East Germany | Small progress for East Germans

AfD politicians like Björn Höcke (r.) repeatedly use insignia of Eastern identity such as Simson mopeds for their self-promotion, here in June in Wutha-Farnroda, Thuringia. Photo: Imago/Sascha Fromm Concrete data on the development of the economy and social infrastructure in East Germany is placed sparingly in the new report by the Federal Government's Eastern Commissioner. Instead, the Federal Ministry of Construction and the house of Minister of State for Culture Wolfram Weimer explain in their own chapters what funding opportunities their departments offer young artists or families. And there are encouraging interviews with East German celebrities and entrepreneurs.

There are also a few current figures from the so-called Elite Monitor. The representative Elisabeth Kaiser (SPD) presented it in Berlin on Wednesday. And she commented on the publications from the previous day, which stated extreme differences in tax-relevant asset transfers and a still enormous wage gap of more than 19 percent between East and West.

According to the report presented by Kaiser entitled “Staying on the Move,” the number of people born in the East in top positions in federal authorities is growing, albeit very slowly. Since 2022, their share has increased by 2.1 points to 13.4 percent. However, people of West German origin are still almost always at the top of the authorities. Only 4.3 percent are East Germans.

»Promotion should not depend on how much your parents earn, what you inherit or who you know.«

East Germans now make up 10.6 percent of federal judges – a significant increase compared to 2022 (7.1 percent). However, East Germans are only represented at 4.4 percent in the positions of presiding judges at federal courts. A decline in the total number of registered federal judges is also partly responsible for the increased percentage.

In 2023, the federal government decided on a concept to bring more East Germans into leading positions in the federal administration. But even 36 years after the GDR joined the Federal Republic, the representation of East Germans in important positions, including in business and science, is far below their share of the population (20 percent).

The report does not contain information on the development of assets and salaries. However, the Federal Statistical Office and the German Trade Union Confederation presented new data on Tuesday. According to this, 95 percent of the volume of large inheritances and donations, on which taxes were paid, comes from West Germany. And the median working income in the East was still 19 percent lower than in the West in 2025.

In view of this, Kaiser advocated increasing inheritance tax revenue and redistributing it towards the East. This should improve opportunities for advancement and brighten the political mood in East Germany. "It's about the question of how people can progress in our country, regardless of their origins," said the Eastern Commissioner when presenting her annual report. “Germany has really achieved an enormous amount in the last 36 years, but I think we can do even better at implementing the promise of advancement for all people.”

One chapter of the report contains preliminary information from the so-called Germany Monitor, a representative nationwide survey on the attitudes and opinions of the population. The monitor itself will not be published until next February, said Jena political scientist Marion Reiser, who presented partial results on the question of how people in East and West assess the opportunities for professional and social advancement in Germany. According to this, 95 percent of those surveyed on a national average say that performance and hard work should be decisive for careers, and 91 percent mentioned education and training.

At the same time, according to most people, different standards apply in reality: 80 percent say that wealth is actually crucial for advancement, just as many see relationships as crucial, and 72 percent cite social background. 69 percent cite performance and hard work as actually important factors.

This gap between “ideal and reality” worries her, said Elisabeth Kaiser. In a guest article published in the “Rheinische Post” on Wednesday, the Eastern Commissioner writes: “The average net total assets per household in 2023 were 125,500 euros in East Germany and 257,100 euros in West Germany. When it comes to real estate assets, it was 97,800 euros compared to 214,500 euros. "That's why something has to be done politically.

She sees one starting point in channeling money into the eastern federal states via a state compensation mechanism in order to support daycare centers and schools there, for example. This improves education and ensures more success in your professional career, higher income and thus opportunities to build wealth. Advancement should not depend on “how much your parents earn, what you inherit or who you know,” Kaiser said on Wednesday.

State financial equalization already exists to compensate for differences in economic power. All East German states are among the recipients. However, Kaiser believes that with additional shifts in inheritance and gift taxes there would be more scope for financing infrastructure. She emphasized that the state is already doing a lot with the special infrastructure fund, the creation of the so-called early start pension for young people and the StartChances program, which supports schools. But more is needed.

Kaiser also advocates a so-called basic inheritance. She is taking up an idea from her predecessor Carsten Schneider (SPD) from 2022. After that, the state should pay every 18-year-old 20,000 euros as starting capital - also financed with tax redistribution. “I think we should still talk about it,” said Kaiser.

The SPD politician admitted that she had not yet spoken to the coalition partner CDU/CSU about the basic inheritance and her proposals for inheritance tax. Kaiser sees an opportunity in the expected ruling by the Federal Constitutional Court, which will require new inheritance tax regulations. “In this context, as Eastern Commissioner, I will also bring this aspect into account,” she announced.

The government should also think about this in view of the outcome of the state elections in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Saxony-Anhalt. In both countries, the extreme right-wing AfD received by far the most votes. In Saxony-Anhalt, AfD leading candidate Ulrich Siegmund could soon become Prime Minister. This development is a “breaking point” that cannot simply be ignored, Kaiser warned. You have to ask yourself what needs to be done to regain trust: "I think the topic of opportunities for advancement, future expectations and perspectives is a very central one."

In this context, Kaiser also spoke about “Eastern identity,” which is sometimes talked about and written about and, above all, politically exploited by certain forces. As an example, she cited the Simson mopeds, which are very popular among teenagers and young adults in the East. As a young East German you just drive “Simme”. AfD politicians like Björn Höcke and Ulrich Siegmund present themselves as drivers of such scooters. And also launched parliamentary initiatives to expand the exceptions to the maximum permitted speeds of vehicles.

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