible to make such calculations. Why should we include in the total allowances paid to the families of the East When benefits are used to finance the purchase of a car manufactured in the West, is it fair to account as transfers to the East What calm trends at the "Westalgie" of some West Germans.

The debate about the reconstruction of the East is, in any event, not as strong as last year, during the twenty years of the fall of the Berlin wall. This year, it is immigration and the integration of foreigners occupying the first plan in the public debate. The new President of the Republic, Christian Wulff (CDU), must decide on 3 October a speech expected, centered on this theme, in Bremen, where will take place the celebration of national day.

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