West German federal election, 1949

[freefair]

I voted FDP, but on second thoughts that would be conditional in getting Adenauer into power, and if i thought it wouldn't, CDU/CSU.

[freefair]

CDU, enthusiastically.

This. The CDU dominance of Germany ensured the development of a healthy social market economy rather than falling into the nationalization trap like the Brits did, leading to a massive neoliberal backlash [1] under Thatcher.

[1] It is true Germany like other countries was affected by neoliberalism during its high tide in the 1990s and 2000s but it was far milder than most and at this point the CDU has fully abandoned it on a domestic level.

This, really. The UK swung between being to far too left wing and a little to right wing, whereas Germany found the golden mean and largely stuck to it, maybe shifted a little to the right in the last 20 years.

[freefair]

If the actual election had gone this way, I feel Germany, infact all global geopolitics and economics would probably be totally screwed-up by now (well, much worse than it is already).
That's not an anti SPD comment btw(I find they're a pretty reasonable, decent progressive party), more an pro Social Market Economy, pro-NATO, pro-EU one these being the things that made the federal republic prosperous, free and secure.

[freefair]

"Libertarian" parties are often fronts for right-wing nationalists. See for example the great proportion of neo-Confederate Paul supporters.

Certainly not at all these days- the FDP is genuinely neo/classically liberal/libertarian. The FPO, on the other hand...