In the renowned Korean Institute for Public Administration (KIPA) President Eun-Kyok Park, a leading Korean Public Administration specialist, could welcome high-ranking guests from Germany for public lectures: the Vice President of Hanns-Seidel-Foundation, Prof. Ursula Männle, Member of the Bavarian Parliament and the President of the Parliament of the Free State of Bavaria, Barbara Stamm, held lectures on German Unification and the role of Parliaments in German federalism. Prof. Männle, who for 13 years was elected to the German Federal Parliament and in this time actively managed German unification, before changing as a State Minister to Bavarian politics, where she still works today, stressed that despite all difficulties and challenges happiness about German unification did not fade away. The most difficult task probably was social integration. For Korea social integration also would pose a problem, maybe even more than in the German case. For the way to German unification the clear position of Christian Social Union, in particular through a complaint at the German Constitutional Court in the 1970s, where the constitutional court clarified the basis for unification policy until unification itself, was extremely beneficial for the citizens of former GDR in East Germany. Therefore, despite the necessity of détente policy, a clear position in unification policy would be necessary. Barbara Stamm, President of the Bavarian Parliament, spoke about the role of state parliaments in German federalism. First, she stressed that federalism in Germany was centrally anchored around the states, which were also irrevocable protected by constitutional law. However, federalism is not an optimal system once to be introduced, but rather a system changing all the times and therefore requiring reforms occasionally. In particular, in terms of federal solidarity, like in the system of state fiscal equalization between rich and poor states, incentives for competition and self-responsibility should be retained. After the presentations there was a lively discussion with the researchers of KIPA.

Report on the lectures in Korea Times (external link): http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2010/06/116_67632.html