Thuringian head of government: Commissioner for Eastern Europe still necessary

Almost 35 years after German reunification, Thuringia's Minister President Mario Voigt believes that a Federal Government Commissioner for Eastern Europe will continue to be necessary in the future. "We still need a Commissioner for Eastern Europe in the Chancellery," the CDU politician told Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND). "It is good if the Federal Chancellor has someone at his side who has a special eye on the interests of East Germany and takes care of them."

Currently, SPD politician Carsten Schneider from Thuringia is the Federal Government's Commissioner for Eastern Germany. In the past, however, there have been voices from the CDU/CSU who consider the office to be outdated. Prominent East German politicians, however, spoke out clearly in favor of retaining the post - such as Brandenburg's head of government Dietmar Woidke (SPD) or Saxony-Anhalt's CDU leader and Minister of Economic Affairs Sven Schulze.