And then there is a demographic challenge

This matches my own perception. The issue of convergence between the West and East is resolved for young people. It is, at most, the generations more than 40 years who still have a problem with the East-West theme. Young Germans, suffer as Germans, as Europeans, whatever their place of birth.

There is, it's true. It is those who cannot find employment, well they have qualifications. These are those who work 40 hours per week and yet earn little money. It is those who, in the campaign, feel neglected because the young and creative leave. But a large majority of citizens and citizens of the East of the country are satisfied with their personal situation and the State of society in General. What we need to do now, is finding solutions for the first, to complete the social unification of the country.

I myself never talks about new Länder. I refer to the (Ostdeutschland) is Germany in the geographical sense. The eastern Länder are not all "new". For a short period of forty years, they were just more existed. But formerly they were often older than the "old Länder" of the West. This concept of Germany of the East in the geographical sense will persist, and specific to the East support will be necessary as long as il y will be heavy between East and West structural differences.

In the last twenty years, we've done an upgrade in many areas. Think about the face of the cities of the East, with the renovation of schools, hospitals, roads, railways, the construction of digital networks. Think of the improvement of the environment, to the modern industrial complexes. In other areas, there are still large differences. Unemployment is still two times higher in the East. Long-term unemployment is particularly problematic. And then there is a demographic challenge. Young people leave rural areas, the towns small and Middle Eastern cities of the East, or West, or even Western Europe.

Support the economy, accelerating growth. Our goal is to reach, in 2019, when ends the current solidarity pact, in that the average GDP of the eastern Länder has caught up the GDP of the Land of the lower West, currently the Schleswig-Holstein, whose GDP represents 85 of the average national. The average of the East is now at 75 of the average national. With regard to demographics, we have, in recent years, concrete projects, develop instruments to preserve jobs and even create new ones. We inspire pilot projects such as the region of the Stettiner Haff, where we have provided health services to the elderly person who wanted to remain in the country, developed a training offer that goes from kindergarten to vocational school through continuous training in the redesigned transit.

Non. Not if we reach our goal of a catch-up of GDP in the eastern Länder. Then it may confine itself to the traditional mechanism of equalization between the Länder.

The Government, we have a man of great experience, Thomas de Maizière, Minister of the Interior, Editor's note, who works in the East of the country for 20 years. It will be in charge of the eastern Länder and I assume that it is will contribute with all his heart. Otherwise we him interject on the fingers!

You will always find skeptical, embittered, people who live in the past and do not want to admit the reality. There is no alternative to a United Germany, I say well "United". I attach great importance to this nuance: there is not reunited Germany, because it has never existed in this form before. We have created a United Germany, at all levels of society.

I can understand that it regrets or partial aspect of life in the GDR. But I will not tolerate it passes under silence the injustices, the retaliation, the Stasi, the dictatorship. Must be the GDR as a whole, as well as State of lawlessness as countries of successful biographies. One that evokes one without the other misses the reality.

I spent all day at the University, and then I joined an association that we had founded, and then later I returned to the House, and I saw on television with my wife these incredible events. We drank a bottle of wine. But I wasn't sure that November 9 would mark the final end of the wall. It was still too fragile. I dreaded the day or the following weeks, a coup. Fortunately, he has not taken place.

I there didn't. I was one of those who believed not, who dared not hope, that the system would collapse so quickly.

German unity was unprecedented, no model that could follow. Each was trying to do at best, at his level. I think that it was not very clever to believe that unification would not sacrifice on the part of the West Germans require or suggest the Germans of it is that the process would lead, after three or five years, on "flourishing landscapes". These exaggerated expectations led to frustration and sometimes also a diversion of public life.

I am proud of the performance of all East Germans who have adapted, in all areas of life, professional life to education through the preparation of their retirement and political engagement, short those who took their destiny in hand. Who was able to organize its life without fracture, as on an asphalt road, can imagine the magnitude of these changes. I am also proud of the way in which we have rebuilt this territory, with the Germany of the West and the support of our European partners - don't forget the considerable financial transfers from the EU. I am proud that we have been able to save the substance of our cities, who were on the verge of collapse. And also to be reached in several areas to peak in Europe, think of renewable energy, microelectronics, biotechnology and nanotechnology. Also proud that we have developed good relations with our neighbours to the East, that we have a function of bridge with the recent enlargements of the EU Member States.

Unlike the United Kingdom or the France, our country is organised decentrally. This is federalism who wants it. We have several centres. And this has advantages: it encourages flexibility and competition in the country. Berlin will become an important economic centre, when the number of industrial jobs increases, when the new airport, planned for 2011, will enter service. The city will be even stronger when the economy of the creative industries, important a pillar of the economy in the 21st century, will have gained in scope.

Of course! There are still two centres: a Alexanderplatz and the directly Höfe, another on the Ku-Damm. The results of the elections are very different between the West and East of the city, as seen in the local referendum on the teaching of religion. And the East Berliners throws always an hour earlier than that of the West!You can note the State of the traffic in the morning!

A Wossi is someone who lives since the beginning of the 1990s in East Germany and includes long, with its ouest-allemandes roots. Thomas de Maizière is a perfect example.