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THE COMING WEST GERMAN ELECTIONS,
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The serious international tensions originating in Central
Europe a such as the questions around a German peace treaty, a
Lyropean Defense Community, an Eastern-Germany's people's army, or
four=power talks « entirely eapture the attention of foreign observers
in Bonn, A vital, but innerpolitical factor is thus 6ften forgotten:
the German Federal Republie is preparing for general elections to be
held next year ... Their outcome might be more important to future
evolution in Central Europe than many of the great manifestations that
gain front page attention in the international press.
These coming elections are today feverishly prepared by all
interested groups. These involve the governmental coalition, the
socialist and neutralist opposition and the country's great economic
bodies.
The goverrment coalition,
Imppptant and interesting meetings are going on these days
in the Bonn Chancellery. From now on, the three govermmental ties, ¬
the CDU (Christlich-Demokratische Union), the FDP (Freie Demokratische
Partei) and the DP (Deutsche Partei), - are to forget certain frictions
and to join in common campaign and fight.
The goverrment coalition indeed has learned a great and
salutary lesson by its dramatic failure in the newly created South-West
State. The story of this curious event was as follows. After long
discussions and the holding of plebiscites, it was finally decided that
the former States of Baden, Hohenzollern and Wuerttemberg should be
joined into one unit, with a populataon of 6,5 million. Elections for
the Constitutional Assembly of the new South-West State were scheduled
for Mareh of this year. As had been foreseen ina "Land" in which half
the population is devout Catholies, re-inforced by important groups of
acer Protestants, nearly 40% of the votes went to the CDU, the
Christian party and its allied groups. Approximately 20% of the elector:
voted for the liberal FDP, 28% for the socialists, 6% for the expellee
and refugee party, 4% for the communists and 2% for the neo~nazise
No one doubted the fact that the two parties of the federal governmental
coslition khakxtmuizuirkeimet the CDU and FDP, would join also on the
State level anf form the government supported by a 60% majority. But
mothing the like happened. In April the socialists persuaded the liberal
and the expellees to make common cause and thus represent 54% of the
electorate against the 40% Christians and the 6% communists and neo=-nazi
In order to flatter the liberals, the socialists offered to a FDP, Dr.
Reinhold Maier, to become head of the new State government. By mutual
concessions one agreed on a common platform: the socialists imposing
an anti-clerieal program, the FDP a liberal economge one, The effect of
this coup went even farther: it affeeted the federal goverrmmentás
majority in the Bundesrat, the Upper House 88 the West German Parliament
in which the individual States are being represented.
Chancellor Adenauer and his Secretary of the Interior decided
that such error should be avoided in forthcoming federal elections, wher
where such a similar lack of discipline would lead to graves! consequence
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