On Wednesday (September 30, 2026) in Berlin, Elisabeth Kaiser became a particularly sought-after figure: the Federal Government Commissioner for East German Affairs was forced to give one television interview after another. This comes against the backdrop of the 2026 report that I presented a short while ago in a press conference. As usual, the report includes many numbers and comparisons with the western part of Germany.
Less wealth, fewer opportunities for advancement?
Unsurprisingly, the disparities in basic indicators are still very large: East Germans have lower average income, receive lower pensions, and own less property. This is why Kaiser, who was born in 1987 in the German Democratic Republic, three years before German unification, talks a lot about wealth disparities.
Private entrepreneurship and the build-up of private financial reserves have been restricted for decades. “That is why families have not been able to create or pass on wealth to the same extent.” Therefore, East German residents could not inherit large fortunes. For Kaiser, who comes from the city of Gera in Thuringia, all this falls within the issue of opportunities for social advancement.
How important are relationships and social origin?
The situation seems to be bad in this regard not only from the point of view of the East German population. Kaiser refers to the study commissioned by the German Observatory, which is currently still under analysis, but some results are already available. According to this study, about two-thirds of respondents are convinced that financial and social advancement depends decisively on wealth, relationships, and social origin.
This perception is also reflected in the numbers. It is true that the proportion of East German executives in the highest federal bodies has risen, according to Kaiser data, from 13.9 percent in 2022 to 16.3 percent currently, but: “As the administrative level rises, the proportion of East German executives actually decreases.”
Few East German executives across the board
The East German Commissioner makes a clear demand from this: equality of opportunity includes the ability to influence important decisions. “For this reason, my demand is that the people of East Germany participate in all forums in which decisions are made in the country, in ministries and government bodies, and in the fields of economics, science, judiciary, culture and media.”
Across the board, East Germans are significantly underrepresented compared to their roughly 20 percent of the population. In this regard, Kaiser can rely on statistics derived from the Elite Observatory, a project also launched by its foundation. According to these statistics, the share of East Germans in government and private leadership positions increased only slightly during the period under study from 2018 to 2024: from 10.9 to 12.1 percent.
Indeed, the proportion of the East German population declined in the areas of economy and culture. One thing that draws particular attention is that all the CEOs of the 100 largest German companies are from West Germany. This also applies to the army. East Germans are also significantly underrepresented in senior positions in the judiciary and the media.
The importance of the elite monitor goes beyond being just a momentary snapshot, as it is a long-term study conducted by the universities of Jena (Thuringia) and Leipzig (Saxony), in addition to the Zittau/Görlitz College of Higher Education (Saxony). The study includes about 3,000 leadership positions in twelve sectors.
New stereotypes about East Germany
It seems that the insufficient representation of the East German point of view in most social spheres also affects the self-image of many people. Kaiser says that the generation born at the time of the fall of the Berlin Wall and German unification, to which the East German Commissioner herself belonged, did not feel that they were East German for a long time. It was only at school and during her training that she realized that there were differences between East and West that sometimes put her at a disadvantage.
This, in turn, is linked to new stereotypes about East Germany, both past and present. “An Eastern identity is also being created here to some extent on a political level, because people are looking for a reference and looking for something that connects them,” Kaiser notes based on numerous meetings and conversations. An example of this is the symbolic value of the small “Simpson” motorcycle, which was produced in millions of units during the era of the German Democratic Republic and which symbolized mobility and freedom for young people.
Why does the AfD love Simpson motorcycles?
“This matter will be exploited,” the official responsible for Eastern affairs expressed her regret, without mentioning the name of the Alternative for Germany party in this context. Senior representatives of the party, which the Constitutional Protection Service partly classifies as right-wing extremist, like to use this iconic motorcycle in their public appearances. Among them is Ulrich Siegmund, the main winning candidate in the regional parliament elections in Saxony-Anhalt.
“It's a very emotional connection that's made,” Kaiser says of working with the Simpson brand. The person responsible for eastern affairs also comments when asked about the Alternative Party and its electoral successes in the east, which recently also included Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Berlin. She believes that these elections portend a dangerous signal: international investors and specialized personnel are asking: “Should I go there or not?”
Economic recovery is at risk
Kaiser points in particular to areas that play an important role in East Germany as an economic and innovation factor: the semiconductor industry, battery cell research, health technology, biotechnology as well as renewable energies. Her concern: that the economic recovery in these sectors may be negatively affected.
Prepared in Arabic by: M.A.M
