Eastern Commissioner Kaiser calls for more East Germans in leadership positions

Shortly before German Unity Day on October 3rd, the Federal Government's Eastern Representative, Elisabeth Kaiser (SPD), called for more East Germans in leadership positions. East Germans should sit at the table wherever decisions are made, said Kaiser at the presentation of her current annual report in Berlin. This applies to ministries, authorities, companies, science, justice, culture and the media.

According to the commissioner, the fact that the proportion of East German managers in the highest federal authorities has increased from 13.9 percent in 2022 to the current 16.3 percent is good progress. However, the following still applies everywhere: “The higher the management level, the lower the East German share actually is.” Without East Germans in leadership positions, a large part of the experience in Germany would be missing when making important decisions.

Financial equalization via income from inheritance tax?

In view of the unequal distribution of wealth in East and West, Kaiser also brought into play a financial equalization of inheritance tax revenue. First of all, large assets and inheritances would have to be taxed more heavily, "so that we ultimately have more money in the system," she said before the presentation of her report in the joint ARD and ZDF morning magazine. It is right to create a balance so that the higher income "benefits the entire federal states, including the East German ones," said Kaiser.

In order to reduce the economic differences that still exist between East and West, there must be improvements in the education system, jobs and infrastructure. Financial resources are necessary for this.

Representative brings the idea of a basic inheritance into play

Kaiser also spoke out in favor of thinking about the idea of a basic inheritance that every 18-year-old could be entitled to, for example for education or the accumulation of assets. Fair opportunities also include the question of what conditions people start with. Wealth is still distributed differently in East and West today. This applies to inheritances as well as to home ownership.

The representative explained that wealth creation is part of the question of opportunities for advancement. “If you inherit little or inherit nothing, you still have to have the chance to build something yourself.” A society needs the belief that the future will be better than the present and that the effort to achieve it is worth it. Advancement should not depend on “how much your parents earn, what you inherit or who you know,” says Kaiser.