From East Germans to Germans?

In 1990 Germany launched an experiment to transplant democracy into a formerly communist country, effectively dismantling the system of the German Democratic Republic and rebuilding it in the likeness of the democratic Federal Republic of Germany. From East Germans to Germans? examines the role of the first generation of democratically-elected political elites in the former GDR's transition to democracy. Although there were benefits from the quick transplant of a ready-made democratic system supported by West German financial backing and expertise, there were also problems for the development of post-communist political leadership and for the growth of mass support for the democratic system. Jennifer A. Yoder analyses the implications of this process for democratic legitimation and integration. Based on field research in East Germany that included interviews with both parliamentarians and common citizens, her study addresses issues such as culture, identity, and the lack of continuity between the old and new political elites. Although the availability of West German role models, together with pressure to conform, allowed the process of decommunisation to occur much faster than elsewhere in Eastern Europe, the cultural differences between east and west are more extensive and complex than previously assumed. Yoder shows how Unification has been followed by a reinvigoration of regional interests and how, while some political elites have adopted western German patterns, others openly criticise many of the practices and policies originating in Bonn and present themselves as democratic alternatives and advocates for East German interests in the new Germany. She describes how for many East Germans these new regional elites are regarded as the only representatives of their interests in the western-dominated political system. Providing insight into elite-building at a time of transition and a valuable alternative to the "institutions versus culture" debate found in traditional analyses of political change, this book will interest political scientists and students and scholars of European politics and German studies.