De Maizière warns: East Germans need more equality!

De Maizière warns: East Germans need more equality!

On October 3, 2025, the 35th anniversary of German unity was celebrated in Stuttgart City Hall. The keynote speech was given by former Federal Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière (CDU), who emphasized the importance of unity for his family, as his relatives were also affected by the division into East and West. In his speech, de Maizière noted that people from eastern Germany are dealing more intensively with the history of reunification than their western counterparts. He called for more equality in the dialogue between East and West Germans and criticized a “lecture attitude” towards the citizens of the new federal states. This makes it clear that the topics of “East” and “West” are still relevant even 35 years after reunification.

The former minister particularly emphasized the “East German fatigue of change” and the uncertainty that many East Germans feel regarding democracy and state institutions. These uncertainties are, among other things, the result of past disappointments. He recalled that German unity was a “stroke of luck in history” and a common project whose preservation and further development must be the top priority. He also appealed to the need to seriously address current issues such as peacekeeping, medical care and infrastructure, which are more present than the ongoing distinctions between East and West.

Looking at the political landscape

The discussion about the social divide between East and West is accompanied by the recent state elections in Saxony, Thuringia and Brandenburg. The political balance has shifted there - a clear indication of the changing political culture in East Germany. According to Deutschlandfunk, the feeling of division is not only felt geographically, but also socially. Differences in living conditions and opportunities are clearly visible between different social groups in the population, which is increasingly polarizing voters in the new federal states.

The AfD and Citizens for Saxony West (BSW) are gaining support there, with a third of voters from East Germany leaning towards the AfD, but not representing a majority. It turns out that many East Germans often feel humiliated and not taken seriously, which ultimately leads to political protest. “The distinction between East and West is a West German construction,” explains Dirk Oschmann. This statement makes it clear that the problems are deeply rooted in history and that social and cultural disadvantages in the East are often difficult to compensate for.

A divided opinion

The political culture in Germany has been discussed again and again since reunification. Despite the progress in the East German economy, the East-West divide remains a prominent issue. The decline in satisfaction with democracy in East Germany is alarming. Surveys show that East Germans, especially the older generation, have a more skeptical attitude towards politics in the Federal Republic, while younger East Germans under the age of 35 rate the living conditions noticeably more positively.

The sentimental memories of reunification seem to be shaped by different political and social experiences. In East Germany, a greater distance from the principles of parliamentary democracy has developed, and it remains a challenge for social unity to bridge this gap.

Stuttgart's ceremony also commemorated the painful division of Germany. Mayor Frank Nopper (CDU) called for a more relaxed relationship between Germans and their country and mentioned former Chancellor Helmut Kohl, in whose memory a street or avenue should be named. This gesture could be symbolic of the necessary cohesion in society as the country continues to work on issues of unity.

The discussion about German unity remains alive and stirs people's minds - there is still a lot to do to close the gap between the different parts of Germany. While the stage in Stuttgart was purely regional in nature, it reflects the ongoing challenges across the country.

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