Author:	Ritter Gerhard Albert
Format:	Book
Published:	Oxford : Oxford University Press, 2011
Description:	xviii, 481 p. ; 24 cm.

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	Preface to the English Edition					ix
	Translator's Note					xi
	Introduction					xiii
I.	GERMAN UNITY: THE FRAMEWORK
1.	Political Framework					3
1.1.	dynamics of the unification process, and the securing of unity on the international front					3
1.1.1.	Federal Republic and the crisis in the GDR up to the end of the Modrow government					3
1.1.2.	emergence of a new party system in the GDR and the Volkskammer elections of 18 March 1990					18
1.1.3.	effect of unification and the approaching Bundestag elections on German politics and international relations					21
1.1.4.	German unity within the framework of international relations and domestic politics					34
1.2.	Government and opposition, 1991-1994					41
1.2.1.	coalition agreement and the announcement of the government's programme					41
1.2.2.	struggle for control of the Bundesrat					45
1.2.3.	Changes in the party system and the Bundestag elections of 16 October 1994					47
2.	German Unity and Social Policy: The Legal Framework					54
2.1.	end of the socialist constitution of the GDR					58
2.2.	debate over the enshrining of basic social rights in the constitution					60
2.3.	Social policy and problems arising from unity: decisions by the Federal Constitutional Court and the employment and social courts					62
2.4.	European dimension of social policy, and judgements by the European Court of Justice					66
3.	German Economy and the Process of Unification					69
3.1.	Changes in the economic system and in the legislation and institutions governing social policy					69
3.2.	Europeanization of economic and financial policy, and the effects of growing globalization					72
3.3.	Burdens imposed on the welfare state by the transformation of the east German economy					74
3.3.1.	weaknesses of the GDR economy					74
3.3.2.	GDR's advantages and disadvantages in the transformation process: a comparison with the states of eastern central Europe					76
3.3.3.	collapse of trade with eastern Europe and the Soviet Union; problems of investment arising from the resolution of property question					78
3.3.4.	crisis in the east German economy and the development of the labour market					83
3.3.5.	Economic development and economic structures					86
3.3.6.	Transfer payments to east Germany and their consequences					91
3.4.	Comparative living standards in east and west Germany					96
3.5.	Changes in the world of work					99
4.	Social Structure and Expectations from Social Policy					102
4.1.	Demographic change and its consequences					102
4.2.	Social stratification in west and east Germany					109
4.3.	Zeitgeist and social policy in west and east Germany, as reflected in opinion surveys					111
II.	CREATION OF THE SOCIAL UNION
5.	Central Features of the Social Union: The Legislation and Institutions Governing Social Policy in the Federal Republic and the GDR Compared					119
6.	Social Policy of the Modrow Government					131
6.1.	crisis in the health system					131
6.2.	Employment policy and the administrative system for employment					134
6.3.	Co-determination in enterprises and firms					137
6.4.	FDGB and the Trade Union Law					139
6.5.	Social Charter					141
7.	State Treaty on Monetary, Economic, and Social Union					144
7.1.	First contacts between the Labour Ministries of the Federal Republic and the GDR after the fall of the Berlin Wall					144
7.2.	drafting of the State Treaty					147
7.3.	negotiations with the GDR					157
7.4.	ratification of the State Treaty					165
8.	Social Legislation of the de Maiziere Government					169
8.1.	Employment law and health and safety legislation					170
8.2.	GDR Employment Promotion Law					172
8.3.	new social security system					175
8.4.	start of the reorganization of the health service and of the establishment of a multipartite system of health insurance					181
9.	Unification Treaty					184
9.1.	course of the negotiations and the principal problems					184
9.2.	Social policy in the Unification Treaty					185
9.2.1.	Employment law and health and safety regulation					186
9.2.2.	Agreements on protection measures against rationalization					189
9.2.3.	Early retirement, pre-pension transitional benefit, and labour market policy					191
9.2.4.	Pensions insurance					192
9.2.5.	Social provision for war victims					194
9.2.6.	Health insurance and health care					194
9.2.7.	Policy on the family and women					197
9.3.	ratification of the Unification Treaty					199
10.	Social Policy Actors and the Unification Process					202
10.1.	dominant role of the executive					202
10.2.	Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Order					204
10.3.	GDR's delegation to the negotiations					206
10.4.	roles of the Bundestag, the coalition parties, and the Social Democratic opposition					210
10.5.	Bundeslander					216
10.6.	role of the major social forces and their organizations					221
	German Unification and Social Policy: Conclusions					227
III.	CHANGES TO THE GERMAN WELFARE STATE AFTER GERMAN UNIFICATION, 1990-1994
11.	Build-up of Welfare-State Institutions and Providers in the New Bundeslander					235
11.1.	administrative system for employment, and employment promotion policy					236
11.2.	Problems in the extension of Federal German employment law to the east					238
11.3.	development of a new system of industrial relations					242
11.4.	Social insurance					249
11.4.1.	development and further alignment of pensions insurance in the east					249
11.4.2.	Accident insurance					257
11.4.3.	Health insurance and the health system					258
11.4.4.	introduction of social care insurance					261
11.5.	build-up of support for war victims					266
11.6.	Support for the disabled					268
11.7.	build-up of income support and of the Independent Welfare Associations					270
11.8.	creation of separate jurisdictions in employment law and social law					273
11.9.	Conclusions					276
12.	Debates on Germany's Economic Position and on the Problems in Financial and Social Policy Resulting from German Unity					278
12.1.	competitiveness of the German economy					278
12.2.	Federal Consolidation Programme					281
12.3.	partial financing of German unity through social insurance					285
12.4.	Social policy, budgetary consolidation, and the effort to maintain Germany's economic standing, 1993/1994					289
13.	Social Policy and its Actors, 1991-1994					296
13.1.	framework					296
13.2.	Federal Chancellery and the coordination of policy					297
13.3.	Norbert Blum and the social policy coalition					299
13.4.	coordination of social policy within the governing coalition					300
13.5.	Bundestag, the Bundesrat, and the Social Democratic opposition					301
13.6.	Trade unions and employers' associations					304
13.7.	Summary					305
	Concluding Reflections					307
1.	German social policy in the context of German unification and the attempt to maintain Germany's economic standing, 1989-1994: general outline, actors, and problems					307
2.	effects of unification on the population in the east					311
3.	German welfare state: international comparisons					314
4.	Conclusions and prospects					319
	Notes					323
	Sources and Bibliography					421
1.	Unpublished (archival) sources					421
2.	Published sources and bibliography					422
3.	Interviews					450
	Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations					451
	Principal Actors in the Process of German Unification					461
	Index					471

• Germany -- History -- Unification, 1990.
• Germany -- Social policy.

Contributors

• Gerhard A. Ritter ; translated by Richard Deveson.

Language

• English

ISBN

• 9780199556823 0199556822

Notes

• Translation of: Der Preis der deutschen Einheit.