GERMANY
YoungAction for YouropeVision
Germany
Democratic Federal Parliamentary Republic
Germany more closely resembles that of its neighbors Poland, Czechia, and Austria.
The German Democratic Republic (GDR) was a true soviet satellite government that utilized
extensive spy networks to monitor civilian life and quash possible rebellions using
interrogation, imprisonment, and murder. As such, citizens were skeptical by nature
and feared government agents, particularly the State Security Service, or Stasi.
Post-WWII West Germany quickly began rebuilding its economy and government with a
democratic parliament and NATO membership. 41 years of separation had an enormous
impact on East Germany, but now that we are 28 years since reunification, changes can be
seen. East Germany has moved away from harsh pollutants like coal in favor of renewable
energy and with more open farmland than Western Germany, it produces more agriculturally.
Partially the East-West argument does not rely on historical differences but social:
Eastern Germany is more rural than the West. Just as in American, the more rural East is
more conservative, has higher unemployment, and lower wages. Many Eastern Germans
who wish for more competitive wages must move to cities in the West such as Bonn, Hamburg,
or Frankfurt where industry is thriving. The East is also detached from Western
countries like France, Belgium, and Denmark who all border the Western half of the country.
Instead, the economy and lifestyle of Eastern
Teo-Greece
61