|
|
Article: Laughing all the way to unity. (East Germany, West Germany) (Europe)
- Article from:
- The Economist (US)
- Article date:
- June 16, 1990
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1990 Economist Newspaper Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
JUDGING by the ever-broader grins of West German government leaders, German unity is now almost within grasp. Both the chancellor, Mr Helmut Kohl, and the foreign minister, Mr Hans-Dietrich Genscher, think that an all-German election and probably unity itself will come around year's end. Only weeks ago they were less confident. What has changed?
For one thing Mr Oskar Lafontaine, the Social Democrat who hopes to tip Mr Kohl out of his job, has now dropped his threat to block in parliament the treaty creating an economic and monetary union between the two Germanies. So the pact will take effect at the start of next month as planned. Mr Lafontaine has won ...