Politicians slam Merkel east-west comments

BERLIN, Dec. 20 (UPI) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel should not have referred to the former East and West Germany in a recent magazine interview, some politicians say.

Carsten Schneider, a budget expert for the Social Democratic Party of Germany, said Merkel's comments to Cicero magazine only served to renew animosity between the regions, which were separate countries for decades, The Guardian reported Saturday.

"She is divisive and is disowning her own heritage," Schneider said.

"When I travel through the old federal states (western Germany), I see many town halls, schools and public buildings dating back to the 1960s and '70s while much in the east is new," Merkel said in reference to the differences in Germany since the Berlin Wall fell 19 years ago.

Left Party official Gesine Lotzsch accused Merkel of making the controversial comments in an attempt to earn support from voters in western Germany for the country's 2009 election.

The Guardian said Berlin Mayor Klaus Wowereit called Merkel's east-west comment "the dumbest thing I've heard for a long time."