The Berlin Republic

The move of the German federal parliament and government from Bonn to Berlin marked the beginning of a new era. While in the 1990s change had affected mostly East Germans, the years after 2000 brought changes that equally affected all Germans. Continued European integration, the introduction of the European common currency, the neoliberal reform of the social welfare state, the transformation of energy production, the refugee crisis, and the Coronavirus PandemicCoronavirus Pandemic impacted the lives of all Germans. The Hartz Reforms and the Refugee Crisis transformed the political system of Germany and led to the establishment of a left-wing (Left Party) and a right-wing political party (Alternative for Germany). The nuclear disaster in far-away Fukushima impacted Germany’s political system and its economy since it forced politicians to accept the end to the use of nuclear power generation. The Coronavirus pandemic, finally, created a public climate that was characterized by both the return of the strong state as well as growing public mistrust into the state.