German federal election, 1998

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In 1998, a German federal election was conducted on September 27, 1998, to elect members to the 14th Bundestag (lower house) of Germany.

[edit] Issues and Campaign

The 1998 federal election took place against the background of high unemployment in Germany, with the Federal Labor Office registering 4 million unemployed inhabitants. The German economy had decisively slowed down after reunification in October 1990. Many voters blamed centre-right coalition government between Christian Democrats/Conservative Social Union (CDU/CSU)and liberal Free Democrats (FDP) for the economic crisis. This was particularly so, as long-time Chancellor Helmut Kohl's government was regarded by many as having underestimated the economic cost of integrating the former communist East Germany into the Federal Republic.

[edit] Results

Seat results -- SPD in red, Greens in green, PDS in purple, FDP in yellow, CDU/CSU in black

[edit] Post-election

The coalition between the CDU/CSU and the FDP no longer had a majority, so a new government was formed by a coalition between the SPD and the Greens, with the SPD's Gerhard Schröder, previously Minister-President of Lower Saxony, becoming chancellor. This was the first Red-Green coalition ever at the federal level, and Joschka Fischer became minister of foreign affairs as the highest Green in the government.

Helmut Kohl, touched by scandal, stepped down as head of the CDU, and the CSU head stepped down as well.

The 1998 German election was historic in many ways. For the first time in post World War II, history the election resulted in a complete exchange of power between parties in the government. The election also resulted in the first left lead absolute majority. In addition, it brought to an end the sixteen-year rule of Helmut Kohl and his allies. Many factors contributed to Helmut Kohl’s defeat and the rise of Gerhard Schroder.

The 1998 campaign began with both the CDU and SPD questioning who would lead their parties. There had been talk that Helmut Kohl would step aside and allow Wolfgang Schauble to take the reigns of CDU but these talks were quashed when Kohl announced in April 1997 that he would seek the chancellorship again. The two contenders for the SDP nomination were Oskar Lafontaine and Gerhard Schroder. On 1 March 1998, Schroder sealed his fate as SPD nominee when he won the Lower Saxony election. Schroder had announced he would withdraw his bid for the nomination if he fell below 42 percent in the election; Schroder received 47.9 percent.1 Following the election Lafontaine withdrew his bid and Schroder was nominated in the May convention. For the SDP Schroder offered a new face for the party. He gave the party a new vigor one that was lacking in the CDU after Kohl proclaimed his nomination. Many in the CDU questioned if Kohl had made the right choice for the party.1

The CDU campaign was based on the experience and reputation of Kohl. One of the CDU’s main slogans became ‘Safety, not Risks.’ “Kohl…exploited his familiarity and experience, as well as his status as Europe’s longest serving head of government.”1 The SDP on the other hand ran the campaign using strategies developed in the United States and the Britain.2 The SDP set up an election headquarters and introduced ‘rapid rebuttal units.’2 The SDP avoided direct attacks at Kohl but rather focused on their message of a “new center.’2 Schroder emphasized the fact that he was the new Germany while Kohl was the old way of Germany.1 While the two major parties battled it out the smaller ones fought to stake their claim. The FDP had usually ridden on the coattails of the CDU and in early polls were suffering. With the SDP ahead in the polls, many of the voters from the CDU had less incentive to vote for the partner. The FDP was also having trouble projecting a coherent platform to voters. The Greens too were having issues with their platform. The two factions in the Greens, the fundamentalists and the pragmatists, had had problems settling on their platform since the 1980s.2 Toward the end of the campaign, polls place the CDU/CSU and FDP coalition in a dead heat with the SDP and Green coalition.2 Despite these polls, the finial numbers told a different story.

On September 27, 1998, there were several reasons that the reigning coalition of the Christian Democratic Union and the Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU) and their leader Chancellor Helmut Kohl lost their sixteen-year reign over Germany. The major issue of the 1998 campaign quickly became unemployment. Early in 1996, the unemployment rate in Germany surpassed the political taboo of 4 million.2 Both parties blamed high labor cost, high taxes and the huge welfare cost as main contributors to the problem.1 During the campaign Gerhard Schroeder, Social Democrat (SDP) candidate for Chancellor, used this issue against Kohl calling him ‘the unemployment chancellor.’ Unemployment was even worst in the former East Germany. While the national percent stood at 11 percent, former East Germany was suffering at 20 percent.1 Many in the east began to blame Kohl for the slow pace of promised economic growth. Another issue at hand was Germany’s tax and welfare reforms. While the CDU/CSU had offered proposals to reduce benefits in sick pay and pensions, the SDP controlled Bundersrat halted passage of the bill. The proposed bill also offered tax cuts that were seen to be in favor of the rich, something SDP did not on their hands in an election year.1 While Kohl continually pushed the issue of European integration, the issue fell short from voters’ minds. Schroder on the other hand nearly ignore the issue.1 Many voters in Germany had other concerns besides the European Union.

[edit] Sources

• 1 Pulzer, Peter. “The German Federal Election of 1998.” West European Politics July 1999: 241-249
• 2 Green, Simon. "The 1998 German Bundestag election: The end of an era." Parliamentary Affairs Apr 1999: 52. :Pg. 306-320. LexisNexis Academic. Leslie F. Maplass Library, Macomb, IL. 24 Feb
• 3 “Social Democrats win German elections.” Europe Oct. 1998 LexisNexis Academic. Leslie F. Maplass Library, Macomb, IL. 24 Feb 2005 <http://web.lexisnexis.com/universe/printdoc>.2005 <http://web.lexisnexis.com/universe/printdoc>.

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