There will also be a Commissioner for Eastern Germany in the future federal government, but no longer in the Chancellery. The position is to be located in the Ministry of Finance, as stated in the coalition agreement between the CDU/CSU and SPD. The office will continue to be held by the SPD.
The position is currently held by Carsten Schneider (SPD) from Thuringia as Minister of State in the Chancellery. However, Schneider recently made it clear that he will probably give up the position. Leipzig Green Party politician Paula Piechotta criticized the new line-up. This means that the East is "no longer a top priority", she complained.
Achievements of East Germans since unification are highlighted
The coalition agreement formulates various political and economic goals for East Germany. For example, it states that the representation of East Germans in management positions and decision-making bodies is to be improved.
The federal government will relieve the burden on the East German states by assuming a further ten percentage points of the costs of entitlements from supplementary and special pension schemes in the former GDR. In addition, the aim is to build data centers in eastern Germany and connect industrial centers to the hydrogen core network.
In general, the coalition agreement acknowledges the achievements of the people in eastern Germany in the 35 years since German reunification. "The
East has long proven that transformation can succeed. We want to build on this."
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