NEW ADENAUER GOVERNMENT

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28385, 18 September 1957, Page 13

NEW ADENAUER GOVERNMENT

Free Democrats May Be Asked To Join

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 11 pjn.) BONN, September 17. The West German Chancellor, Dr. Adenauer, and his party and Government colleagues are continuing talks today on the formation of a new Government after their overwhelming victory in Sunday’s Federal elections.

There was intense speculation in Bonn about the probable composition of the Cabinet, the third which Dr. Adenauer will have led since 1949. The big question in everyone’s mind was whether the Christian Democrats and their coalition allies, the German Party, would invite the Free Democrats into the Government and whether the Free Democrats, if invited, would join a coalition.

The Christian Democrats could, it they so wished, govern alone. They won 270 out of the 497 seats in the new Bundestag (Lower House), but it is known that Dr. Adenauer and most of his party colleagues favour a coalition Government.

When he formed his last Government in 1953 Dr. Adenauer entered into coalition with the German Party, the Free Democrats and the Refugee Party. The Refugee Party is no longer represented in the new House. It was considered possible that Dr. Adenauer might invite the 41 Free Democrats elected into his new Cabinet in an effort to isolate in Opposition the Social Democrats, who won 169 seats. The Free Democrats—a German “Liberal” Party—have so far Studiously refrained from committing themselves to either of the two big parties, but it is known that opinions are divided in the party on whether it should stay in opposition or seek to enter the new Government.

It was generally believed that there would be no major changes in the new Cabinet, although the present number of 19 Ministerial seats might possibly be* altered if coalition arithmetic required it.