History UsefulNotes / GermanPoliticalPartiesAfterWorldWarII

Shortly after the war ended in 1945, the largest parties were founded (or refounded). These were on the left the '''SPD''' ('''Social Democratic Party''') and '''KPD''' ('''Communist Party''') which both had existed in the WeimarRepublic, while on the right the parties were new: the '''CDU''' ('''Christian Democratic Union''') attracted members from centrists Christians to national conservatives, while the '''FDP''' ('''Free Democratic Party''') attracted members from liberal democrats to national liberals. In Bavaria, the '''CSU''' ('''Christian Social Union''') was founded, and CDU and CSU made an agreement that they would never run against each other. Soon, in the Soviet zone the KPD and SPD were merged to the '''SED''' ('''Socialist Unity Party'''), while in the West they remained separate.

'''''EastGermany''''' (from Fifties to mid Nineties)

In EastGermany, the ruling communist SED did not dissolve the other parties as the Nazis had done, but instead made them part of the system. These parties (Christian Democrats, Liberal Democrats, National Democrats, and Peasants) always followed the suggestions of the SED, so it didn't matter that the SED nominally didn't have the majority in the East German parliament, the ''Volkskammer'' (People's Chamber). Elections were nominally held, but through arrangements or outright fraud, the power balance never shifted.

Around 1980, large anti-nuclear and pacifist protest movements gave rise to the '''Greens'''. Some of the figures of 1968 - among them Rudi Dutschke - were among the founding members of teh Greens, but it would be wrong to simply call them the "parliamentary arm" of the 1968 movement. Many groups from far left to far right were involved during the formation, but the party's eventual program was for more social equality, democracy, feminism and individualism and against nuclear energy and NATO.

The development of the party system in Germany after UsefulNotes/WorldWarII went roughly through three phases: Formative Years, WestGermany / EastGermany and UsefulNotes/TheBerlinRepublic. Recent developments after the federal elections of 2009 have shook the political spectrum again and as of the state elections of 2016, it does not seem to have settled into a "new normal" yet.

A number of smaller parties were also founded, of special note those founded by people expelled from previously German territories that were annexed by Poland and the Soviet Union (large parts of eastern Poland were also annexed by the Soviet Union, expelling Poles that partially settled in the previously German territories). In the early years of WestGermany, all parties except the KPD demanded the annexed territories back for Germany. This view slowly changed, and after reunification even most of the CDU/CSU opted for friendship with the East European nations instead of making demands.

'''''WestGermany''''' (from late Fifties to mid Nineties)

While WestGermany was formed in 1949, its party system reached a stable form about a decade later, when it just consisted of three (or four) parties in the German parliaments:

Around 1980, large anti-nuclear and pacifist protest movements gave rise to the '''Greens'''. Many groups from far left to far right were involved during the formation, but the party's eventual program was for more social equality, democracy, feminism and individualism and against nuclear energy and NATO.

The development of the party system in Germany after WorldWarTwo went roughly through three phases: Formative Years, WestGermany / EastGermany and UsefulNotes/TheBerlinRepublic. Recent developments after the federal elections of 2009 have shook the political spectrum again and as of the state elections of 2016, it does not seem to have settled into a "new normal" yet.

'''''Formative Years''''' (from end of WorldWarTwo to late Fifties)

The development of the party system in Germany after WorldWarTwo went roughly through three phases: Formative Years, WestGermany / EastGermany and TheBerlinRepublic. Recent developments after the federal elections of 2009 have shook the political spectrum again and as of the state elections of 2016, it does not seem to have settled into a "new normal" yet.

In the first years of TheBerlinRepublic, the West German party system was carbon copied to the East, with most restored Eastern states electing CDU governments, mostly in coalition with the FDP.

'''''TheBerlinRepublic''''' (since the mid Nineties)

In the 2013 election both the SPD and CDU/CSU gained seats at the expense of the smaller parties. With the FDP not in the Bundestag and the Greens having lost seats, neither the CDU nor the SPD could form a traditional coalition (CDU+FDP or SDP+Greens). Although negotiations are still ongoing as of December 2013, it's pretty much given that the SPD and CDU will form a grand coalition government.
The Pirates did not do very well and were not able to increase their share of the vote by all that much. A very different story happened with [=AfD=], a new, anti-Euro party that was formed mostly from disgruntled FDP and CDU voters. [=AfD=] received 4.7% of the vote, not enough to get seats but a good amount considering they weren't a party before April of 2013. Whether [=AfD=] can take advantage of the situation and grow in the coming years or if they'll fall apart as the Eurocrisis becomes less of a major issue remains to be seen.

A few years after reunification, the political pendulum swung back to the left side. First in the states, then on the federal level the SPD won elections. This was actually rather delayed--from shortly after the election of 1987 until late 1989, the Kohl coalition had been steadily declining in the polls and had actually been expected to lose the West German elections expected for 1991, but reunification gave them a few more years of life.

The West German states were ruled either by either SPD or CDU/CSU, in some cases with absolute majority, in others in coalition with the FDP.

The short "grand coalition" between CDU/CSU and SPD between 1966 and 1969 convinced people on both sides that their side had sold out. On the right, the far-right '''NPD''' was elected to some state parliaments, while on the left, the student movement (68ers) protests flared up (though not as bad as in France), but at first didn't form a party (the communist DKP had the support of the Soviets, but not of the 68ers). Then the "social-liberal" SPD-FDP coalition was formed, and the NPD fortunes waned quickly, while on the left the 68ers tried to create niches for their ideas about society.

The development of the party system in Germany after WorldWarTwo went roughly through three phases: Formative Years, WestGermany / EastGermany and TheBerlinRepublic. Recent developments after the federal elections of 2009 have shook the political spectrum again.

Then the trouble around "Stuttgart 21" started, a billion-euro project to build a new train station and railways underground, while putting areas currently used for railways for development. Opponents said it was much too expensive and that the Deutsche Bahn AG was the only one profiting from it. The state government of Baden-Württemberg supported it. Half a year before the state election the situation escalated when the police used strong water cannons, and protesting high schoolers and pensioners were hit. Then it turned out the police had order to be tough to unmask the protesters as chaots; that backfired immensely, and the government lost support while the Greens, who were against the project, gained.

* DSU (East) did not merge with any Western party, and faded

A few years after reunification, the political pendulum swung back to the left side. First in the states, then on the federal level the SPD won elections. This was actually rather delayed--from shortly after the election of 1987 until late 1989, the Kohl coalition had been steadily declining in the polls and had actually been expected to lose the West German elections expected for 1991, but reunification gave them a few more years of life. In 1998, a "red-green coalition" of SPD and Greens took office, while also having a majority in the Bundesrat (they lost that in the very next year, though). Red-green was reelected in 2002, partially because of Chancellor Schröder helping when the Oder flood struck and partially because of their rejection to support the USA in a possible Iraq war (modern Germans rather hate war). But on the left, the business-friendly and welfare-cutting "Hartz reforms" (that were made harsher when they needed CDU/CSU-support in the Bundesrat) made red-green unpopular, leading to the formation of the WASG by disgruntled former Social Democrats.

Shortly after the war ended in 1945, the largest parties were founded (or refounded). These were on the left the '''SPD''' ('''Social Democratic Party''') and '''KPD''' ('''Communist Party''') which both had existed in the WeimarRepublic, while on the right the parties were new: the '''CDU''' ('''Christian Democratic Union''') attracted members from centrists Christians to national conservatives, while the '''FDP''' ('''Free Democratic Party''') attracted members from liberal democrats to national liberals. In Bavaria, the '''CSU''' ('''Christian Social Union''') was founded, and CDU and CSU made an agreement that they wound never run against each other. Soon, in the Soviet zone the KPD and SPD were merged to the '''SED''' ('''Socialist Unity Party'''), while in the West they remained separate.

* PDS (East) did not merge with any Western party

A few years after reunification, the political pendulum swung back to the left side. First in the states, then on the federal level the SPD won elections. This was actually rather delayed--from shortly after the election of 1987 until late 1989, the Kohl coalition had been declining in the polls and had actually been expected to lose the West German elections expected for 1991, but reunification gave them a few more years of life. In 1998, a "red-green coalition" of SPD and Greens took office, while also having a majority in the Bundesrat (they lost that in the very next year, though). Red-green was reelected in 2002, partially because of Chancellor Schröder helping when the Oder flood struck and partially because of their rejection to support the USA in a possible Iraq war (modern Germans rather hate war). But on the left, the business-friendly and welfare-cutting "Hartz reforms" (that were made harsher when they needed CDU/CSU-support in the Bundesrat) made red-green unpopular, leading to the formation of the WASG by disgruntled former Social Democrats.

A few years after reunification, the political pendulum swung back to the left side. First in the states, then on the federal level the SPD won elections. This was actually rather delayed--until late 1989, the Kohl coalition had been declining in the polls and had actually been expected to lose the West German elections expected for 1991, but reunification gave them a few more years of life. In 1998, a "red-green coalition" of SPD and Greens took office, while also having a majority in the Bundesrat (they lost that in the very next year, though). Red-green was reelected in 2002, partially because of Chancellor Schröder helping when the Oder flood struck and partially because of their rejection to support the USA in a possible Iraq war (modern Germans rather hate war). But on the left, the business-friendly and welfare-cutting "Hartz reforms" (that were made harsher when they needed CDU/CSU-support in the Bundesrat) made red-green unpopular, leading to the formation of the WASG by disgruntled former Social Democrats.

A few years after reunification, the political pendulum swung back to the left side. First in the states, then on the federal level the SPD won elections. This was actually rather delayed--the Kohl coalition had been declining in the polls and had actually been expected to lose the West German elections expected for 1991, but reunification gave them a few more years of life. In 1998, a "red-green coalition" of SPD and Greens took office, while also having a majority in the Bundesrat (they lost that in the very next year, though). Red-green was reelected in 2002, partially because of Chancellor Schröder helping when the Oder flood struck and partially because of their rejection to support the USA in a possible Iraq war (modern Germans rather hate war). But on the left, the business-friendly and welfare-cutting "Hartz reforms" (that were made harsher when they needed CDU/CSU-support in the Bundesrat) made red-green unpopular, leading to the formation of the WASG by disgruntled former Social Democrats.

A few years after reunification, the political pendulum swung back to the left side. First in the states, then on the federal level the SPD won elections. In 1998, a "red-green coalition" of SPD and Greens took office, while also having a majority in the Bundesrat (they lost that in the very next year, though). Red-green was reelected in 2002, partially because of Chancellor Schröder helping when the Oder flood struck and partially because of their rejection to support the USA in a possible Iraq war (modern Germans rather hate war). But on the left, the business-friendly and welfare-cutting "Hartz reforms" (that were made harsher when they needed CDU/CSU-support in the Bundesrat) made red-green unpopular, leading to the formation of the WASG by disgruntled former Social Democrats.

Shortly after the war ended in 1945, the largest parties were founded. These were on the left the '''SPD''' ('''Social Democratic Party''') and '''KPD''' ('''Communist Party''') which both had existed in the WeimarRepublic, while on the right the parties were new: the '''CDU''' ('''Christian Democratic Union''') attracted members from centrists Christians to national conservatives, while the '''FDP''' ('''Free Democratic Party''') attracted members from liberal democrats to national liberals. In Bavaria, the '''CSU''' ('''Christian Social Union''') was founded, and CDU and CSU made an agreement that they wound never run against each other. Soon, in the Soviet zone the KPD and SPD were merged to the '''SED''' ('''Socialist Unity Party'''), while in the West they remained separate.

Other groups left the party, which then developed two wings: Fundis saw their party as shining beacon people would eventually follow, while Realos wanted to reach actual change in government by compromise. Hardline Fundis eventually left, but a strong left wing remained. Greens were elected into state and federal parliaments, but badly overplayed their hands both after Chernobyl and after reunification, scaring away voters.

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<<|UsefulNotes/{{Germany}}|>>

For a more detailed look at the '''current''' parties, see Main/PoliticiansAndPartiesOfGermany.

The development of the party system in Germany after WorldWarTwo went roughly through three phases: Formative Years, WestGermany / EastGermany and TheBerlinRepublic.

In 2005, CDU/CSU-led state governments got so strong in the Bundesrat they could stop any legislative effort. So Chancellor Schröder arranged to lose a vote of confidence so the President could dissolve the Bundestag and call early elections. The result of these was that neither red-green nor Union-FDP had the necessary majority, so a grand coalition was arrange, led by Angela Merkel (CDU) since the Union was marginally stronger than the SPD. This grand coalition was better liked than the first one in the 1960s, but it still led to all three smaller parties gaining in seats, while the SPD lost big. This resulted in a majority for Union and FDP, and Angela Merkel formed a new Union-FDP government afterwards.