Survey: The sense of division between the residents in eastern and western Germany is growing
According to a new opinion poll conducted in Germany by Stern magazine, six out of ten German citizens are convinced that the differences between the regions that made up East Germany and West Germany are still great, and are greater than what unites the citizens of these regions, which have come under one banner since the decision to reunify the country in 1990.
The study sheds light on the major problems that still face Germany since the reunification decision; 60% of Germans believe that there is a division between the residents of East Germany and West Germany, while 37% spoke of the existence of many things in common between them.
The sense of division has increased from what it was in 2019, when the percentage didn’t exceed 45%, while the percentage of those convinced of the existence of the common cause was 51%.
The sense of division and the presence of large differences is more common among the elderly, with about 69% of respondents aged 60 and over, as well as among residents of East Germany, with about 69%.
Germans who sympathize with the Social Democratic Party, which leads the government, are among the most pessimistic in this direction, as 71% see a division, while the Free Democratic Party’s voting bloc was the most positive, with about 48%, who don’t see significant differences.
Germany was reunified after the reunification of East and West Germany on October 3, 1990, less than a year after the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989.
However, significant imbalances remain, especially with regard to GDP per capita, as the five states that formerly formed what was known as East Germany – with the exception of Berlin – are still at the bottom of the list compared to the states of the West.
