THE OUTCOME of the general election held in West Germany on 25 January showed an important shift to the left in the federal republic's politics. This shift took place right across the political spectrum. The right wing Chrisitan Democrats lost votes to the liberal Free Democrats (FDP). votes to the Social Democratic Party (SPD). The SPD lost votes to the Greens. The Green's increased their vote and gained an extra 15 seats in parliament.
For Chancellor Helmut Kohl's Christian Democratic Union (CDU)
its Bavarian sister organisation, the tian Social by Franz Strauss, their vote of 44.3 cent since 1949. The CDU-CSU lost two million votes and 21 seats. The junior partner the right wing government, gained two per cent - giving them 9.1 per cent of the vote and 46 seats.
estimated that 400,000 CDU-CSU voters switched support to the more than 700,000 abstained.
ine biggest looser of all was the ultrareactionarv He had campaigned for the CDU-CSU to gain an absolute majority in the elections and concentrated his attacks on the FDP. outcome of the election, caractensed by CDU leader Kohl as inSULLIC walll ul losses' has discredited Strauss and lea to public rows inside the right wing coalition.
But the clearest and most dramatic element in the West German election result was the vote of the Greens. rrom fighting tne general for the irst time in 1983, they now command 8.3 per cent of the vote parliamentarv seats. 'There were strong Green gains of seven per cent in Bavaria, the base the CSU, ascribed to the proposal to build a nuclear reprocessing plant none region.
now absolutely clear that the Green Party of West Germany is not the flash-in-the-pan its opponents picaicica.
Philippines under threat from pro-Marcos elements within the armed forces. The bodies of 18 peasants killed last week by the army in a demonstration outside the presidential palace in Manilla to demand an agrarian reform had barely been buried when on 27 January Colonel Oscar Canlas attempted to overthrow the government. The latest coup attempt takes place In tne wake or lucrcasing unres willin tae any hierarchy which is developing growing doubts about the Aquino government's ability to check which occupied radio and television stations in the capital, support.
Ousted dictator, Ferdinand Marcos, was stopped by US authorities in Hawaii when he attempted However, himself to use force against the rebels because of the sympathy for the rebels within the army officers corps. After the firing of some tear gas shells and long negotiations between Ramos and The liberals lost The Greens, and the issues they represent, in paracular opposition to ine missiles, to nuclear power, and to NA'O. are shown to be an abiding element in waled outs.
The 1987 results confirm the shift that has taken place in the left of West German politics since the 1970s, Deci celerated by the rise of the anti-missiles movement at the turn of the decade and with which the Green Party has been most associated.
The CDU-CSU lost votes to its "left' both to the liberals FDP and to the Social Democrats. The latter, while they have gained that process have not been able to provide the sort of policies that can stop the bleeding of their own vote to neir leIl ln favour of the Greens.
The will increase the cracks which are already beginning to show in the ranks of the Social Democrats.
Johannes Rau, the SPD's candidate for chancellor. rose DOWe during the right-left jockeving that took pace in nis party after the arrival of the Greens on the federal parliamentary scene 1983. Rau was pledged to naive no LUCK with any deals with the Greens.
In an with Guardian writer Jonathan Steele at the beginning of January, campaign manager Peter Glotz plalnca even if his won 40 per cent of ine orlacoming vole and the Greens left holding valance Cory Aquino's government was yet again Canlas' rebel forces (less than 100 soldiers), attracted a pathetically low level of The whole affair looks rather clownish.
despite the low mass support, the chief of staff General Fidel Ramos never brought parliamentary power 'our position is very clear. We couldn't cooperate with the Greens, either in coalition other Rally form. A minority governwould the country, and whether the chancellor is the Christian Democrat Helmut Kohl or our Johannes Rau will depena on the result.
The incoherence of the SPD's position Calcul clearly on the question of nuclear weapons. Like the British leader Neil Kinnock, Rau is pledged to supporting to increased Kinnock he also intends to within that aruc should become non-nuclear But unlike British Labour Party the SPD has no position in On visit December last Rau emphasised to Kinnock that NĂTO's nuclear weapons on West German soil were entirely a matter for the This unsuccessful aton the nuclear disarmament issue was clearl major factor in the election results and, with issues such as nuclear power the general right wing course of while the more left cent this wing Greens advanced from S.( per cent 8.3 per cent.
Relations with the Greens are now certain to dominate the internal developments in the SPI In the regional elections in Saarland 1983, Oskar Lafontaine, leader of the SPD left wing, captured nuclear ticket. The Greens won no seats in the regional parliament, as against the trend in other regions. Lafontaine has made it clear he is prepared to consider an alliance with the Greens.
Rau was selected by the right wing SPD leadership the party's candidate head once this type to head чуре development. of his perspective of 'win.
overal mayority once more opens up the debate on what attitude to take to the Greens.
The fight in the SPD is likely to break out around the election of the party chair This is at present held by ex-SPD leader Willy Brandt, who is retiring next year. Lafontaine announced that he will be running for LIC SU Lafontaine's positions include the withdrawal of American nuclear weapons West Germany, collialu closing nuclear power plants. Brandt has beer giving Lafontaine backing dISU less thar for the right wing CDU-CSU has left him discredited thusiastic support to Rau during the election.
If Lafontaine wins this will open up the much closer relations between the SPD and Greens wing of the SPD will resist SOReLIEN- the right Rau's right policy has been weakenec both by his failure to in crease the SPD vote and, important, Franz-Josef Strauss: his campaign for an absolute majority creased support for the Greens.
political perspective for West Germany today must be exactly that 'Green-Red alliance - ar SPD government with the the right wing CDU-CSUFDP coalition The clear swing to the left in the German elections makes that perspective more credible • and closer to realisation.
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declines from the pp cent of the vote in 1983 to