The historic decision to abandon East Germany's separate existence, thereby changing the face of Europe, was taken early yesterday
The two Germanys yesterday set October 3 as the definitive date for the unification of their countries amid warnings that it would take years to rebuild the shattered East German economy and demand considerable sacrifices from West Germans. The historic decision to abandon the country's separate existence, thereby changing the face of Europe, was taken early yesterday by the necessary two-thirds majority of deputies in the East German parliament after weeks of wrangles. It was greeted with a mixture of relief and joy by politicians from all parties in West Germany as the end of months of uncertainty, giving a new impetus for private investment in East Germany and providing stability for its 16 million citizens.
The compromise, reached after rows over other dates, was approved by 294 MPs in favour, with 62 against and 7 abstaining. The Social Democrats, who left the government earlier this week, backed it, as did their colleagues in the Federal Republic. But the SPD could still bring about East Germany's simple annexation by bringing down the treaty in either house of the federal parliament because of continuing divisions over the costs of unity, abortion rights, and the return of property. East Germany will become merely the twelfth Land, or regional state, in the Federal Republic, with government power residing only in Bonn, where the lower house, the Bundestag, will be expanded by 144 deputies to 663.
Yesterday's events began in earnest the campaign for the first all-German democratic elections in nearly 60 years, due on December 2 under a single electoral system now approved by both parliaments. Chancellor Kohl, greeting the Volkskammer's decision as "a day of joy for all Germans," tried to raise Germans' sights over the disputes on election dates by declaring that the process of unification was unprecedented in the history of post-war Europe. It was taking place without war, bloody revolution or force and in full agreement with Germany's friends and neighbours in West and East. But, while he insisted that a united country could meet the challenge of rebuilding the East German economy, Dr Kohl warned that it would take months and years to do so and would require enormous commitments.
Oskar Lafontaine, the SPD challenger to become all-German chancellor, paid tribute to Dr Kohl's success in getting the Soviet Union to accept German membership of Nato. But he also accused the government of hiding the true costs of unity and told West Germans they would have to foot the bill.
These archive extracts, compiled by the Guardian's research and information department, appear online daily at gu.com/fromthearchive
