Woes Cloud United Land’s Birthday
Germans celebrated a low-key first birthday as a united nation Thursday, with concern over growing unemployment and neo-Nazism replacing the champagne-swigging euphoria that marked Communist East Germany’s dissolution a year ago.
Political leaders praised the achievements made in rebuilding the eastern region, which was left in a state of collapse by 40 years of Communist central-planning. Restructuring the economy has left 1 million people in the east jobless.
“Everyone knows that much remains to be done,” Chancellor Helmut Kohl said in a televised speech. “But we have every reason to be confident. Together, we’ll make it.”
Kohl also used the new national holiday, Unity Day, to denounce a recent spate of violence by neo-Nazis. Police reported at least a dozen fresh attacks against foreigners and refugee centers.
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