Not Time for a Change
Dr. Erhard's convincing victory in the German elections leaves one with some sympathy for the Social Democrats. Each time their vote has crept steadily up, and this year they really seem to have believed they were going to win at least a place in the coalition. But their heartsearching need not be too bitter, and any demand to re- turn to militant socialism would,probably be a mistake. Their vote is still growing, particularly in the Land elections, and the old suspicions of their left-wing roots are dwindling. The Social Democrats are bound to make it in the end, though perhaps under different leaders.
What is more important in the meantime is the gradual entrenchment of German demo- cracy. The move towards an established two- party system continued in Sunday's elections,
* THE BRITISH ECONOMY 1N 1975. (CUP.. 8011.)
with the Free Democrat vote going down to 9.5 per cent. The amalgamated National Demo- cratic party of the far ex-Nazi right, taken so much more seriously in the foreign press than in Germany itself, could take no more than 2 per cent. Splinter parties are on their way out: even the threatened factionalism among the Christian Democrats themselves took a setback from what amounts to a vote of confidence in Erhard and Schroeder as leaders. They have time now to take European problems more in their stride without being harried by the German Gaullists. The SPD has time too to establish itself even further as a serious, informed and determined opposition, which is what most of us have always wanted. If it uses the opportunity well, then surely it will win next time: and then German democracy will have ffnally proved itself.
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