AfD’s electoral successes
Ramelow: “The East has no reason to apologize”
11.06.2024, 07:46
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Thuringia’s Prime Minister Ramelow is thinking about German-German cohesion following the AfD’s election successes. In his opinion, the attitude of many in the West that the East should be more grateful is deepening the division. NRW Prime Minister Wüst has ideas to close the gap.
In view of the strong results for the AfD in the European elections in East Germany, Thuringia’s Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow has warned of a growing gap between East and West Germans. “After the European elections, I now read sentences on social networks like: ‘Where is the gratitude of the East Germans?’ These are questions that we do not need right now,” the Left politician told the editorial network Germany.
“The East has nothing to apologize for. It should rather be seen as an opportunity. Instead, emotional unity is increasingly breaking down. The fact that East Germans are expected to be grateful is driving this spiral further,” Ramelow continued. With a view to the state elections on September 1, Ramelow said: “The starting position is difficult. But state elections are personnel elections. And all personnel elections have not turned out well for the AfD.”
The North Rhine-Westphalia CDU leader and Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst called for more exchange between East and West Germany. “It is time for a Unification Treaty 2.0, which, in addition to formal unity, also brings people closer together – for greater trust and cohesion between East and West,” Wüst told the editorial network Germany. He said it was about “agreeing on a series of projects – for example, bringing young people from East and West closer together. “Because exchange creates trust and opens up prospects for more mutual understanding.”
For example, it is about an exchange like that known from European town twinning, said the CDU politician. He has the impression that many people from North Rhine-Westphalia have never been to the – not so new – states. “Some people know Mallorca better than Saxony or Thuringia. That makes it all the more worth trying to bring people closer together again.”
Wüst also spoke out in favor of reviving the round table, as it existed at the time of reunification. “The time of reunification was characterized by the idea of the round table: At that time, very different people came together with the sole goal of working towards a better democratic future.” When he looks at society today – East and West – he would like to see “this open approach to one another in conversation; to sit down at a table instead of shouting at one another from afar.” Because it is important to also engage with people whose opinions you do not share.
Surveys repeatedly show that the majority nationwide believe that East and West have grown together less or not at all since 1990. One cause for concern is that the income differences between East and West Germany remain large, even more than 33 years after reunification.
The AfD emerged from the European elections as the second strongest force behind the Union with a provisional official result of 15.9 percent. This was its best result to date in elections to the EU Parliament. The AfD came first in all five eastern German states, according to the provisional official result published on Monday morning. The newly founded Wagenknecht party BSW came third in the east.