‘Inner unity’ ‐ Back to the community myth? A plea for a basic consensus

Abstract

Based on an inaugural lecture at the University of Trier, the article reviews the meaning of ‘inner unity’ in Germany. Seven years after unification, researchers and politicians seem to be agreed that ‘inner unity’ remains elusive given 40 years of separate development in East and West. Common to the debate are a lack of clarity on what might signify ‘inner unity’ and various assumptions about the manner in which ‘community’ should manifest itself. The paper argues that the diversity of preferences, social expectations and political views between old and new Lander is underpinned by a broad consensus about the institutional and cultural foundations of Germany. The commitment to the constitutional state, not the match of specific views, constitutes ‘inner unity’. Anything more would impinge on societal plurality and on the legitimacy of German democracy itself. The paper concludes that ‘inner unity’ requires consensus with diversity and has already been achieved.

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