Even 30 years after the fall of the Berlin wall sit at the switching of the Power levers, especially West Germans. East Germans are, even in the East – are under-represented. Now the Bundestag is concerned with an East-quota.
A spectacular discrimination complaint made in 2010 in the state of Baden-Württemberg, deep in the South-West of Germany, headlines. An accountant from East Berlin applied to a window construction company. 20 years before that, she was gone, like thousands of other East Germans – in the West, in order to find work. You got the Job. On the application folder, which was sent back, she found the words “Ossi” and next to it is a fat minus sign.
She felt for their origin, discriminated against and sued for damages. The anti-discrimination act of 2006 sets: All are treated equally, regardless of origin. However, the labour court of Stuttgart dismissed the action. In Eastern Germany there is no “own tribe”. The woman had no right to feel as an “Ossi” discriminated against. The case ended with a settlement.
In the end, there was an amicable settlement, the case ended up in court
Statistics of potentially similar cases is not to be found. Also not in the anti-discrimination office in the Bundestag, a kind of advice phone. He could only report that “very occasional requests,” said spokesman Sebastian Bickerich.
There were – statistically speaking – good reasons for thousands of such complaints: in Eastern Germany only 1.7 per cent of the top jobs to fill in Germany. A study by the University of Jena in the year 2017. This is much less than their proportion of the total population in Germany accounts for – of is 17 percent. At the tips of the 80 public universities in German are sitting not only in the West.
There are numerous examples that show that The Power over money and decisions in the economy, the judiciary, military, administration, science and education of Germany, almost 30 years after reunification, mostly in the hands of the West.
For the first time, the request for an East-quota
“We need a Eastern rate, otherwise the unit is not serious”, asked in mid-March, the Left politician Gregor Gysi, one of the most prominent Eastern politicians of the last decades in the Bundestag. It is when you look at the Numbers, “as if the wall were still there”.
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The debate about the lack of representation of East Germans in the Executive is not new. Now, however, to follow the will of the left party, the words finally did. Therefore, it has submitted to the Bundestag a request for an Ost rate. You should apply to Federal agencies for Federal employees. The Federal government should lead by example. The Left refers to your application for the basic law. It says in article 36: “In the Supreme Federal authorities, officials from all the countries use it in appropriate proportion.”
But the other parties do not. Even the Commissioner for Eastern Germany, the government argued: it was only “a shindig in the hope that the poor Ossi of his own victims, is convinced of the role,” Christian shepherd – 42, East German, CDU speech during a parliamentary debate. Whether he was actually the Representative for, or against the East Germans, was a shepherd asked in the debate upset.
The Anger has built up over the years. Initially, it was said: The old GDR elites would have to be disempowered. In addition, the West would understand German better with the new System, with the reunification on 3. October 1990 had been introduced. With the time of the West Overhang would balance out by itself. But he does not.
The Elite recruits themselves
Lars Vogel carries out research at the East German University of Leipzig for explanations. His specialty is the elite research. It is an “almost universal act of uniformity, and even of elite positions excluded groups find themselves suddenly access,” says bird.
Who is Elite, recruit as a successor to him or her related persons in terms of origin, education and career. Right Uni, precise study, Golf club, – but these paths to the top were in Germany, not very transparent, says bird. The East German Knowledge of and access to the “right circles is lacking often”. Also, it is going to be appropriate “facial Expressions, Gestures and posture, to more subtle signals,” based on the upper layer. Since the West Germans are usually trained.
A well-crafted rate for East German could work, says bird. But a political majority is not in sight.
Alternatives to the quota?
Also if you are currently in the Bundestag, a party of Pro-Quote is – political insight, on the Situation to change something. Now it comes to a strategy. The Commissioner for Eastern Germany shepherd campaigned for, instead of a rate of the new administrative authorities of the Confederation reinforced in the East. Thus, the Federal government has already begun – the new center of competence “forest” in Leipzig, is an example. But the elite researcher bird of the effectiveness of this strategy into question. It was “no guarantee that a public authority has in the East, then East German leadership staff”.
However, a further inequality could be reduced. Because it’s not just the Jobs, the related offices are spread between the East and the West not equal. “90 percent of Federal agencies have their headquarters in the West,” said Anton friezes of the “Alternative for Germany” (AfD) in the Bundestag. One of the reasons why the AfD group has submitted a “East application” in the Bundestag, will now advise on how the of the left party in the committees.
The right-wing populists to compete with the left party to be in the East as the loudest voice is perceived
From East to rate the AfD holds nothing, but called for further action. Existing Federal authorities from the West should have to move, so your suggestion, in the East. The debate about a quota shy away from the right-wing populists may be made comprehensible reason: two of the three AfD top candidate for this year’s upcoming Landtag elections in Brandenburg, Saxony and Thuringia come from the West.