Word: spd
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...when the Free Democrats, led by his Foreign Minister, Hans-Dietrich Genscher, bolted the government coalition and joined Kohl's Christian Democrats. The Free Democrats' motive: disagreement with the Social Democrats over how to reverse the nation's declining economic fortunes. Branded as "traitors," by the SPD, the Free Democrats began a downward slide in public esteem, and for a while it seemed that they might not win the 5% of the vote necessary to hold seats in the Bundestag. If neither Kohl nor Vogel had won an absolute majority last Sunday, West Germans might have then...
With 70% of the votes counted in Sunday's election, Schmidt and his coalition of Social Democrats and Free Democrats (SPD-F.D.P.) were returned with a majority in the lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, which elects the Chancellor. His supporters won 53.1% of the vote - 42.6% for the SPD and 10.5% for the F.D.P. - compared with 44.8% for Strauss's conservative Christian Democratic and Christian Social Union. Said the victorious Schmidt: "I am very satisfied with the results...
...professional, has been in the crucial swing role. By siding again with the Social Democrats instead of the conservatives, the Free Democrats aimed not only to block the election of Strauss, whom they regard as an extremist, but also to help Schmidt neutralize the left wing of his SPD. Said F.D.P. Chairman Hans-Dietrich Genscher: "Our mission is to ensure government from the center, not from the fringes, left or right...
Born in Hamburg, West Germany in 1919, Schmidt became a member of the Democratic Socialist Party (SPD) in 1947 and a member of the Budestag in 1953. In 1969, after two years as his party's floor leader in the Budestag, Schmidt became Defense Minister under then-Chancellor Brandt. He later became Finance Minister, and when Brandt resigned, took over as Chancellor...
Rumors of marital troubles surfaced when Brandt went to a private clinic in the south of France, while his wife stayed behind in Bonn. Accompanying Brandt was Seebacher, an ardent SPD activist who had written speeches for him and acted as his appointments secretary until his illness. At the French clinic where Brandt was recuperating, she helped him to stop smoking and to limit his drinking to one glass of wine a day. When Brandt reappeared in West Germany two weeks ago, looking more fit and cheerful, he told friends he intended to marry Seebacher. Said he: "I am determined...