Published 19:36 IST, November 9th 2019
30 years after fall of Berlin Wall, Germans divided on aftermath
30 years after the fall of Berlin Wall, Germans are divided on its aftermath. Surveys by Deutschlandtrend, Ipsos reveal what people feel in Germany & worldwide
According to the latest Deutschlandtrend report by political research firm Infratest Dimap, some 60% of eastern Germans in 2019 said there has been a positive change as compared to 67% in 2009 on the eve of 30 years after the fall of Berlin wall. On the other hand, positive responses from western Germans rose by five points up to 56% compared to answers from 2009. When the participants were asked whether life was better or worse today compared to the conditions in former East Germany, both western and eastern Germans overwhelmingly agreed that travel possibilities are much better now. Likewise, 69% of survey participants in the east and 83% of respondents in the west said the situation had improved in terms of freedom of speech. Career opportunities and the economic situation were also ranked as better by the public when compared to the GDR. Yet the East and West were divided when it came to comparing the education systems and early childhood care, with eastern Germans saying the situation today was worse. About 76% in the east said that social cohesion was worse today, while only 46% of western Germans agreed.
The survey mentions public support to various political parties in Germany
The DeutschlandTrend survey also found that support for Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives (CDU/CSU) has continued to drop, falling two points to 26%. Likewise, the people have shown less support for the Greens, although they currently remain the second-strongest party at 22%. On the other hand, AfD scored major gains in state elections in Thuringia, Saxony, and Brandenburg, remained constant at 14%, tied for third with the center-left Social Democrats (SPD).
International survey on the fall of the Berlin wall
At the same time, Ipsos surveyed the international impact of German reunification, polling over 12,000 adults in 16 countries which was published on Thursday. Responding to the question of whether Germany was still powerful in Europe, 60% of survey respondents in Turkey and Spain agreed. As per the report, most disagreements came from participants in the Netherlands, Poland, and the UK. Likewise, 55% of Polish respondents said that life in Poland has changed for the better as a result of the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of communism, while 52% of respondents in Romania said their lives had gotten worse.
Updated 22:26 IST, November 9th 2019