Word: genscher
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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...staid predictability of Bonn politics quickly took on the intrigue of a Florentine court last week. Initially, Kohl was confident that former Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher, leader of the centrist Free Democrats who bolted Schmidt's government, could deliver at least 33 votes from his party's 51 members of parliament. This total would provide Kohl 259 votes, when added to the 226 of his coalition. Schmidt's S.P.D. has only 215 seats, and depended on heavy Free Democrat support to stay in office. Kohl and Genscher had been talking quietly of creating a new center...
During a 45-min. meeting with Kohl Thursday evening, Schmidt tried to convince him that a quick, clean contest might result in an absolute Christian Democratic majority-and a mandate to govern without F.D.P. support. Kohl was noncommittal. Schmidt then summoned Genscher and told him pointblank that he had "lost political confidence" in the Free Democrats...
...Schmidt prepared to address parliament the following morning, Genscher and the three other Free Democrat Cabinet ministers abruptly tendered their resignations, possibly surprising Schmidt, who had calculated that Genscher would be afraid to split his own party by lurching toward Kohl. Indeed, the F.D.P. executive committee later endorsed Genscher's proposal to open negotiations with the Christian Democrats by a margin...
Kohl has reportedly already promised Genscher that he will invite the F.D.P. to form a new coalition. But he did not say publicly when he would call for national elections to obtain a popular mandate for the new government. Said Kohl: "Our program must be clearly shaped before we take it to the electorate. Of course, we must act as quickly as possible." The Free Democrats hope that the arrangement will give them time to build support prior to any new elections...
West Germany's allies expect little change in the country's foreign policy if Kohl becomes Chancellor. Like Schmidt and Genscher, Kohl favors NATO's plans for the deployment of new nuclear missiles next year. He is not expected to be any more receptive than Schmidt to U.S. demands for higher defense spending. Though some officials in the Reagan Administration hope that a more conservative government in Bonn will be easier to deal with on such touchy issues as sanctions against the Soviet Union, most experts consider Kohl just as committed as Schmidt to detente and East...