Posted on 09/08/2004 7:50:22 AM PDT by Lukasz
BERLIN (Reuters) - Fourteen years and a trillion euros after reunification one in five Germans would like to see the barrier that split the country during the Cold War put back, a survey has found.
A poll by the Forsa institute released on Wednesday found a quarter of western Germans wishing the 15 million east Germans were cut off again by the Berlin Wall, living in a different state, while 12 percent of eastern Germans wanted out of the united Germany.
Many westerners said they were disgruntled because they have had to foot the bill for reunification -- 24 percent said they had suffered financially as a result.
In the formerly communist east, which has twice the unemployment as in the west and where wages are still below western levels, one-third said they were no better off financially because of unification and the end of communism.
The lingering divisions have erupted in recent months as Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's government attempts to reduce unemployment and welfare benefits, touching a nerve in the east.
Westerners are sometimes disparaged as arrogant know-it-all "Wessies" while easterners are at times referred to as 'Jammer Ossies' (whinging easterners) in the west.
The Forsa survey, based on interviews with 1,002 easterners and 1,005 westerners, highlighted a feeling in the west that easterners are ungrateful for the financial support they have received since 1990 and they should do more to help themselves.
Thirty-seven percent of west Germans said the 80 billion euros (54 billion pounds) the government pumps into the east each year was too much. But almost a third of east Germans thought it too little, Forsa said.
Two top diplomats recently said they were alarmed at the poisoned atmosphere. Former West German Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher and former East German Foreign Minister Markus Meckel said they feared the east-west gap was growing.
They could poll here in America and ask if people want their taxes reduced and 10% would probably answer no.
The West Germans, with all their wealth and know-how, never managed to produce a car comparable to the East German Trabant.
"which party voters mostly support that idea?"
When East Germany disintegrated, the SED (Socialist Unity Party -- i.e. the Communist RULING Party) decided NOT to disintegrate and changed it's name to PDS.
(Not the SPD: SPD is the regular leftist party in Germany, Schroeder's party.)
PDS gets hardly any votes outside of the former Eastern states. Older people, people traumatized by the fast change and couldn't keep up; etc. It will fade over time. Some SAY they want the wall back, but that is just a way of voicing their frustrations. They of course would not REALLY want the wall back and all the other "niceties" of life in the Communist-run DDR.
And thank heaven for that!
"a car comparable to the East German Trabant."
LoL!!
"East Germany: Better Government Through Intimidation"
And "Four in five Germans want ADOLF back..... "
No, I´m sorry, I can´t tell you more about this. Though this poll isn´t a surprise.
Only one in five want the Berlin wall back? Sounds pretty darned positive to me, despite the spin. GO GERMAN PEOPLE. Common sense is always our friend.
Looking at the Germans I'd bet 1 in 5 Americans want WW2 back.................
You´re right. It is damned positive that 4 pout of 5 don´want the wall back. Heck, I myself found myself thinking about re-erecting this wall since I know so many East-Germans who wish to get back the wall....
So, 1 in 5 Americans want Color Me Badd to reunite, don't mean it's going to happen.
4 out of 5 Germans like David Hasselhof...nuff said.
Only one in five?
Wonder if those folks are the ones who will lose their American military base income now that the Cold War is over and we are moving them.
It's the same story you see everywhere --- Southerners in the USA weren't always happy to welcome the rust-belt Northerners showing up to enjoy their sunshine and new economy. Westerners aren't always all that pleased about Easterners moving out and changing things to be their way. Rural people almost never love to see the city people moving out into the country.
Lukasz, welcome to FR! Nice homepage. Beautiful photos.
Sounds like the Germans, on average, are more sane than Americans. After all, almost half of our electorate wants John Kerry for president.
Sorry to burst your bubbles, but another poll indicates 81% of Germans would not hesistate to vote for Kerry if they were Americans. Let's be charitable, and assume that all the 25% Westerners that want the wall back and the 15% Easterners that want the GDR back all voted for Kerry.
This leaves us 75.5% who think German reunification is a good deal are also Kerry fans. Got the picture? ;-)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.