Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has joined the debate about a new self-confidence in East Germany. “There is absolutely no reason and no justification to look down on East Germans and East Germany in any way,” he told the Tagesspiegel.
Brandenburg’s Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke (SPD) had previously complained in the Tagesspiegel about the arrogance with which people talked about East Germany. That must change urgently, it is time for a “new East German self-confidence”.
Steinmeier said he met many self-confident people during his several-day visit to Senftenberg in Brandenburg. “In the more than 30 years after reunification, a lot of new things have been created here with a lot of effort.” You have to support those who are working on structural change, as in the lignite region.