The Minister Presidents of Saxony-Anhalt, Brandenburg and Thuringia believe that the eastern German states are at a disadvantage compared to the western German states. "It's not about special treatment. It's simply about fairness," said Brandenburg's Minister President Dietmar Woidke at the infrastructure conference in Lutherstadt Wittenberg (Saxony-Anhalt). For example, the construction of railroad lines had to be "fought for" or paid for by the eastern German states, while investments were being made in southern Germany. "That is simply painful," said the SPD politician.
The Brandenburg politician sees a further disadvantage with regard to infrastructure when it comes to building bridges. The fact that there are far too few bridges to Poland is a huge disadvantage for the economy in eastern Germany, he said. "Doing something about this would really help us, and would also help Germany."