East Germany : the CDU and the SPD want to survive state elections

30. Anniversary of the wall falling if nearly with the date of important state elections in Eastern Germany, is pure coincidence. But a very convenient coincidence, from the point of view of the CDU and the SPD. Both national parties need to locations in Saxony, Thuringia and Brandenburg, with tart. The fear in the Konrad Adenauer and Willy-Brandt-Haus, the AfD is everywhere the second-strongest force in Saxony, probably the number one. Since you can not early enough to start to counteract. The anniversary of the unit provides a welcome opportunity to open the election campaign, in fact, it is now.

"unity and cohesion by means of equivalent living conditions throughout Germany" overrides the CDU a paper written by the three national chairmen of the choice of countries and of the party's Executive Board approved on Monday. The nearly seven pages, could also bear the title: "We have understood slowly." While the citizens in the new countries were "by far the majority winner" of the unit. However, the paper identifies the problems of migration to economic weakness.

And it exercises self-criticism: "to make matters worse, the alignment process has been stagnating for more than twelve years." That includes precise, the government of Angela Merkel, can think of any. Striking is also that a term appears in the CDU-papers rare: in The year 2019 would be the year of reflection on the way "of our German Nation" in a common Europe.

Also, the SPD wants to points in the East with understanding. "We want to recognize the lifetime achievements of the East Germans," said party leader Andrea Nahles. The Twelve-point Plan that should lead out to the Comrades in the East of the survey depth, it is called in the title of "recognition" as the first message, followed by "work-up" of the post-reunification era.

Into the election year, the social Democrats also start with self-criticism: "Today, we take in all East German Federal States as parties of government responsibility", - stated in the paper. "However, the SPD has lost in many places of trust." Win back you want to create with the promise, "finally, the creation of equivalent living conditions in East and West".

In the tone of voice is the difference

Sets the CDU and the SPD-paper side by side to compare the concrete proposals, shows rapidly: In the tone differ, both stronger than in the content. The social Democrats put more value on their plans with key words to summarize: The expiring solidarity Pact II should to follow a "Pact for structurally weak regions in the East and the West," for example. The CDU says the Same thing and calls it "all-German structure promotion".

Largely in agreement, the two parties are also in many other fields of action. Example of retirement: in addition to the – in the coalition agreement – the basic pension significantly above the basic security and of the already approved East-West retirement alignment until 2024, the CDU and SPD are calling for a special solution for East Germans who suffer because of their "broken employment biography" of the disadvantages.

similar solution approaches can be found in two papers to the structural problems of the East German Länder. Both parties want to ensure, for example, that the Federal government and the EU to settle authorities and research facilities preferably in the East, both want to invest in education and training and industry support – which summarizes the SPD again in a slogan: The East should be "innovation incubator".

in the new countries of the new mobile radio standard 5G how in the West, "milk pot" to be available, of course, since almost by itself. The CDU is proposing here, in addition, at least two of the planned G5-model regions in the new countries. The social Democrats are considering a legal claim to a minimum standard of digital infrastructure.

Significant differences are evident in the papers where both parties also differ otherwise traditional. The SPD calls for children's basic protection and "perspective" to raise the minimum wage to twelve Euro. The CDU, the agriculture is still at the heart: The promotion must take on the special structures in the East into consideration. In addition, the Christian Democrats are calling for an Expansion of the Federal police to combat border crime.

SPD politician Martin Dulig "It's time you look different in Eastern Germany"

Pretty much agree on that Christian and social Democrats, then again, when dealing with history. The SPD wants to see a "East-West cultural center in a medium-sized city in Eastern Germany", the CDU will receive the "places of remembrance" as a "learning places of democracy".