站在現在回望，東西德統一的進程似乎還可以更平滑漸進一些，有些經濟融合的失誤本可以避免，比如西德僱主和工會違背市場規律、過快拉高東德工資水平，最初的確討好了民眾，卻導致後續失業率高攀和投資進程的中斷，變成東德經濟落後的關鍵性問題之一。

「東德從計劃經濟向市場經濟痛苦轉軌的過程中，輸家是那些曾經掌權的共產黨老人，他們失去了權力，但仍享受到了西邊標準的養老金待遇。」德國經濟研究所前所長辛恩（Hans-Werner Sinn）對端傳媒說，「但除了他們之外，東德每一個人都是贏家，這點毫無疑問。德國能夠實現統一，基本上是全體民眾的幸運。

Looking back now, it seems that the process of reunification of East and West Germany can be smoother and gradual. Some economic integration mistakes could have been avoided. For example, West German employers and trade unions violated market laws and raised East German wages too quickly. They were really pleased at first. However, it caused the subsequent high unemployment rate and interruption of the investment process, which became one of the key problems of East Germany’s economic backwardness. "During the painful transition of East Germany from a planned economy to a market economy, the losers were those old Communists who had been in power. They lost power but still enjoyed the western standard pension benefits." Sinn, former director of the Ifo Institute for Economic Research (Hans-Werner Sinn) told the media, "But apart from them, everyone in East Germany is a winner. There is no doubt about that. Germany's reunification is basically the luck of all the people."

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