AfD: Steffen Mau explains why the era of reunification still strengthens the party in eastern Germany

The era of German reunification still shapes eastern Germany and helps strengthen the AfD, sociologist Steffen Mau says.

Mau argues that the period gives many people in the east the feeling that they now represent an avant-garde. That perception, he says, contributes to the party’s continued strength in the region.

At the same time, Mau warns against a new debate over how resources and opportunities are distributed between western and eastern Germany. The article presents his explanation of why the legacy of reunification remains politically powerful in the east.