Editing Brandenburg (section)

===Federal Republic of Germany===
The present State of Brandenburg was re-established on 3 October 1990 upon [[German reunification]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Ländereinführungsgesetz (1990)|url=http://www.verfassungen.de/de/ddr/ddr90-laeeinf.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040529223646/http://www.verfassungen.de/de/ddr/ddr90-laeeinf.htm|archive-date=29 May 2004|language=de}}</ref> The newly elected Landtag of Brandenburg first met on 26 October 1990.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.brandenburg-geburtstag.de/aktuell/historischer-kalender/ |title=Historischer Kalender - 20 Jahre Land Brandenburg |access-date=26 October 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100411062741/http://www.brandenburg-geburtstag.de/aktuell/historischer-kalender/ |archive-date=11 April 2010}}</ref> As in other former parts of East Germany, the lack of modern infrastructure and exposure to West Germany's competitive market economy brought widespread unemployment and economic difficulty. In the recent years, however, Brandenburg's infrastructure has been modernized and unemployment has slowly declined.

====Berlin-Brandenburg fusion attempt====
{{Main|Fusion of Berlin and Brandenburg}}
[[File:DEU Berlin-Brandenburg COA.svg|thumb|upright|The coat of arms proposed in the interstate treaty]]
The legal basis for a combined state of [[Berlin]] and Brandenburg is different from other state fusion proposals. Normally, Article 29 of the [[Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany|Basic Law]] stipulates that states may only merge after a specific federal Act of Parliament is enacted.<ref>{{cite act |type= |index= |date=24 May 1949 |article=29 |article-type=Article |legislature=Parlamentarischer Rat |title=Grundgesetz für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland |trans-title=Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany |page= |url=https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/gg/art_29.html |language=de}}</ref> However, a clause added to the Basic Law in 1994, Article 118a, allows Berlin and Brandenburg to unify without federal approval, requiring a referendum and a ratification by both state parliaments.<ref>{{cite act |type= |index= |date=27 October 1994 |article=118a |article-type=Einzelnorm |legislature=Bundestag |title=Grundgesetz für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland |trans-title=Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany |page= |url=https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/gg/art_118a.html |language= de}}</ref>

In 1996, an attempt of unifying the states of Berlin and Brandenburg was rejected at referendum.<ref name="berlingeschichte">{{Cite web|title=LÄNDERFUSION / FUSIONSVERTRAG (1995) |url=https://berlingeschichte.de/stadtentwicklung/texte/5_33_laefuver.htm |year=2004 |access-date=31 March 2022}}</ref> Both share a common history, dialect and culture and in 2020, over 225,000 residents of Brandenburg commute to Berlin. The fusion had the near-unanimous support by a broad coalition of both state governments, political parties, media, business associations, trade unions and churches.<ref>{{cite news|date=4 May 2016|title=Die Brandenburger wollen keine Berliner Verhältnisse|url=https://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/gescheiterte-laenderfusion-mit-berlin-die-brandenburger-wollen-keine-berliner-verhaeltnisse/13539146.html|access-date=30 March 2022|work=Tagesspiegel|language=de}}</ref> Though Berlin voted in favor by a small margin, largely based on support in former [[West Berlin]], Brandenburg voters disapproved of the fusion by a large margin.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Barry|first=Colleen|date=May 6, 1996|title=Eastern Voters Block Merger With Berlin|work=AP News|url=https://apnews.com/article/6e403a3a4504b85ddcaad1153da87375|access-date=January 4, 2022}}</ref> It failed largely due to Brandenburg voters not wanting to take on Berlin's large and growing public debt and fearing losing identity and influence to the capital.<ref name="berlingeschichte" />