KuBus 68 A Question of Confidence The Dissolution of the German Bundestag

Transcription

1 KuBus 68 A Question of Confidence The Dissolution of the German Bundestag Author: Rolf Scheller July 1st Today, just 3 years after the last federal parliamentary elections, German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder aims to obtain a vote of no confidence in the Bundestag, although he actually has majority support SPD Bundestag President Wolfgang Thierse gives the floor to the Chancellor: Subtitles/VO Gerhard Schröder, SPD (German Chancellor) My petition has a single, unmistakable goal: I would like to propose to the honorable Federal President, that he officially dissolve the 15 th German Bundestag and call an early election. The unfortunate result for me and my party in recent state elections in North -Rhine Westphalia was th e last link in a chain of often painful ballot defeats The SPD parliamentarians are nonplussed by the demand for a withdrawal of confidence from their own chancellor. It is not something the opposition finds problematical, as their leader Angela Merkel makes clear: Subtitles/VO Angela Merkel, CDU (Party Leader) Mr. Chancellor, let me start by clearly stating that today you are petitioning for a vote under article 68 of the constitution with the aim of obtaining an early election for the German Bundestag and we, the CDU/CSU parliamentary faction, welcome that VO Wolfgang Schäuble, CDU (Deputy Party Leader) Our constitution has no mechanism for the Bundestag to dissolve itself, rather the Chancellor, a majority in the Bundestag and the President of the Republic must work together to bring about an early election during a parliamentary period. That is in keeping with constitutional law and I agree with the political motivation behind it; he realizes he no longer has the necessary support to maintain the course he feels his government must take. This support has been particularly undermined by the constant, heavy election losses sustained by the Social Democrats. We in the opposition are in favor of the move of course we would rather get the chance sooner than later to govern better, and because it s within the remit of constitutional law and because we believe the electorate should have the chance this year to make a new political decision, we are in favor of it.

2 02 18 Under the German constitution the chancellor may petition for a vote of no confidence. The President must approve it and then call an early election should one be pursued. Secretary of State Fischer: Subtitles/VO Joseph (Joschka) Fischer, Bündnis90/Die Grünen, Secretary of State You didn t want the red/green coalition, and not just for political reasons. It didn t suit you that here we have a democratic, leftwing majority that includes a direct legacy from 68, elected, ladies and gentlemen, by the German people. That is the decisive factor. This difference is a fact and you won t be able to talk us around it. This coalition has every reason to be proud of what we ve achieved, my friends. Every opportunity is open to us if we fight, and we will fight - to win and not to lose. Thank you But not everyone in Fischer s Green party finds the early election above-board. Parliamentarian Werner Schulz believes the ballot was manipulated " Subtitles/VO Werner Schulz, Bündnis 90/Die Grünen (Member of Parliament) Do you seriously believe that after this pompous maneuver you can go on the campaign trail tomorrow and talk about truth? This is not only a low point in democratic culture, you are also detracting from the esteem in which parliament is held A large portion of the government coalition abstains from voting, resulting in an unambiguous result: A parliamentary majority vote of no confidence for the chancellor. For the opposition, it s an opportunity to return to power; for the government, it s the chance to gain a renewed, emphatic mandate to remain there " VO Antje Vollmer, Bündnis 90/Die Grünen (Vice President of the Bundestag) The first of July was a sad day for me. It was not a liberating moment, certainly not from a patriotic standpoint. It was more like a destructive domino principle. Red/Green is a coalition hard-won by many different people of very different political persuasions. I don t believe we had the right to simply give back a quarter of our allotted time, unused. I do understand that there was a sense of fatigue at the center of power. On the one hand, Germany has an almost legendary image abroad for political support of ecology, peace and social parity, for our stable democracy. On the other hand, there s this intense political dissatisfaction domestically. But I just can t grasp why the resolution had to be something so damaging to the federal government, parliament, the coalition and finally, the German President and the constitutional court Bonn, 1972 the seat of the federal government at the time. The CDU/CSU petitions for a no confidence ballot against SPD chancellor Willy Brandt: Subtitles/VO Willy Brandt, SPD (German Chancellor, 1972) My declared goal, at no time kept secret, in rejecting the petition put forth here is to be put in the position of proposing to the honorable President of the Republic that he dissolve the 6 th German Bundestag and call for an early election Subtitles/VO Rainer Barzel, CDU (Party Leader 1972) On April 28 th the Chancellor s budget was rejected. It would have been in keeping with normal democratic style and good parliamentary manners in that situation for the Chancellor to resign.

3 05 53 Subtitles/VO Franz-Josef Strauß, CSU (Party Leader 1972) The fact - which you make light of - Mr. Chancellor, is that the current state of affairs in your party, even though you refer to it as merely a peripheral phenomenon, would in the past have led to a decisive parting of ways. You now respond with soothing words, but nothing more. I make my plea here, despite the cut and thrust of the beginning campaign, for the community of democrats in the center, center-right and center-left. But the line of separation must be drawn against those who would seek to overturn the social order, the potential revolutionaries, even those in one s own party The no-confidence ballot is a failure. Willy Brandt remains Chancellor of Germany A conservative coalition of the CDU/CSU/FDP is now in power. Chancellor Kohl petitions for a noconfidence ballot against himself Subtitles/VO Helmut Kohl, CDU (German Chancellor 1982) To sustain the long-term and wide-reaching political rejuvenation necessary, the coalition needs the mandate of the electorate. All parties represented in the German Bundestag want a fresh election Subtitles/VO Willy Brandt, SPD (Party leader 1982) If, Mr. Chancellor, you have often had the feeling that the voting public should be given the opportunity to voice a new decision, then I say to you again, even after today s testimony, that you would have done better to simply tender a constitutionally sound, thoroughly unproblematic resignation The result of the ballot: Chancellor Kohl receives a vote of no confidence. He had achieved what he wanted: An early election is called. Kohl wins the election and remains in office for 16 years " VO Egon Bahr, SPD (former minister) The two situations cannot be compared, because in Brandt s case, he had no majority support for the budget. Kohl had a majority, in fact that had just been confirmed by the FDP s switch from the SPD coalition to the CDU. But Kohl wanted a majority mandate for himself that wasn t just due to the FDP. In that case the constitution was, in fact, manipulated. The current situation is not a manipulation for the simple reason that it represents a sense of responsibility. After losing the majority in the mediation committee it would have been irresponsible to let Germany founder and remain incapable of effective political action during the coming months until the Fall On July 1 st 2005 in the Reichstag, the seat of the German parliament, a majority of parliamentarians vote in support of that opinion. Many Social Democrat and Green party representatives were fuming as they did so, but that didn t alter the result. Chancellor Gerhard Schröder wants an early election because he sees it as the only option to remain effective in government - if his red/green coalition can win the ballot. The opposition, of course, wants to avoid that outcome But the decision about whether or not to call for an early election falls to the man currently holding the office of Federal - or German - President. If he gives the nod, elections must be held within the following 60 days.

4 09 24 July 21 st. The office of the Federal President. In the evening its occupant, President Horst Köhler, makes an announcement on German television: Subtitles/VO Horst Köhler (Federal President) My fellow citizens, I have today dissolved the 15 th German Bundestag and set the date of September 18 th for an early election. Our country has enormous tasks ahead, our future and the future of our children is at stake. Millions of people are unemployed; many of them have been for years. I respect those who have had doubts, and I have listened to their arguments and carefully considered them. But I see no alternative evaluation of the situation that could clearly overrule the chancellor s assessment. I am convinced that the legal requirements of the constitution for the dissolution of the Bundestag have been met Politicians from all parties, including Chancellor Schröder, applaud the decision Subtitles/VO Gerhard Schröder, SPD (German Chancellor) Ladies and gentlemen, the Federal President has set the date for an early election for the German Bundestag to be held on September 18th. I very much welcome his considered decision. By raising the question of confidence on July 1 st, my intention was to make an early election possible. Since this was announced I have enjoyed overwhelming support for it in our society. Not only within all parties, but far more importantly, the citizens of our nation want an early election In this case, the leader of the opposition Angela Merkel supports the Chancellor Subtitles/VO Angela Merkel, CDU (Party leader) Ladies and gentlemen, with his decision, the Federal President has cleared the way for early elections and I appeal to the citizens of this country as I urge us to use this election as an opportunity to make a new start for our nation In the meantime, though, critics of the no-confidence procedure have filed for legal action with the constitutional court. In a live broadcast on the German television station ZDF, a former president of the federal constitutional court comments Subtitles/VO Bettina Schausten (Presenter) Reading about it, you get the impression that opinion is quite divided among experts on constitutional law. It can really go both ways Subtitles/VO Jutta Limbach (Former president of the federal constitutional court) Oh yes, very much so. In fact, a majority of the constitutional law specialists, if I ve kept a correct count, are talking about manipulation and misuse in this case. I have a completely different opinion and there are a few others - including, I believe, a former German President - who agree with me that this is not a manipulation. But that just shows the level of controversy the constitutional judges are facing.

5 12 23 On the 18th. Of September an early election will be held, the legal action against it having been overruled. The parties are already campaigning hard. Little time remains to win the precious votes of the electorate A new party on the left is also in the running Whether the red/green coalition can stay in power or the conservative CDU/CSU will take the helm is now in the sovereign hands of the voters. End: