The SPD and the Greens have expressed their intention to maintain the office of the Federal Government’s Commissioner for Eastern Germany, despite recent statements from the Union. Frank Junge, the chairman of the SPD’s Landesgruppe Ost in the Bundestag, told the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland that “we still have East-West differences and must take them into account. That’s where an East Commissioner can still help us.”
Paula Piechotta, the Greens’ spokesperson for the Landesgruppe Ost in the Bundestag, echoed similar sentiments, saying, “As long as the life expectancy of East German men is significantly lower than that of West German men, as long as wealth disparities are as wide as they are, and as long as East Germans are underrepresented in German leadership positions, we still need an East Commissioner or an East Commissioner’s office.”
Sepp Müller, the CDU/CSU’s deputy leader in the Bundestag, disagreed, stating that the office of the East Commissioner is no longer necessary. “In the 35th year of German reunification, I think this office is outdated.” While acknowledging that there are still East-specific problems, such as differences in wages or inheritance, Müller believes that these issues should be addressed under the principle of equal opportunities between East and West, rather than through a dedicated commissioner.