Hanging by a thread • Alternative Germany 1990-

[Representative simossad]

Hanging by a thread
An alternative Germany 1990-



1990 • DDR

   “Die Wende” - “the turnover” should have been the start of the long-desired German reunification. Die Wende was the first peaceful and bloodless revolution in the history of mankind that forced a complete collapse of a country. The Deutsche Demokratische Republik - the German Democratic Republic - was a soviet satellite state on German ground, preventing the formation of a union with the democratic western German state, the Bundesrepublik Deutschland - Federal Republic of Germany. The two German states have been separated since the end of the second world war. A strict emigration prohibition by the government of the DDR and the establishment of a cruel and reckless socialist surveillance state made a peaceful coexistence or even a reunification impossible. The idea of the whole German state seemed to be a distant dream.

   Until Die Wende began to happen. It was the first bloodless and peaceful movement in the history of mankind that caused the collapse of a whole partly-sovereign country. The anger of the people and the pressure of the reform-minded soviet leader Michail Gorbatschow did not lead to freedom of movement - which was, to be fair, introduced accidently - it also brought several political figures like Erich Honecker, Willi Stoph and Egon Krenz down.

  The first free and democratic election of the parliament of the DDR in March 1990 was designed to decide over the fate of the country. The political figures in both East and West Germany declared this election as a vital question for the German nation. Eastern equivalents of the West German parties were founded rapidly, and Chancellor Helmut Kohl, head of the Western German CDU, became the figurehead of the Alliance for Germany, a coalition of Eastern Germany parties that wanted to implement the DDR into the Federal Republic of Germany.

 

  The Eastern German SPD was more critical on the German reunification. While they were strong supporters of a unified Germany, they were opposed to a German country under western hegemony. But there was also a third major political force. The Party of Democratic Socialism, the PDS, was the legal successor of the socialist SED, the former dictatorial soviet unity party. The PDS wanted to reform the DDR, but was opposed to a reunification with the Federal Republic. Everyone in the West and in the East was excited for the results.

// There is indeed no alternative history in here, but it's crucial to understand the historical context. The next post will not be a history lesson and 100% fiction.

[Representative simossad]

1990 • DDR
March 18th

For the Western German political class, the results were a shock.

Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS) • 38.6% • 154 seats
Social Democratic Party (SPD) • 19.3% • 78 seats
Christian Democratic Union (CDU) • 17.1% • 68 seats
German Social Union (DSU) • 7.2% • 29 seats
Alliance of Free Democrats (BFD) • 6,7% • 27 seats
Alliance 90 (Bü90) • 4.6% • 18 seats
Democratic Farmers of Germany (DBD) • 3.5% • 14 seats
others • 3.0% • 12 seats

The turnout was 93%. The conservative Alliance for Germany, the coalition of CDU and DSU, gained an embarrassing quarter of the seats in the next parliament. The big winner of the election was the new Party of Democratic Socialism, maintaining their status as the largest political force in the DDR. Those who were sceptical of the reunification gained a comfortable majority. This was not just a major loss for the unionist forces in Germany, this was also a major loss for chancellor Kohl.

1990 • BRD
March 18th

  No one in the Federal Republic of Germany had expected results like these when the exit polls popped up at 6pm. While everyone knew that the people in Eastern Germany were having doubts about the German reunification, no one expected such a clear vote in favor of the sovereignty of the DDR. The dream of a united German nation seemed to be vanished from earth.

  The first major Western German politician was the former German chancellor, Willy Brandt (SPD), who has governed the country between 1969 and 1974 and who was the first chancellor to make diplomatic steps towards the East. Prior to the election, he, who always was in favor of reconciliation with the soviet states, had visited the DDR to campaign for the Eastern German social democrats. He spoke to the press at 7.39pm.

“My disappointment and my deep, deep sorrow for this result cannot be hidden. I see this vote not just as a failure of the whole Western German political class, but also as a personal defeat. But while I strongly believe that this was the wrong decision and that both countries - the East and the West - need a reunification to have a bright future as a united nation, we have to respect the sovereignty of the Eastern German people and their will to maintain their independence.”

  The rising SPD star Oskar Lafontaine spoke to the press at 7.56pm, being the second politician to comment the results. Lafontaine was a far-left politician and had been criticising the rushed approach by the Western German government since the Berlin Wall was torn down by the Eastern German population. His official stance was in favor of a German reunification, although his critics claimed that he had a laming impact on this process and that he was stirring up the public against further steps towards the citizens of the DDR.

“The election result shows that the mindless, populist and imprudent method of the federal government, the shameless intervention in issues and concerns of the citizens in the DDR, has dramatically failed. Federal Chancellor Kohl and the whole federal government should be aware of the irreversible turning point in the history of our nation they have caused. I hereby appeal to Mr. Kohl to ask the Bundestag for a vote of confidence or to resign as a consequence of his actions.”

  The pressure on the governing parties, the conservative CDU, its Bavarian sister party CSU and the libertarian FDP, was huge this evening. There was no official statement, neither by the German government nor by the parties themselves. The meetings of the party executives the next day should decide over the fate of Chancellor Helmut Kohl, and the fate of Germany as a whole.

[Intell]

I am very intrest, I would prefer a PDS and SPD run united Germany, but a PDS and SPD run east Germany would be good, under a democratic, and social democratic system.

[Representative simossad]

1990 • BRD

March 19th
Quo Vadis, Germany?

  The day after the first free and democratic election of the Volkskammer should have been a day for optimism and excitement. Instead, the German party landscape began to realize that the people of Eastern Germany did nothing less than voting in favor of the division of their own nation. The result was a surprise and a shock, and thus, no one really knew how to deal with this situation. An event like this had never happened before.

The first party to give a public statement was the libertarian Free Democratic Party (FDP). Its leader, Otto Graf Lambsdorff, did not mince words.

“This is not the result we hoped for, it’s truly not. The people of Eastern Germany have made a decision, and, if I may cite former chancellor Brandt, it was the wrong decision. The people have chosen those authoritarian leaders, that are ruining the country for more than forty years, over progressive and democratic groups. We respect that decision, but we, as the Federal Republic of Germany, do also have to make clear that the DDR has forfeited its option to join our democratic country. If their choice is socialism, our answers will be the same market-orientated principles that have made this country strong. And while the Eastern Germans will suffer under their self-chosen oppressors, our country will prosper.”

  A few hours later, around 3pm, the designated leader of the Social Democrats, Björn Engholm, and the current leader, Hans Jochen Vogel, presented the results of the meeting of the SPD party executive.

“It is not necessary to inform you about enormous dismay and the disappointment we feel today. It is not what we hoped and wished for, but the results could not have been clearer. The dream of a united Germany is gone, and the guilty are not just the people in the East, but also our federal government. The governing coalition of CDU, CSU and FDP has overrun the citizens in the DDR with their large political machines. The “Alliance for Germany” tried to export the Western elections into the East, and now we know that this was the wrong decision. The people in the East deserve their sovereignty, whether we like it or not. Federal Chancellor Kohl should face up to his responsibility and clear the path for a new German chancellor!”

  Those two radical statements spreaded like a wildfire that day. The day after the election was a day for scapegoating - and the Union ran out of options. The session took multiple hours and reached into the evening. At 7pm, the CDU general secretary Volker Rühe stepped out of the Konrad-Adenauer-House in Bonn, the head office of the CDU, and read a preconceived statement to the press. At this point, there were no traces of Chancellor Kohl.

“The Christian Democratic Union laments the results of yesterday’s election in the DDR. All democratic parties in Germany should face their responsibility of not having made the advantages of a quick German reunification as clear as they should have been made. The Christian Democratic Union disagrees with the fiction that yesterday’s election result was a vote against reunification. We are sure that the democratic parties in the DDR - the social democrats, the liberals and the conservative Alliance for Germany - will form a new government that represents the will for change in the Eastern German society. Chancellor Kohl will intensify the cooperation with the new Eastern german government and looks forward to the reunification process.”

  Everybody knew that this was not true. Chancellor Kohl must have been the target of harsh comments and wild allegations behind locked doors. Nobody believed that the CDU stood unanimously behind its leader, and nobody believed that there would be a chance that a christian-conservative chancellor was able to negotiate with a socialist Eastern German government without any support of the Alliance for Germany - that was widely seen as the expected result of the election in the DDR - about a German reunification. But the Christian Democratic Union, as the leading figure of the government and the leading figure of the German reunification, had to put an optimistic face on a bad job, even though nobody believed them.

[Intell]

Does the soviet union fall in this scenario.

[Representative simossad]

Does the soviet union fall in this scenario.

Yes, but we are still at the very beginning. We'll come to that later.

[Intell]

Does the soviet union fall in this scenario.

Yes, but we are still at the very beginning. We'll come to that later.

Sad! The victory in East Germany should change this!

[Representative simossad]

1990 • BRD

March 22nd
Kohl defends himself

  In an extraordinary session of the Bundestag that was dominated by fierce discussions and accusations against the political opponent. This was the first time Federal Chancellor Kohl stated his personal view on the election in the DDR, and his speech but also the rebuttals by the other parties were long looked-for and eagerly awaited by the media. The session was broadcasted live on the major German television channels and in the radio. Kohl knew that he had to defend himself and that he had to regain trust by the representatives and by the public which lead to the most fiery speech in his career.

“All naysayers, all doomsayers, all pessimists, should be well aware of the new political order in the German Democratic Republic. The democratic and anti-soviet political forces gained nearly two thirds of the vote in a country that has just experienced the first free and democratic election in its history of existence. Everyone who thinks that the DDR will now fall back into structures they already have overthrown is deluded, honorable colleagues.

[applause by the CDU/CSU and members of the FDP, heckling members of the SPD and by members of the Greens]

And I am convinced that even a government with participation of the PDS, a party which is by the way in large parts avid for reform and for democracy, will not be a bar to the German reunification. It will cost more time, it will cost a larger effort by all the democratic forces in our country, but I am convinced that if we stand together, if we all make clear that flourishing landscapes and a sense for unity in the DDR is possible if we perform our historic task and unite our nation, we will overcome this obstacle too, as we did so many times in our joint German history.”

 

The SPD decided to send Hans Jochen Vogel, the leader of the party and failed nominee for chancellor in 1983, into the ring to counter Kohls remarks. The chancellor’s speech divided the Bundestag like none of Kohl’s speeches did before. While it was responded by standing ovation by the Union and FDP - something that is not common in the German parliament - the SPD and the Greens expressed their dissatisfaction with heckling and laughter. The sentiment in the Bundestag has set the scene perfectly for Vogel’s speech.

“What we heard today were the same old phrases, the same old promises, the same old sayings our chancellor has been repeating for five months now. It’s like nothing has ever happened. It’s like everything is perfect. Either the chancellor evades his responsibility to such an extent that it is not acceptable anymore, or he really thinks that our nation has not experienced a major turning point a week ago! Mr. Kohl, I sincerely ask you: Do you even know what happened last sunday? Because it seems like you don’t.

[laugher and applause by the SPD, outrage by members of the CDU/CSU]

Our nation will never be the same! The majority of all representatives in the new Eastern German parliament supports the sovereignty of the DDR. The dream of a united Germany is gone, and everybody, even the members of the CDU/CSU faction, knows who is to blame. We people of Eastern Germany were rolled over by your political machines, by the way you made the election in the DDR a referendum on Helmut Kohl. We went to the East and did Western elections. That’s it. And that is why the people in the DDR want their sovereignty back: Because our federal government interfered on matters of the Eastern German citizens! And frankly, every decent chancellor would step back and resign!”

  The disgust of the members of the Union faction and the FDP fraction, which was wise enough to remain quiet that day, was plausible, considering that German is more about concrete counter concepts than such destructive and intransigent comments. But polls showed that the Western German public had no understanding for the chancellor’s conception of the German reunion.

Do you approve or disapprove with Chancellor Kohl’s job performance?
Approve … 31%
Disapprove … 60%

Do you think a German reunion is likely or unlikely in the near future?
Likely … 15%
Unlikely … 72%

Would you approve or disapprove diplomatic steps towards a socialist government in the DDR?
Approve … 27%
Disapprove … 68%

Do you think Chancellor Kohl should resign?
Yes … 58%
No … 39%

If the general election was held today, who would you vote for? (± compared to 1987)
Christian Democratic/Social Union • 37% (-6%)
Social Democratic Party of Germany • 41 (+4%)
Free Democratic Party • 14% (+5%)
The Greens • 6% (-2%)
others • 2% (+1%)

[Deblano]

Now this is a pretty unique timeline.

[Representative simossad]

Now this is a pretty unique timeline.

Well, I'll take that as a compliment.

[Representative simossad]

1990 • DDR

March 30th
Formation of a new government

  When Hans Modrow became prime minister of the DDR, he was not elected by the people, but selected by the central committee of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany, the SED, the uncontested dictatorial party in Eastern Germany. This appointment was seen as a surrender by the socialist regime which was facing large protests and loud calls for more civil liberties and democracy. Modrow was a socialist and a supporter of the communist ideology of the Eastern European countries, but he was also a voice within the SED that was open and friendly for reforms. While leading the government, he appointed several representatives by the civil right groups as ministers in his cabinet.

  His popularity in the DDR was one of the major reasons why the PDS, which he co-founded as prime minister, did so well in the election. The people appreciated the willingness for reforms and the new democratic system. Democracy and civil liberties while maintaining the sovereignty of the country - that was what the most Eastern German citizens wanted after all. The strong performance of the PDS gave the by dictators appointed prime minister a democratic legitimization.

  The problem with the outcome of this election was that while no party received a majority of the votes and seats in the Volkskammer, there had to be a coalition between forces that were relatively new to political and parliamentary work. But that procedure went ahead much faster than anybody thought.  During the election season, the SPD was in favor of a German reunification, but after the election, encouraged by the victory of the PDS, the pro-DDR stance became majority opinion within the party. On the 30th of March, Eastern-SPD leader Ibrahim Böhme announced the possible participation of the SPD in a new Eastern German government.

“The SED has been a party of injustice and tyranny, and it brought mischief over all the people that are living in the DDR. That cannot be forgotten and that cannot be excused. The tactics of the Stasi, the firing order at the inner German border, the lack of democracy and the fact that free speech is something that causes penalty, these were all aspects that should forever remain in history. Now it is our chance to transform this country. We want the DDR to be a better place to live. If the PDS accepts that the new government should abolish the soviet dogmas, if it accepts that freedom and democracy are the salient aspects of a viable country, if it accepts that the state cannot - and should not - control everything, then we look forward on working with them in a new government of progress and responsibility.”

1990 • BRD

March 30th
Social Democratic Party under fire

  Vice-chancellor and minister of foreign affairs, Hans-Dietrich Genscher (FDP), was really quick in responding to the current news from the DDR. He criticised Böhme and the Western SPD for blocking a German reunification.

“When did it become necessary that the party with the most votes leads the government? In a parliamentary system, politics is not about party strength but about coalitions and political ideologies. Let’s not forget that there is a free and democratic majority in the Volkskammer. Eastern German SPD can either choose a coalition with the Alliance and the Liberals or a coalition with the successors of the party that has thrown social democrats into jail. The dream of a German reunification seemed to become existent but the SPD betrayed the German people in both the east and the west. It is sad, but now we know what the responsible forces for this giant failure are.”

  The former expert for eastern policy of the SPD and one of the first politicians to demand diplomatic steps towards the DDR, Egon Bahr, fired back immediately, accusing Genscher of scapegoating.

“This statement is dishonest, hypocritical and just false, it is a lie, and it is just tactics and a distraction of the responsibility of the federal government in this whole process, that’s it. The Eastern German SPD does nothing but to follow the will of the 16 million Germans. And even if he sees this as a betrayal, the Eastern SPD is independent and able to come to its own decisions - and even if we as the western part don’t like it, we have to accept it.”

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Very unique TL. Keep it up!

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

This will be next TL to get sticked.

[ASPN]

Definitely keeping track of this.

[Representative simossad]

This will be next TL to get sticked.

Thank you all! This is great!

[Representative simossad]

1990 • DDR

April 4th
PDS and SPD agree on united government

  One day after the sudden resignation of SPD-leader Ibrahim Böhme, the interim chairman of the Eastern SPD, Markus Meckel, announced that the PDS and the SPD agreed on a coalition agreement for a new DDR government. Both party executives have already given blessing to the contract that provides the first democratic elected government in the DDR.

“The SPD strongly believes that this an important step in the history of our country. He have successfully prevented the demise of the DDR, and we make sure that it is granted the reforms that it desperately needs. The new DDR will be an experiment that is unique on earth. We will have a just and fair society and freedom and civil rights for the people in this county. A social democratic state.”

  The coalition agreement between the PDS and the SPD was negotiated in a very short period of time, a clear sign of a major shift in the SPD from a pro-unified German stance to a obtainment of the Eastern German sovereignty. The contract provided the following:

I.  Hans Modrow is the first prime minister of the DDR to be elected by the Volkskammer.
II.  The top priority of the new government of the German Democratic Republic is to secure its sovereignty against the Federal Republic of Germany.
III.  The German Democratic Republic and the Federal Republic of Germany are both independent and   sovereign countries. They both can make decisions concerning their interior and foreign issues on their own.
IV.  A new constitution shall be implemented that guarantees civil rights and democracy for all citizens of the German Democratic Republic.
V.  The German Democratic Republic is a democratic socialist country in the heart of Europe.
VI.  The publicly owned companies shall be partly transferred to private ownership.

1990 • BRD

April 5th
Western SPD condemns its Eastern equivalent

  From this day on, the time of peace and backup between the Western and the Eastern SPD was over. High-ranking party executives were furious about the decision made by the Social Democrats in the DDR. The SPD in Bonn was under pressure, the response of the Western German society and the media was immense, and state elections were just a month away. The SPD had to show bold moves in order to preserve trust and confidence of the people.

  SPD leader Hans Jochen Vogel was reported to regard the events and the decisions made by the SPD in East Berlin. He had held several phone calls with Böhme and Meckel, but they all seemed to have no impact at all. On the 5th of April, Vogel decided to cause an unexpected turn in the relationship between the two parties.

“We condemn the decision of the East German Social Democratic Party to sign a coalition agreement with the PDS and to participate in the newly formed East German government. While we respect the fact that every party has the obligation to serve the people in its respective country and while we agree on the fact that it is possible for a democratic party to ally with the PDS, we rise in opposition agreement that does neither display solutions for the economic situation in the DDR nor the joint destiny of our German nation. We do not want to be associated with the East German Social Democratic Party, and we do not collaborate with it. We are independent.”

  The sole concern of the SPD was survival. The public has penalised the Social Democratic Party with dropping support. On the other hand, the antipathy towards the government, especially the chancellor, has lead to the fact that the SPD was still the strongest party in the Federal Republic of Germany. But another political force was on the rise. The market-orientated, classic liberal Free Democratic Party, that was considered to be the strongest advocate against the socialist orientation of the DDR, gained tremendous support, leading to the largest potential vote share in its history.

If the general election was held today, what would you vote? (± compared to last poll)
Christian Democratic/Social Union • 35% (-2%)
Social Democratic Party of Germany • 38% (-3%)
Free Democratic Party • 17% (+3%)
The Greens • 7% (+1%)
others • 3% (+1%)


Do you think Chancellor Kohl should resign?
Yes … 63% (+5%)
No … 32% (-7%)

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Sticked as a current featured TL.

[Representative simossad]

// I don't expect you to know all the politicians mentioned in this part, but they are/were all existent. Google them if you want to. Most of them will never be mentioned again, but some will play an important role.

1990 • DDR

April 7th
Modrow elected prime minister

  Hans Modrow, appointed prime minister of the German Democratic Republic, was re-elected by the first freely elected Volkskammer. Modrow received 211 votes, 21 votes less than expected. 169 members voted against Modrow, which is one additional vote to the total number of members of the opposition. 20 members abstained. This was the kickoff of the new German Democratic Republic, and the start of the first DDR government with a mandatory by the people.

  The expectations were high, and Modrow was under pressure. On the one hand, he had to meet the expectations of the civil right groups and democratic movements that expected radical reforms. On the other hand, Modrow knew that the whole democratic revolution was judged with great scepticism by reactionary members of the Party of Democratic Socialism. And the stance of the Federal Republic of Germany was still unclear, considering the fact that Chancellor Kohl had not publicly given a comment about the developments in East Germany. The DDR had to decide between the integration of the western societies, the loyalty with the soviet states in Eastern Europe, or the status as a neutral country in the heart of Europe between the frontiers of the great political ideologies.

  Following the conflict between the East German SPD and the West German SPD, the SPD in the East renamed itself to Social Democratic People’s Party (Sozialdemokratische Volkspartei - SDVP). The cabinet consisted of the following members:

Prime Minister:     Hans Modrow (PDS)
Deputy Prime Minister:     Markus Meckel (SDVP)
Minister of Foreign Affairs:     Markus Meckel (SDVP)
Minister of Labor and Economics:     Gregor Gysi (PDS)
Minister of the Interior:     Stephan Hilsberg (SDVP)
Minister of Regional and Community Affairs:     Christa Luft (PDS)
Minister of Finances:   Walter Romberg (SDVP)
Minister of Education and Technology:     Marion Morgenstern (PDS)
Minister of Culture:     Gerhard Riege (PDS)
Minister of Defense and Police:     Theodor Hoffmann (PDS)
Minister of Social Justice:     Regine Hildebrandt (SDVP)
Minister of Urban Development:     Sylvia-Yvonne Kaufmann (PDS)
Minister of Communication and Postal System:    Frank Terpe (SDVP)
Minister of Historic Inverstigation:    Dagmar Enkelmann (PDS)
Minister of Nature and Environmental Protection:     Frank Bogisch (SDVP)
Minister of Families and Women:     Christine Ostrowski (PDS)
Minister of Youth and Physical Education:     Wulf Gallert (PDS)
Minister of Healthcare:     Ilja Seifert (PDS)
Head of the Constitutional Committee:     Stefan Heym (PDS)

1990 • BDR

April 9th
Issues of the day

  The fact that there has now been the case which Chancellor Kohl always wanted to prevent - the formation of a socialist DDR-government under the rule of the Party of Democratic Socialism - did neither help his party nor his own personal reputation. The current political sentiment in the Federal Republic of Germany was a mixture of despair and denial of reality. Even though the election of the Volkskammer had taken place a few weeks ago, it was hard for both the West German society and the West German political class to drop the expected result of the everyday political business of the last months.

  On the 9th of April, Chancellor Kohl visited Prime Minister Modrow in Madgeburg. The objective of this conversation was to evaluate the prospective relationship between the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic. Chancellor Kohl’s visit in the DDR was widely seen as a surrender, Kohl had always been the strongest advocate for a quick and rapid annexation of the DDR, he even defended this stance after the election victory of the PDS. But now, that effort seemed worthless.

  An urgent question was the status of the city of Berlin. The city was de jure neither a part of the DDR nor of the BRD. The city was on the record administered by the winning allies since 1945. But the city had been de facto part of the two German countries. The French, British and American sector (West Berlin) was affected by West German law, and the Soviet Sector (East Berlin) was even the capital of the German Democratic Republic. West Berlin was virtually an exclave of the Federal Republic of Germany within the DDR, an island of freedom and democracy in an ocean of oppression. In 1961, the DDR built a wall around East Berlin to prevent emigration into the Federal Republic of Germany. That border was protected with all forces by the DDR, everyone trying to free had to expect being shot by the border troops. The peaceful revolution of 1989 teared down that wall after nearly three decades.

  An immediate creation of an agreement between the two countries was impossible without the involvement of the four victorious powers. According to international law, the Federal Republic was still legally occupied by the United States of America, the Republic of France and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the German Democratic Republic was still occupied by the Soviet Union. Both countries - the East and the West - needed the approval of these countries to regain their sovereignty and to exist finally as independent countries.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

One question: who's the head of state of East Germany and under what title (State President, Chairman of the State Council, President of the Volkskammer or something new)?

Also, and it's just a thought, IIRC there was another line regarding Berlin, or at least East Berlin, that "there are effectively three German states". I think that would be an interesting way to purse.

[Representative simossad]

1990
How the world reacts

  The election in the German Democratic Republic and the formation of a new democratic government has gained international attention. Leaders around the globe viewed the developments with great scepticism, but also with hope and relief.

“The German Democratic Republic was on a good way. It has taken major steps against the stalinist ideology and for democracy and basic civil liberties. It has also shown interest in joining our Western community of values and in fulfilling its historic mission by re-uniting with the Federal Republic of Germany. The recent development raises our concerns. The people of the DDR have decided to stop the transition from a socialist country to a part of a democratic state in the heart of Europe, and we doubt that we can establish a healthy relationship with a country that does not share our core values. However, we are willing to accept this decision and to grant both German states their sovereignty.”

“I do not see how anyone in Europe could not have seen the emerging re-unification process without worries about the future of the European community. After the second world war, after the great tragedy in the 20th century, we should all be aware of the risks of having a political superpower in Europe. The partition of Germany is maybe the right thing to do if we want to maintain the balance on the world stage.”

“The DDR has held free and democratic elections, and the decision on the urgent questions of its fate is clear now. We all have to respect the call of the voters for more democracy, for more civil rights, for sovereignty, and against government paternalism. I respect and recognize the existence of the German Democratic Republic as a free and independent state the same way I respect and recognize the Federal Republic of Germany.”

[Representative simossad]

1990 • BRD

April
Downfall of the King

  It became more and more clear that not just the West German society, but also the CDU had lost its trust in Federal Chancellor Kohl, and that his chances to stay chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany were very small. While it was obvious that the majority of the CSU members had already abandoned him, members of the CDU spoke out for the first time against their party’s leader. The most prominent example was Wolfgang Schäuble, Minister of the Interior.

“I believe that Chancellor Kohl did the best job he could have done, and we should appreciate the work he did for our country and the people of East Germany.  However, I think we should evaluate whether this is the right time to resign or not. I don’t believe that he can profit personally from staying our head of government, as it became clear in the last weeks that he lacks the trust of the country and members of the federal government. Maybe the time has come to stop and to step down.”

  The loudest inner-party opposition came from Bavaria, the home of the conservative rebels. Just one year before the reunion failed, Theo Waigel became the leader of the CSU. A few months later, Waigel was appointed as minister of finances in the cabinet of Chancellor Kohl. As the most right-leaning party in the country, the CSU had always been cautious with rapprochement with the socialist East. Therefore, there have not been great concerns after the election in the DDR. The party’s leadership saw the development in the German Democratic Republic as a chance to attack leftist parties in the West rather than a threat to the German nation. For that purpose, Kohl was an obstacle for the CSU.

  Oskar Lafontaine was the prime minister of Saarland and figurehead of the leftist wing of the SPD. Lafontaine was known for his harsh critique towards the hasty reunification policy of the federal government, a stance which he repeated all over the country during the election season. While he had not gained sympathy with this opinion in the West, many people thought that the election result proved him right. Lafontaine was a rising star in the SPD and became more and more popular in the country.

“The chancellor has to be held accountable for gambling the objective of more than forty years of governmental policy of the Federal Republic of Germany away! The German reunification is an expensive and complex procedure that Kohl tried to push through in just a few weeks. He has put a large pressure of the citizens in both the East and the West. The people in the East did not want to just be annexed and included in a state in which they have no sovereignty, and the people in the West did not want to take the large financial and societal that involves such a great political and historic turning point. Kohl should follow the will of his party colleagues and the people in this country and resign immediately!”

  While many voters were dissatisfied with the Union, the Free Democratic Party, the classic liberal party and the junior party in the coalition, has gained a significant momentum. The voter migration towards the FDP, which has been known for its radical market-oriented, was enormous. Many people thought that the FDP was a perfect counter concept to the PDS in the East. Lambsdorff, the leader of the FDP, avoided provoking disputes within the government, but his stance was clear.

“When the German Democratic Republic thinks that socialism and marxism is the key, then we, as citizens of the Federal Republic of Germany, have to prove them wrong. A strong Europe needs a strong Federal Republic of Germany, a strong Germany needs a strong economy and thus a strong market, and a strong market needs a strong FDP. Only a strong FDP can make this country uphold the principles that brought prosperity and wealth!”

  The Green Party remained silent during the debate about the fate of Germany. The Greens were supported by many young people that did not remember the time before the separation of the two German countries, and the inner party disputes were vast. The “fundis”, the fundamentalists, were against all forms of collaboration with the large parties and against the participation in a government. They saw the main purpose of the Green Party to be a fundamentalist ecosocialist opposition, while the other wing of the party, the “realo” wing, wanted to work together with the other parties and wanted to be a serious alternative for all citizens of Germany. The fact is that the fundis did not really care about the unsuccessful reunification, they were pleased by the slap in the face for the large parties, but they remained silent for most of the time. The realos did not have a clear stance, they mostly agreed with the SPD, but they did not present own concept and ideas. The conflict was a huge problem for the party.

If the general election was held today, what would you vote? (± compared to last poll)
Christian Democratic/Social Union • 33% (-3%)
Social Democratic Party of Germany • 41% (+3%)
Free Democratic Party • 18% (+1%)
The Greens • 6% (-1%)
others • 3% (-)


Do you think Chancellor Kohl should resign?
Yes … 69% (+6%)
No … 25% (-7%)

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

One question: who's the head of state of East Germany and under what title (State President, Chairman of the State Council, President of the Volkskammer or something new)?

[Representative simossad]

1990 • DDR

April
The new DDR

  The story of Stefan Heym is very unique. Born as a son in a jewish family in 1913, he emigrated to the United States, returned to Europe as a soldier of the U.S. Army, settled in the newly founded German Democratic Republic as a convinced socialist, became a writer and criticized the stalinist regime, was arrested multiple times by the SED-government, was involved in the civil rights protests against the SED, became a member of the PDS, the legal successor of the SED, and was granted one of the most important positions in the new DDR government.

  Heym was a writer and a novelist. Being a convinced socialist meant being a defender of human rights in his eyes. While he was against the reunification, his dispute with the SED dictature made him aware of the need of fundamental reforms in the German Democratic Republic. His joining into the PDS was not a symbol of sympathy for the old days, but an expression of a fundamental democratic-socialist belief. His job was to bring the reforms the country desperately needed.

  The parties in the Volkskammer agreed that the head of the constitutional committee shall be the head of state while the prime minister shall be the head of the government until a new constitution is ratified. On the 8th of April, Mordow proposed Heym to the Volkskammer. Heym was a socialist, but his resistance against the SED government had lead to cross-partisan respect and appreciation. He was approved by a vote of 359 yes votes, 36 nays and 5 abstentions.

  Heyms task was not just to ensure democracy and civil liberties in the DDR, he also had to draft the basics of a new DDR. How shall the different branches of government look like? Who shall be the head of state - and how shall he or she be elected? How many chambers should the legislation consist of? And how shall the state prevent abuse of power and a new dictature? In a press conference by the end of April, Heym presented the first draft.

[Representative simossad]

1990 • BRD

May 13th
The collapse

  The failure of Helmut Kohl, the breakdown of all efforts for a German reunification dominated the state elections in Lower Saxony and in North Rhine-Westphalia. There was much at stake for the CDU: while the party did not expect to win against Prime Minister Johannes Rau and his large SPD-majority in North-Rhine Westphalia, the coalition between CDU and FDP in Lower Saxony was threatened by the social democratic opposition leader, Gerhard Schröder.

STATE ELECTION IN NORTH-RHINE WESTPHALIA, 1990


Social Democratic Party of Germany • 53.1% (+1.0%) • 131 seats (+6)
Christian Democratic Union • 32.9% (-3.6%) • 81 seats (-9)
Free Democratic Party • 10.2% (+4.2%) • 25 seats (+11)
The Greens • 2.9% (-1.7%)
others • 0.9% • (+0.1%)

  North Rhine-Westphalia was a social democratic stronghold since 1966. While the CDU was dominant in rural parts of the state, the Ruhr valley in the heart of North Rhine-Westphalia, a highly industrialized area with large cities and many hard working people, carried the Social Democratic Party to victory in every election. Prime Minister Rau was in office since 1980. While he failed as the SPD’s candidate for chancellor in 1987, he was highly respected and popular in his home state. The CDU expected to lose the election, but the large extent was unexpected.

STATE ELECTION IN LOWER SAXONY, 1990



Social Democratic Party of Germany • 46.9% (4.8%) • 78 seats (+12)
Christian Democratic Union • 38.8% (-5.5%) • 64 seats (-5)
Free Democratic Party • 7.9% (+1.9) • 13 seats (+4)
The Greens • 4.6% (-2.5%) • 0 seats (-11)
others • 1.8%

  Lower Saxony was governed by the CDU prime minister Ernst Albrecht, mostly with absolute majority in the Landtag. Lower Saxony was a diverse state. On the one hand, it had a strong automobile industry, on the other hand, most of the land was part of small villages where farms and agriculture were dominant. In 1986, the CDU had to face major losses, when the popular Ernst Albrecht ran against the young and charismatic Gerhard Schröder, a member of the Bundestag. The CDU won the election, but it had to form a coalition with the FDP. 1990 was a rematch.

  And while Albrecht was a popular prime minister, the national trend made it impossible for him to win the election. The fact that the Green Party did not make it over the 5% threshold made it possible for the SPD to carry an absolute majority - a small absolute majority of one seat.

  It is needless to state that this was a total disaster for the conservative Christian Democratic Union which hoped to remain strong on the regional level. They failed with this plan. But the guilty one was easy to be found.

[Representative simossad]

1990 • BRD

May 1990
The Backstabbing

  The SPD had every reason to celebrate. The elections in North-Rhine Westphalia and in Lower Saxony were both landslide victories for the social democrats. The SPD was not just able to protect their absolute majority in the chamber of North-Rhine Westphalia, it was also capable of replacing a popular CDU prime minister with a new absolute majority in Lower Saxony. The Free Democrats did also manage to pull out two respectable showings in these two rather disadvantageous states. Only the Christian Democratic Union had nothing to laugh about.

  The fact that both elections ended with one of the worst results in their state parties’ history was a bitter pill for the CDU. No one really knew what to do, a situation like this was unique in the history of the Christian-Democrats. The party has given up its leading position in the German political process, Chancellor Kohl, the person most people in the Federal Republic credited this horrible development to, scored extraordinary low approval ratings. The CDU has always been mocked as a “chancellors’ club”, due to the fact that for the longest time in the party’s history, the leader has also been chancellor of the federal republic, instrumentalizing the party for the chancellor’s self interest. But this time, for the first time, a revolution was set in motion within the CDU.

  Kohl made it easy for his opponents to rise. His silence after the election, the fact that he was barely visible as the leader of the CDU, allowed critical voices to be heard by the party members, by the press and by the public. The opponents of Chancellor Kohl - which were quite a lot after the disastrous elections - started to rally around Wolfgang Schäuble, Minister of the Interior and former ally of Kohl. Schäuble was known as a loyal party soldier whose positions were relatively close to Kohl’s, but after the failed reunification, Schäuble, whether it was out of responsibility for the party or plain self interest, began to distance himself from Kohl’s leadership, although he did not attack him directly.

  On May 24th, in informal meeting of various elected CDU officials met in Rhöndorf, the former place of residence of the founder of the CDU and the first chancellor of the federal republic of Germany, Konrad Adenauer. The “Convention for a progressive awakening within the CDU”, as the meeting was called officially, was joined by more than two hundred members of state parliaments and members of the Bundestag. Schäuble, the keynote speaker, made the point of the conference clear.

“We are meeting in Rhöndorf, the place of residence of our former Chancellor Adenauer, to celebrate his ideals and his wakening call for Germany and Europe. Adenauer knew that a German nation could have never been able to survive without a strong partnership with the West and a united and close European community. We believe that in times in which multiple leaders from various parties started to forget this still valid and applicable truth - even a substantial part of the Christian-Democratic Union, which seems to be ready to make compromises with communist unjust regimes - that in times like these, our party needs a lobby for the legacy of the founder of our party and the father of the federal republic. It is our duty to uphold his work and to be an advocate against socialism and communism in Europe!”

  The foundation of the “Rhöndorf Circle”, whose leading figures were Wolfgang Schäuble, Heiner Geißler (former minister of health and family, member of the Bundestag) and Walter Wallmann (prime minister of Hesse), was a subtle slap in the face for Chancellor Kohl, and a political affront against the group’s own party leader.

If the general election was held today, what would you vote? (± compared to last poll)
Christian Democratic/Social Union • 32% (-1%)
Social Democratic Party of Germany • 42% (+1%)
Free Democratic Party • 18% (-)
The Greens • 5% (-1%)
others • 4% (+1)


Do you think Chancellor Kohl should resign?
Yes … 69% (-)
No … 29% (+4%)

Do you support the formation of the Rhöndorf Circle?
Yes … 31%
No … 29%
Unsure/Don’t care  …. 40%