In his speech on the eve of unification, Federal Chancellor Helmut Kohl promised the population of the GDR “blooming landscapes” within a few years as a result of the transition to a social market economy. What followed, however, was deindustrialization and high unemployment figures and a difficult transition period for many people. The phrase “blooming landscapes” therefore was soon used ironically to criticize the policies of the federal government in the new federal states.