History had begun on its accelerated course.
The European Parliament was also very active and attentive during this time. Its debates reflected the questions being asked about the future of Germany and the risk, feared by many MEPs, of a slowdown in the European integration process, after the boost given by the Single European Act of 1987. On 28 November 1989, Parliament adopted a very important resolution affirming, and I quote: 'All European peoples, including the Polish people, have, in accordance with the Helsinki Final Act, the right to live within secure borders as currently defined.' In this way, the European Parliament referred to one of the most difficult debates, which was resolved by maintaining the Oder-Neisse border.
On 17 January 1990, I stood before the European Parliament as Presidentfreedom come obligations. The treaty on the reunification of Germany presented two challenges. The first was for the people of West and East Germany to understand each other. This was met with great presence of mind, understanding and generosity. The second was economic and social, and equally difficult to meet. It required a tremendous effort in the form of massive annual transfers, from the West to the East, of resources amounting to 4-5% of West Germany's national product, or, ladies and gentlemen, EUR 1 400 billion over 20 years. This is without mentioning the other contributions in the form of technical assistance, which was required to restructure the East German economy.
A single figure illustrates the scale of this achievement: over a twenty-year period, per capita income in the