German Elections
From SARAH GAINHAM
1300 rr HE result of the provincial elections to 1 North Rhine Westphalia on Sunday hal altered the political picture considerablY,;1 only in the largest Land of West Germany, bu in the Federal Government at Bonn.
The Christian Democrats now hold ninety-six seats (preciously 104) and the Social Democrats ninety (eighty-one). The Free Democrats to only one seat but this is still a serious blow, Or they had expected to continue their upward 10d , from the general election last September. Al' smaller parties lost their parliamentary r,'Pre. sentation.
There is little doubt that these results were caused by the atmosphere in Bonn, much more than any thing that has happened in the Lail itself. The right wing Free Democrats have 1°s' their balancing position because of the 'Indigo- lied and protracted coalition negotiations in Ban last autumn, and because of the stupid posturing of party leaders when they saw themselves as the future rulers of Germany by means of holding the decisive vote in Cabinet and committee. The Christian Democrats have lost their, absolute majority and this too is the result 01 happenings in Bonn: the wavering and uncertain leadership of the- old Chancellor which ees people a. feeling that nobody's hand is °° the tiller; the loss of political confidence 111 Professor Erhard, who has withdrawn more and more lately from the political strife till never was his strong point; the seanc, • about Defence Minister Strauss, who has b.e'i publicly accused of furthering the interests 01 his more disreputable acquaintances and wh° has issued so many writs for libel in the last Cecil months that it has become a joke. In Duesseldorf the Christian Democrats roust make a coalition quickly because their YearrY budget leaves no time for long-drawn-out horse: trading. They may still make that coalition with the FDP to their right, but first efforts arc being made with the Social Democrats. There are two groups at least with power and with undimmed public prestige who are known to consider this possibility of coalition bet"eil Christian- and Social Democrats without the cheap prejudice of the past. There is the left "jog of the Christian Democrats led by Hans Katzerti the Catholic trade union leader who does not like the present coalition with the right-wing Free Democrats and who has warm relations
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with Socialist trade union men. And there s President Luebke who was chosen by Adenaller, for the position because his gentleness and modesty seemed to make him harmless as a rig`iu.s for power. But Heinrich Luebke has taken his duties as father of the people with a literalge,,,, surprising to many politicians. He consI30"". uses his legal powers, his prestige to put pres- sure sure on the. present government; be is law" e. think that a change of chancellors is overdu and he talks to the Social Democrats as often as he talks to the leaders of the CDU. There will be changes made in Bonn soon. and the man who emerges may well be called
Gerhard Schroeder; we are now in the realm of interesting speculation, but it is certainly pos- sible that the new man will prefer a coalition With the SPD rather than risk them continuing their upward swing to a point when they can gain an absolute majority and put out of work the team that has brought Germany back on to the map of the world.
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