Free Democrats Seek New Coalition Leader

Press, Volume C, Issue 29623, 20 September 1961, Page 15

Free Democrats Seek New Coalition Leader

(ft -Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright)

BONN, September 19.

Leading members -of the West German Free Democratic Party are considering suggestions that they enter a coalition government under the 85-year-old Chancellor, Dr. Konrad Adenauer. They will meet in Bonn today to discuss the matter.

The leader of the Free Democrats, a free enterprise liberal party (Dr Erichk Mende), has said he personally will not serve under Dr. Adenauer and the party has appealed to the Christian Democrats to seriously consider whether they should again put forward Dr, Adenauer, their party leader, for the Chancellorship.

But a final decision on whether the Free Democrats are to enter an Adenauer Government will depend on a vote of the party’s 66 deputies in the new Bundestag (Lower House*, where they are meeting with the party executive today. Coalition possibilities are being discussed because Dr. Adenauer’s Christian Democratic Party lost its absolute majority in the Bundestag in Sunday’s General Elections. With two results still to come, the Christian Democrats have 241 seats, the Social Democrats 190, and the Free Democrats 66. Both Dr. Adenauer and Dr Mende have excluded a coalition between either of their parties and the Social Democrats.

In their opposition to Dr. Adenauer remaining as Chancellor, members of the Free Democratic Party have some support within the

Christian Democratic Party leadership. But the majority of the Christian Democratic Party deputies are thought certain to support the retention of Dr. Adenauer in office at least until the Berlin crisis is over. Some Christian Democrat sources said the party was hoping for an agreement with the Free Democrats to accept Dr. Adenauer for a restricted period in return for a Christian Democratic Party promise to switch the Chancellorship to the present Economics Minister (Professor Ludwig Erhard) during the coming four-year legislative period. Press Comment “The Times’* commented in London today: “The pattern is changing in Germany. Dr. Adenauer may remain Chancellor for a certain time, but he no longer fills the entire political stage. “The foundations on which his vast authority and prestige have rested all these years have shown a perceptible shift, and the electorate has withdrawn the absolute majority which his party enjoyed for eight years in the Bundestag. The initial indications of the election results are that West Germany is cautiously groping for initiative and new

ideas after a longish period of domestic and foreign tutelage. “The maturity which this suggests may be tested in the next few months.” The “Guardian” commented: “The West German electors have shown up well. They had every temptation to maintain the Christian Democrats in comfortable control. “Neverthless, they have ended the absolute reign of Dr. Adenauer. “It is reasonable to suppose that many of them contributed to this result because—however grateful they might be for his past services—they now think that he is too old.” The “Daily Express” said that the German election “gives the militant Free Democratic Party a position of power. It now holds the balance between Dr. Adenauer’s party and -the Social Democrats.

“This is a victory for German nationalism,” the newspaper said.