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THE COMING WEST GERMAN ELECTIONS, oe ee om mee 2S Cy Br ON Rh Qe oe 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 ki 2 E
