A generation after Germany reunited, deep divisions remain
Extremists are now polling well in the former East Germany
The man in a lilac jumper is blunt. Why, he asks, is Germany a vassal of the USA? In reply Olaf Scholz, Germany’s chancellor, sketches a history of the Federal Republic, patiently adding that the danger it faces right now is not America, but Russia’s war on Ukraine. His conclusion, “We do not take orders,” wins polite applause.
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This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “Ost is Ost”
Europe May 13th 2023
From the May 13th 2023 edition
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