election commentators ever go much deeper in their analysis? — the only winners in the West German Euro-elections were the Greens.
Both the major parties Democrats (CDU) and the Social Democrats (SPD) lost several percentage points in comparison to last year's general elections.
cent of the popular vote needed to gain representation in the EEC parliament.
The low poll of 55 per cent constitutes a setback for the 'European spirit' and shows that even in West Germany enthusiasm for the EEC is not what it used to be only a few years ago.
By contrast the Greens pushed up their share of he vote from just over 5 per cent In 198 to lust over per thus replacing the FDP as West Germany's third party.
By Günter Minnerup "The real issue in west German politics, , however, is not the size of the Green vUit — inaicative as it is of the size and depth of the disaffection of young voters 'established party politics'. There is absolutelv no prospect of the Green Party rising inexorably from their modest beginnings to governmental power in Bonn.
The DI COS comica tators are certainly right when they explain Greens' good showing by their success motivating and mobilising their political base that on a lower overall poll they were bound do well. Since real political was not at stake in these elections some SPD voters may also have taken the opportunity to register a protest vote.
The Greens are there as a force to be reckoned with, but they have now pretty much exhausted their growth potential and will not change the face of the Christian The Liberal FDP, the West German politics fundamentally on their own. What is very much stake, however, the future of the Bonn government and the future of the SPD, the West German socialist party.
Some press analysts have explained the low SPI vote of 37 per cent a a popular rejection of the metalworkers' printers' campaign for the 35 hour week. That may be good bourgeois orovazan da, but is blatant nonsense fore the Srike aup ore the general apathy working-class voters towards the Euro-elections.
big cities most affected the strikes moreover, the SPD the Greens generally did better than on average. This was true, for instance, in Frankfurt which is both the headquarters of the IG Metall and was deprived of its two biggest newspapers by the action of the printworkers The most significant pointer West LICE many's political future is found in Euro poll but in the Saarland predominantly Catholic IC2I0 badly •attected bi the decline of the mining steel industries which has had uninterrupted Christian Democratic government since 1949. German Benn In the Saarland the WCIc Coll bined with local elections, producing somewhat higher turn out and here the : local SPD is led by a political figure fast the 'German Tony Benn This is Oskar Lafontaine, mayor OI the regional capital of Saarbrucken member SPD's national executive well known as an opponent of the denlovment of cruise Pershing missiles in Europe and was the first leading West German politician to raise issues of a general strike against missile deployment and the Federal Republic's continued membership of the Saarland the SPD overtook the CDU in the populal the Euro-elections for the first time post-war history and held the ureen volt down to around 5 per cent.
greatly strengthens the hand of those on the left of the SPD who argue, like Lafontaine, that the only road • lo a relurn lo power in Bonn is that of shitting the SPD determinedly to the left: towarros mie mons peace movement, and the This will either make the Greens superfluous and rally the millions of disaffected behind a rejuvenated and radicalised SPD, or at least open the door to 'red-green • even O the evidence of the : Eure poll - has good chance of sweeping the Christia: Democrats from the demise of FDP libera coalition partner con tinues.
The political climate it West Germany is rapidl polarising cutting awa middle ground which the broad ideo logical consensus betwee Ine liberal wing COT th CDU. the power brokin FDP, and the right wing o the SPD has been restin so long. The muc: vaunted 'social partner ship between employers government recover hom u industrial 35 hour weed the hour WCCr even the mediator compromise formula of cut to 38½ cepted as temporar truce in the class war. Edifice The apathy toward the Euro-elections is als of an all Call! creasing disaffection wit the entire edifice European-Atlantic tegration which cement ne victor turned into dumping ground fo Reagan's missiles, and. a it now turns out, , can n preserve the sperity which for so lon underpinned West Ge: many's social peace an. political stability.
The first polarisation The victim will be the prese leadership of the SPD an Its vain attempt to con bine hanging on the pro gramme and images of it previous right win: Schmidt period with tryin to appeal to the base of th Greens and the increasing third victim might well b the Kohl government.
----- pull-quotes -----
junior partner in the right-of-centre West German coalition government, even failed to score the 5 per