Kohl’s early election chances get a boost

Press, 28 October 1982, Page 9

Kohl’s early election chances get a boost

NZPA-Reuter Bonn Dr Helmut Kohl's chances of winning an early election next spring soared yesterday when the former Social Democratic Chancellor, Mr Helmut Schmidt, announced that he would not stand for the post again. Mr Schmidt commanded strong personal respect at home and abroad during his B’2 year rule, which ended on October 1 when a CentreRight Parliamentary coalition voted him out. Diplomats said that the political row over his removal did not appear to have damaged his popularity. A recent Social Democrat recovery in regional elections suggested it might even have increased it. They said that his departure robbed the party of an important electoral weapon against the Christian Democratic Chancellor, who is. burdened by a lack-lustre public image. it would also boost Dr Kohl's confidence in calling

early elections next March and would probably seal the Social Democrat fate as an opposition party for several years to come. Mr Schmidt, aged 63, said tljat he had decided to bow out because of poor health—he had a heart pace-maker fitted last year—and political considerations.

“In my opinion this step creates a chance to open the way to youthful forces in our party,” be told Social Democrat deputies. Mr Schmidt made a veiled criticism of the party’s rebellious Left-wing, whose opposition on economic and defence questions proved a big embarrassment in his last months in office.

The Christian Deomocrat general secretary, Mr Heiner Geissler, paid tribute to Mr Schmidt as a statesman. He said that he had been forced out by Left-wing pressure for talks with the ecologist Green Party, which now bolds the balance of power in two key regional assemblies. Several newspapers speculated yesterday that his withdrawal augured a big change of direction for the Social Democrats. “The S.P.D. is opening its doors to the (politically) redtinged Greens and will become incapable of a rational energy or defence policy ... by this dangerous action and S.P.D. will change very quickly," said the conservative “Frankfurter Allgemeine.” S.P.D. sources have named the West Berlin opposition leader, Hans-Jochen Vogel, and the north Rhine-West-phalia State Premier Mr Johannes Rau. as Mr Schmidt’s most likely successors.