euro|topics - 20 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall

Main focus of Monday, November 9, 2009

20 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall

Twenty years ago the Berlin Wall - symbol of the Cold War - cracked and fell, and tens of thousands of people from communist East Germany crossed over into West Berlin. The event changed Germany and the world, but according to the European press not as much as expected.

Hospodářské noviny - Czech Republic

German Chancellor at the time Helmut Kohl promised the East Germans blooming landscapes, but so far there hasn't been much evidence of this, writes business paper Hospodářské Noviny, predicting that Eastern Germany is doomed to the same fate as Southern Italy: "Meanwhile people are beginning to talk about the expiry of Solidarity Pact in 2019, until which time a further 250 billion euros are to flow into Eastern Germany's coffers. The statistics don't paint a very rosy picture of conditions in the eastern states. Unemployment is still twice as high there as in the west of the country. The development of Eastern Germany is also hindered by the massive exodus of young people in particular to the west, which creates a demographic problem for Eastern Germany. … Pessimistic voices say that the same fate awaits Eastern Germany as Southern Italy with its chronic economic problems." (09/11/2009)

De Volkskrant - Netherlands

The euphoria over the fall of the Berlin Wall has been replaced by a sense of disappointment and doubt, the left-liberal daily De Volkskrant writes, but adds that the mood is improving: "Eastern German states are crawling out of the trough, trade has increased considerably. … This growth is gradually beginning to chip away at the 'Wall in people's heads'. What we are seeing in Germany can be observed all over Europe. The abolition of the border between Western and Eastern Europe has led not only to the dreamed-of harmony and cooperation, but the whole continent has also made indisputable and clear progress both politically and economically. Consequently there is every reason to celebrate the fall of the Wall 20 years ago today. The tearing down of this hated barrier at the heart of Europe is and remains a monumental event." (09/11/2009)

Frankfurter Rundschau - Germany

The peaceful self-determination that marked the revolution of 20 years ago remains a valuable legacy that must not be tossed to the wind, writes the left-liberal Frankfurter Rundschau. Rather, the paper comments, it must be harnessed to face the challenges of the present: "In the still freshly united Germany it was the great East-diagnostician Joachim Gauck who developed the concept of 'empowerment'. ... Gauck's appeal to self-empowerment, to striking out anew on the path to a better life, is by no means outmoded. All of the celebrations would be empty pomp if the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall were not also used to ask: how can we, 'the people', apply the uplifting experience of self-empowerment to shape our own conditions in the present day? ... The people in East Germany who rebelled in order to empower themselves could not guess that they stood the slimmest chance of success. They had more cause for resignation than anyone who leans back nowadays 'because you can't change things anyway'. We will waste the legacy of the peaceful overthrow of Eastern Europe if we don't use it for the challenges of the present." (09/11/2009)

Dziennik Gazeta Prawna - Poland

The daily Dziennik Gazeta Prawna reminds readers that the Wall would never have fallen without the Polish Solidarność freedom movement: "It's difficult to discuss the facts. And the fact is that the Berlin Wall came down spectacularly. But it wouldn't have happened if it hadn't been for Solidarność [the Solidarity trade union], the strikes at the Gdańsk Shipyard, [the Polish freedom fighter] Lech Wałęsa, the round table [at which the communists and the opposition negotiated the transfer of power in Poland] and the elections of 4 June 1989 [the first half-free elections in Poland]. Nowadays 9 November 1989 symbolises the fall of communism for the average Western European citizen. And today this belief is reaffirmed because German Chancellor [Angela] Merkel has organised lavish celebrations to be attended by all the major international figures except [US President] Barack Obama." (09/11/2009)

Helsingin Sanomat - Finland

Germany's reunification was regarded with fear by many; the fear of seeing an old aggressor regain its strength. The daily Helsingin Sanomat explains why these fears have proven unfounded: "The political power in Germany has passed on to a new generation that has no personal memories of the Second World War. At the same time Western and Eastern Germany have made great efforts to create a new identity. Changes were unavoidable and they began with the red-green government of [former] German chancellor [Gerhard] Schröder. The first victim of these changes was the principle of neutrality. Germany started to contribute to the maintenance of international peace and stability … . As far as the EU is concerned [Angela] Merkel has shown she can deal pragmatically with crisis situations and will assume a leading role, as expected." (09/11/2009)

Les Echos - France

The business paper Les Echos spotlights German economic policy over the last 20 years and identifies then as now unpleasant aspects for Europe: "Just as 1989 put an end to one world, twenty years later Berlin must answer the questions posed by its new status. Will its economic policy be first and foremost cooperative or egoistical? During the 1990s the Bundesbank imposed its conditions on Europe, with heavy consequences. A year ago in the midst of the crisis it took several weeks for Angela Merkel even to agree to discuss the topic with her neighbours. Today Berlin finally seems ready to stimulate its internal demand, but the agreement between the new coalition partners is still vague. What sort of Europe does Germany want? It hardly plays an active role and gives every impression of paying lip service but no longer believing. ... A related issue is how much priority our neighbours give to the Franco-German duo. The lack of concrete commitment is worrying." (09/11/2009)

» To the complete press review of Monday, November 9, 2009

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