German Political Challenge

SteveW

Your challenge if you choose to accept it is...

Make a Liberal grouping (preferably the FDP) big enough to be the senior partner in a German government. And this must be after 1945.

It's tough, but run with it if you can!

(Double points if you can do this with Austria-especially after the FPO turned to the far right! I.e. in the sense that a proper liberal grouping, like Liberal Forum, can do it)
 
Michel Van

Michel Van

oh thats hard game, how about this ?

1982 the German FDP NOT form a new CDU/CSU-FDP coalition cabinet.
but stay in coalition SPD-FDP
Helmut Schmitt resigns and Vice chancellor take over Hans-Dietrich Genscher (FDP)
as Chancellor Genscher he change germany economic
in German federal election of 1983 the FDP wins more seats in parlament
(in OTL FDP falls from 10,3 to 7% because the betrayal to SPD in October 1982)

the win goes on cost of little party like DU, Liberale Demokraten, Die Grünen
most of them dissolved and its members went to the FDP
like "Die Grünen" members like Oskar Fischer or Jürgen Trittin
also the Liberal fraction of CDU left the Party and join FDP
because Power struggle Helmut Kohl and Franz Josef Strauß
Strauß wandet "to get lost" of the eternal Leader of the opposition Kohl
in same time the right wing of CDU form "Die Republikaner" the first Extrem right party germany after WW2
wat weaken the CDU/CSU

the economic success gave the FDP in German federal election of 1987 18% Vote percentage.
Political observer made jokes of the "Small Party" roule a so Big Country
but the FDP hab problems with the SPD they wandet more like chancellor from the SPD
the problem: with out the FDP the SPD cannot rule so FDP chancellor Hans-Dietrich Genscher stay :D
in 1989 the coalition SPD-FDP must settle their internal disputes, then some thing in east happens.

"Die Wende" began, the East German revolution, East germans fled over The Hungarian-Austrian border
Thousands take Refuge in west German embassy in Prague, budapest
it was a magic moment of history as chancellor Hans-Dietrich Genscher came personally to embassy in Prague
to declare "your are welcome to West Germany"

after this declaration by the west German chancellor, the DDR Government collapses fast
in 1990 the FDP merge with Liberal grouping of east Germany
in German federal election of 1990 something unbelievable happened the FDP jump from 18% up to 36% !
mostly because the role that FDP and Hans-Dietrich Genscher play in German reunification
but to surprice to every one Genscher declare " I m to old for chancellor, I prefer retreat from active politics "
(he recive the Nobel Peach price for peachfull German reunification in same year)

in same time coalition SPD-FDP disputes about next chancellor Oskar Lafontaine or Oskar Fischer ?
 

zeitenschmiede

A FRG Chancellor resigning? Interesting, since it never happened IOTL.
I'm not even sure what would follow and if the Vice-Chancellor would necessarily become Chancellor.

But I like your idea of an FDP-Chancellor gaining momentum because of the Wende.
 

Max Sinister

Banned
*Joschka* Fischer, or Joseph, if you want to be formal about it.

If a chancellor steps back, the federal president would talk with the heads of the parties and suggest a new candidate then. Usually, it's clear anyway who'll make it.

The title of vice chancellor means practically nothing. It's there because they need a rank, and someone has to be number 2, but he has no power and also won't become chancellor if something happens to his boss.

Edit: Some interesting bit: German Wikipedia says that formally, vice chancellor Walter Scheel was chancellor for nine days (May 1974, 7th to 16th) when Willy Brandt stepped back and Helmut Schmidt wasn't elected yet.
 
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Tolkiene

"A FRG Chancellor resigning? Interesting, since it never happened IOTL."

On the contrary, it did happen quite frequently. Konrad Adenauer resigned in 1963, after coming under increasing pressure in his own party to make way for his successor.

Ludwig Erhard, who succeeded Adenauer, resigned in 1966 after the parliamentary group of CDU/CSU delegates elected Kiesinger as their candidate for the Chancellery, and Willy Brandt, the first SPD chancellor of the Federal Republic, resigned in 1974 due to the Guillaume affair.

In any case, being vice-chancellor does not make you the successor of the chancellor. In most cases, the vice-chancellor is simply the head or top representative of the junior partner in the coalition government - the arrangement is not the same as in the US with the president and the vice president.

Thus while Walter Scheel was vice-chancellor in the Brandt Ministry, he did not succeed Brandt when he resigned. Instead Schmidt, formerly the SPD Finance Minister, was elected by the Bundestag, having the support of the SPD and FDP delegates.
 
Michel Van

Michel Van

*Joschka* Fischer, or Joseph, if you want to be formal about it.
Click to expand...
upps my mistake

a litte Note wat happen with opposition CDU/CSU during 1983 to 1990
and why they stay opposition in this AH

after disaster of 1982 Parliamentary intrigue and German federal election of 1983
Helmut Kohl position as CDU Party leader came in danger
Franz Josef Strauß leader of CSU wandet "to get lost" of the eternal Leader of the opposition Kohl
(Kohl was Leader of the opposition over 7 years ! )
what follows is a power struggle wat Franz Josef Strauß wins ! and become Leader of the opposition.
Bernhard Vogel became new CDU Party leader after Kohl resigned 1984
F J Strauß begann to move CDU/CSU in his version of center right politic.
inside the CDU the Liberal wing left in protest the Party and move to FDP
including there seats in Parliament, wat increases FDP power.
wat F J Strauß commented this vicious: "those communists traitor pigs"
because Bernhard Vogel politic view, left the fare right wing of CDU left the party and
joins "Die Republikaner" was weaken the Party further,

in those condition they wend in German federal election of 1987
and again they punish by the voters

Franz Josef Strauß dies in 1988 and leave CDU/CSU in chaos
Bernhard Vogel become Leader of the opposition and Max Streibl new leader of CSU
they stay until 1993 in those position, wenn the Amigo-Affäre Corruption scandal hit the CDU/CSU
 
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