January, 2001

A Review of German Unification

Nazira Al-Effendi

The tenth anniversary of German unification, on 3 October 1990, was accompanied by escalating warnings of extremist right-wing violence against foreigners in the eastern states.


The opposition, represented in the Democratic, Christian and Free Democratic parties, accused the ruling Democratic Communist Party of not supporting the union. The anniversary came at a time in which there were disturbances inside the ruling party, which eventually led to the resignation of Helmut Kohl.


Right-wing groups, as well as some pioneering political figures in the opposition party, directed harsh criticism against the increasing number of foreigners in the country. They also criticized the deterioration of the value of the euro as well as the economic growth rates in both Eastern and Western Germany.


The roots of these problems go back to the first years of unification, when calculations were inaccurate and emotions rushed through the unification process. The current coalition government under Gerhard Schroeder had to review the process of unification in order to overcome challenges created by the 40-year legacy of secession and separation.


The main challenges facing the ruling coalition include confronting right-wing violence by increasing efforts between the police and judicial authorities and diverting the attention of the youth away from extremism. Violence erupted in Germany in 1992, increasing in 1997 when it took the form of new right-wing aggregations and parties.


The flow of immigrants, especially from the eastern states, came as a result of the economic and political depression that citizens of those areas were living in. The presence of foreigners in these states takes job opportunities from nationals. This leads in turn to high unemployment rates and puts more pressure on the main services of the state.


The economic shock that Germany suffered aggravated right-wing violence. This was attributed to the fact that the western states bore financial burdens to finance the return of East Germans and reconstruct the economy of the eastern states.
The depression of the eastern states had a number of economic and psychological dimensions ascribed to the speedy rhythm of privatization and the slow application of the compensation rights included in the reunification agreement. This depression brought about a flow of capital and consequently a rise in unemployment rates.
The process of German unification needs more time to succeed. However, no one can overlook the tremendous results that have been achieved in reconstructing the eastern states and raising their overall standards of living. Likewise, no one can deny the achievements attained with regards to boosting political participation. This was crystallized in the appointment of East Germans as president of the Democratic Christian Party and president of the federal parliament.