Germany’s peaceful unification 20 years ago can be rated as one of the lasting success stories of German and European history. Nevertheless, some feelings of frustration with unification and the ensuing process of transition in the East continue to exist among many East and West Germans. While West Germans often feel like the paymasters of German unity, many East Germans feel their lifetime in the GDR is not respected and argue that even Communist East Germany would have had a few positive contributions to make to a united Germany. While these frustrations are slowly receding in their significance for day-to-day public affairs, the centre of gravity of German politics has shifted leftward domestically and especially in foreign policy.