Briefing
Magdeburg, 8 November 2026 — The parliamentary group elected in September 2026 to the state parliament has called for BSW the establishment, on 8 November 2026, of a parliamentary committee to examine the period of reunification and the work of the Treuhand agency The group’s leadership cited the forthcoming anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall on 9 November as the reason. Group leader Thomas Schulze and deputy chair Claudia Wittig said in a press release that only by naming and acknowledging “the wounds of the past” could social trust be strengthened and a sense of shared belonging fostered.
The BSW has five representatives in the Magdeburg parliament following the state election. Setting up a committee of inquiry generally requires support from other parliamentary groups; the group gave no details of potential partners or a specific timetable. Nor have any details been provided so far about which records or matters would be examined.
The call is consistent with the party’s previously published policy positions, which advocate a comprehensive examination of the Treuhand agency’s decisions and actions in the 1990s. Privatisation decisions, job losses and controversial valuation procedures during the period of transformation have repeatedly been the subject of political debate. While critics see them as long-term causes of economic problems in parts of eastern Germany, supporters emphasise the difficult conditions surrounding rapid structural change.
A range of instruments could be used for a parliamentary inquiry: an committee of inquiry, an Enquiry Commission or long-term research and archival projects. Committees of inquiry have extensive powers to gather evidence, but also carry the risk of political polarisation; academics and archives often highlight the benefits of long-term research led by specialists.
Whether the state parliament approves a corresponding motion, and what form the inquiry takes, will depend largely on support from other parliamentary groups. As of the editorial deadline on 8 November 2026, no formal resolutions on the matter had been made by the state parliament, according to public information.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).