An American Jewish - German Information & Opinion Newsletter

1. AN AMERICAN JEWISH – GERMAN INFORMATION & OPINION
NEWSLETTER
dubowdigest@optonline.net
AMERICAN EDITION
February 28, 2012
Dear Friends:
No doubt about it. The Greek bailout is still the Item #1 in Europe. That especially
goes for Germany who, in the long run, will have to carry much of the financial load.
However, Chancellor Merkel’s suggested severe austerity program is being imposed
and, as you might imagine, is not going down well in Greece. There are many
questions being raised about the political as well as economic impact of such a
program on Greece and the rest of the debtor nations. In the meantime Germany is
being seen as the unpopular rich uncle a la the U.S. Click here to read about it.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,817887,00.html
The deep recession throughout much of Europe (maybe even a depression in
Greece) has stoked questions about the permanence of not only the Euro but of the
European Union itself. The EU is a very complicated structure with many political,
economic and social interconnections among the member states. Whatever answers
there are for its problems, they are far from simple. Its health, however, has great
implications for the U.S. and so I think it behooves us to learn more about it.
While all this is going on around it, Germany has had to take time out to both select
a new president and to officially mourn the murdered victims of a neo-Nazi hate
gang. Both are covered below so let’s get on with the news…
IN THIS EDITION
A NEW PRESIDENT: JOACHIM GAUCK – You may not know him but everybody in
Germany does – especially those in East Germany who were in the Stasi.
GERMANY & ISRAEL: CLOSER OR FURTHER APART? – It depends on who you
ask and whether there are issues other than the future of the Palestinians.
NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY (NPD): A GENUINE THREAT? – Why is it even
1

2. a question?
A TRIBUTE TO NEO-NAZI VICTIMS – Nazi victimization hasn’t gone away.
DRESDEN: NAZIS & ANTI-NAZIS – 13,000 Dresdeners answer the Nazis.
HOLOCAUST EDUCATION: MORE BAD THAN GOOD? - Is too much of a good
thing bad?
CORRECTIONS – Even your esteemed editor drops the ball occasionally.
A NEW PRESIDENT: JOACHIM GAUCK
Those of you who read my Special Edition know that German President Christian
Wulff resigned on Feb. 16th after all the scandals he had been accused of caught up
with him. Though the name of Joachim Gauck, who had been the losing candidate in
the last election, emerged immediately as a possible successor, it took Chancellor
Merkel a couple of days to read the political tea leaves before she backed his
candidacy. He will be elected by the special Federal Assembly on March 15th
Because Gauck had been the candidate of the Social Democrats two years ago (the
Chancellor’s opposition) it is now clear that she was forced to support him.
As I pointed out in my Special Edition, Wulff was the second president that the
Chancellor and her party (CDU) had pushed through and then had him turn around
and resign before his term was up. Both were embarrassing for Frau Merkel. This
time without any warning the Chancellor’s coalition partner, the Free Democrats
(FDP), announced their support for Gauck so she couldn’t turn her back on him. The
FDP move angered many in the CDU but there was little they could do without
bringing down the government, something Chancellor Merkel certainly did not want
to have happen. Acceptance of Gauck became the better part of valor.
On the other hand, some say that since both Merkel and Gauck were East Germans
closely connected to the Protestant Church (He is a Minister and Merkel’s father was
also a pastor) and some of the positions he has taken in recent years are quite
conservative, she will, in the final analysis, be quite happy with him.
No matter what, Germany has a new President, one very different from the last two.
Spiegel-On Line notes, “Joachim Gauck could help repair the damage that Christian
Wulff did to the German presidency. The country's next head of state is a modest
man, but also a fearless democrat, and is unlikely to shy away from controversy.
The former East German civil rights activist is known to speak his mind. And he
fights for what he believes in.
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3. Gauck believes that democracy is a gift to humanity. It's a recognition that he
attributes to his past living under a dictatorship. It's a secular message that the
pastor has been repeating for years as a sort of traveling preacher of democratic
values.
Gauck is no stranger to party politics. He got a crash course in that world while
working as the first federal commissioner for the Stasi Archives after German
reunification. The task of investigating Stasi crimes was a personal one for Gauck,
whose own father was arrested by the East German secret police when he was a
child. The post, which he held for ten years, earned him the nickname "Stasi Hunter"
and sealed his reputation as a tireless pro-democracy advocate.
Gauck's aloofness from politics is one of the biggest reasons why he is so popular in
Germany. When Gauck talks about democracy, he sounds almost noble, exuding
none of the political pragmatism of leaders like Merkel of the conservative Christian
Democrats, Sigmar Gabriel of the center-left Social Democrats (SPD) or other party
bosses.
From Gauck's new perch at Bellevue Palace, the president's office, he is likely to
take the entire political class to task: The CDU, when they ignore citizens in their
implementation of policies. The FDP, when they put market interests before people
yet again. The SPD, when they exaggerate their bank bashing. The Greens, when
they get a little too self-righteous.
There is no doubt that the President-to-be is a man of integrity and strength. He has
met with AJC groups over the years and according to AJC’s Berlin director Deidre
Berger he has visited the AJC Office. However, as far as I can tell, he has not been
vocal on the issues closest to the hearts and minds of the Jewish community. His
main concern, perhaps to be understood because of his long battle against the East
German government, is anti- communism.
One troubling connection (to some) that Gauck had was with “The Prague
Declaration on European Conscience and Communism” (also known as the Prague
Declaration), of which he was a co-founder and was signed on 3 June 2008. It is a
declaration initiated by the Czech government and signed by prominent European
politicians, former political prisoners and historians, including past signatories of
Charter 77 such as Václav Havel. According to Wikipedia, “Central to the
declaration is the call for an "all-European understanding that both the Nazi and
Communist totalitarian regimes [...] should be considered to be the main disasters,
which blighted the 20th century.
Some of the international Jewish leadership felt that the Declaration equated Nazism
and Communism and thereby lessened the importance of the Holocaust. Needless
to say, both Communism and Nazism caused great suffering for the Jewish people
but anything that diminishes the unique quality of the horror of the Holocaust is a
diminishment of it. The relativization of the Holocaust is something that always
raises Jewish concerns.
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4. Perhaps the new president already has the proper appreciation of the intricacies of
anti-Semitism and Israel-criticism. Maybe it is there and we just have not heard it as
yet. Time will tell. However, I have been told by one of my informants that Gauck has
already talked to both the Chairman and Secy. General of the Central Council of
Jews in Germany (Zentralrat) and that is very encouraging news.
In the meantime, Germany has a president of outstanding personal qualities and the
vast backing of Germany’s citizens. He has the makings of a great president. We
certainly wish him well.
If you want to read a detailed history of the man, click here.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joachim_Gauck
GERMANY & ISRAEL: CLOSER OR FURTHER APART?
Recently the Heinrich Böll Foundation, the political foundation closely connected to
Germany’s Green Party held a conference on what Germans have in common with
Israel and what sets them apart.
DW reporting on the conference in an article by Bettina Marx quoted Nitzan
Horowitz, a Meretz Party member of the Knesset as saying, "I think today, Germany
is an anchor of democracy," Not just in Europe, but in the whole world." Germany,
he says, is a strong, democratic and stable state that sets a good example for other
countries. Horowitz points out that younger people in both countries look ahead to
the future, rather than back at the past.
The new generation has cultivated a lively exchange on the political, economic,
scientific and cultural level, he says, in addition to countless private friendships
between Israelis and Germans that have led to a stronger understanding between
the two nations.
But Michael Wolffsohn, a German-Israeli historian, doesn't share Horowitz's point of
view.
"There is no friendship between Germany and Israel," he said in a recent interview.
Wolffsohn says opinion polls show the gap between the countries has increased
since 1981, when a fierce controversy between then-leaders Menachem Begin and
Helmut Schmidt concerning planned German arms sales to Saudi Arabia led to a
profound break in relations. He says Israel had an exceptionally good reputation in
Germany following the 1967 Six-Day War, only tarnished slightly by the Yom Kippur
War in 1973.
Today, Wolffsohn says Israel ranks as one of the most unpopular states in the world
in the eyes of the German public.
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5. Wolffsohn and Horowitz presented their differing views at a recent conference at
Berlin's Heinrich-Böll Foundation, where Germans and Israelis discussed what the
countries have in common and what sets them apart.
"What ties us together is the Shoah," said Shimon Stein, the former Israeli
ambassador to Germany. He says the Shoah, the extermination of Europe's Jews
by Nazi Germany, will overshadow relations between the two countries for a long
time.
Thanks in part to this historic connection, German leaders have time and again
reaffirmed their commitment to Israel's security and right to exist.
But what does this mean, exactly? Would Germany, for example, back Israel if the
Israeli army attacked Iran in an attempt to stop the country from developing its
nuclear program? The former ambassador was never able to get a clear answer to
this question.
Gadi Algazi, a historian who lives in Tel Aviv, would rather not see Germany on the
side of Israel in any potential attack on Iran. A military strike against Iran's nuclear
program would be devastating, he says, adding that Germany should never support
such a political solution.
In his opinion, Israel's best friends are those young activists who demonstrate
alongside Palestinians and Israelis against the occupation in the West Bank.
"One could sum up what we ask of Israel: an end to its colonization politics," he said.
"As long as Israel's settlement policy continues, we will not have peace in the Middle
East. This is the heart of our tragedy. For that reason, I would call for economic and
political pressure on Israel until it agrees to completely stop its colonization."
Naomi Chazan, a political scientist and a former member of the Knesset, shares his
opinion. "What ties us together is not the past, but the future," she said, adding that
the Germans have become accustomed to letting history define their relationship
with Israel.
But Chazan thinks the common values shared by the two countries are more
important than the historical burden, and she thinks friends of Israel should support
Israeli society in its struggle for democracy, human rights, the rule of law and social
justice.
Chazan says without democracy, Israel has no livelihood and no future. As
president of the NGO New Israel Fund, she is committed to a pluralistic and
egalitarian society in her country, and as a result has been the target of furious
attacks from the political right.
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6. Even Carlo Strenger, a Swiss psychoanalyst and author, has come under fire for his
criticism of Israeli politics. But, he said in an interview with DW, this has not
prevented him from continuing to publish his views.
Strenger expects the same from German supporters of Israel. Criticism of Israeli
politics is allowed, he says, and tolerated because of the close relationship between
the two countries.
He understands that, due to the shared history, it may be difficult for German
politicians to criticize Israel. In this respect, he admires German Chancellor Angela
Merkel: while she does not attempt to hide Germany's past, neither does she shrink
from legitimate criticism.
I credit the Böll Foundation with having speakers from all sides of the issue. I was
particularly interested in the fact that the people most critical of Israeli government
policy were Gadi Algazi and Naomi Chazan, Israelis themselves. In German left
wing circles that view of matters is quite common as it is universally on the left
throughout the world.
Of course, everyone is entitled to his/her own opinion. However, I am usually struck
by the fact that people who come down hard on Israeli policy usually say little about
the responsibilities those on the other side have but, in my opinion, shoulder them
very poorly.
In any case, I found the discussion above interesting but, unhappily, very little in the
way of common ground was reached. Perhaps the most interesting factor was that
much of the conversation revolved around the Middle East and not the Israel -
Germany situation itself. I don’t discount the importance of the Middle East but
surely Germany and Israel share more than just that one question.
NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY (NPD): A GENUINE THREAT?
THE NPD, Germany’s neo-Nazi Party adheres very closely to all the legal rules in
order to keep it from being banned and closed down. It is relatively small without any
representatives in the Bundestag. So is it a real threat?
Der Spiegel, one of Germany’s leading magazines, thinks so. They have devoted
three long pieces on succeeding issues to the question of the NPD and its possible
banning. It is not possible for me to mention more than the questions the articles
raise. In order to get the whole story and its importance you will find links to the three
full articles below. I hope you will read them.
In their first story Der Spiegel opened by noting, “The leaders of Germany's far-right
NPD seek to project the party as mainstream and reasonable. In truth, however, the
party is a melting pot for racists, Hitler worshippers and enemies of democracy.
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7. There are plenty of reasons to ban the party. But would it make the NPD more
dangerous than ever?
(In) the northeastern state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (Ed: Note – in the
former East Germany), (the) … NPD's office there is on an arterial road in the town
of Grevesmühlen. The local branch of the party has its headquarters on a
commercial strip occupied by the likes of the local construction yard, a carpet store
and a Mercedes dealership. The black, white and red flag of the German Reich
flying above the property identifies the NPD office, which is surrounded by a 2-meter
(6.5-foot) fence topped with barbed wire. Behind the fence is a watchtower,
complete with floodlights, next to a building with bars on the windows.
The Germanic Elhaz rune, the symbol of the Third Reich's "Lebensborn" program,
which supported the production of racially pure Aryan children, hangs above the
entrance.
The interior ministers of Germany's federal and state governments are in the
process of re-examining whether they can -- and should -- ban the NPD. Since
authorities uncovered the Zwickau terrorist cell and its supporters, who were
apparently organized in a group calling itself the "National Socialist Underground"
(NSU), the ministers have been asking themselves the kinds of questions that are
critical to a possible attempt to ban the party. How much potential for violence does
the NPD hold? Does it intend to violently abolish the democratic system? Can it be
proved to be similar in nature to National Socialism? And, perhaps most importantly,
would the party be more dangerous if it were banned?
The answers to these questions depends on the statements made by the NPD and
how they are interpreted, as well as the actions of the NPD and how much weight
they are given. In other words, the answers ultimately depend on the details.
First, however, a fundamental principle needs to be considered, namely, that a party
should not be banned merely because it is deeply critical of the prevailing form of
government. This is the historic lesson Germany learned from the years of the Nazi
reign of terror, when Hitler united society under the swastika and had parties like the
Communist Party and the Social Democratic Party banned.
The German constitution's response to this despotism is a guaranteed tolerance,
which also applies in the political combat zone. Bans should be democracy's last
line of defense, nothing less and nothing more. In the case of a political party,
another determining factor in considering a ban is whether the party can be accused
of having an "actively combative, aggressive posture against the prevailing system."
Paradoxically, the NPD's neo-Nazis are now the main beneficiaries of this anti-Nazi
clause in the German constitution. That's why the process of examining a possible
ban raises questions that extend beyond the current discussion, such as: How much
freedom against the enemies of freedom can a democracy afford, and how much
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8. does it want to afford?
I think you get the drift of the questions. To truly understand them and the problems
they pose, please read articles with links below. They will give you chills.
Article 1 http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,815242,00.html
Article 2 http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,815787-2,00.html
Article 3 http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,815787-3,00.html
A TRIBUTE TO NEO-NAZI VICTIMS
DW reported, “Three months after investigators uncovered a neo-Nazi cell that
murdered 10 people, Germany is commemorating the victims of far-right extremists
with a memorial service in Berlin and a nationwide moment of silence.
Chancellor Angela Merkel addressed the Berlin memorial service attended by
around 1,200 people, including relatives of the 10 thought to have been killed by a
neo-Nazi cell that targeted immigrants.
Merkel said the murders were a scandal for Germany. "We will do everything to
solve the murders and to bring the perpetrators to justice," she promised. She also
asked for forgiveness from the families of the victims.
"No one can erase the mourning and the loneliness," she said, referring to the years
it took for police to make any headway in solving the murders as well as the cases in
which relatives were themselves suspects. "We can all show you today, that you are
no longer alone with your sadness. We feel with you, we mourn with you."
The ceremony was intended to be a show of resolve in the fight against far-right
extremism.
Trade unions and employers called for a moment of silence to be observed at noon
around the country to commemorate victims of neo-Nazi attacks.
Religious leaders demanded action ahead of the memorial service.
It "must be more than a sign of solidarity and sympathy," the president of the Central
Council of Jews, Dieter Graumann, told the daily Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung, adding
that concrete steps must follow.
It is important that one condemns racism, but that is not enough," the head of the
Turkish Community in Germany, Kenan Kolat, said, criticizing what he said was the
absence of a clear government strategy against racism within society.
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9. The focus of the Berlin memorial service was meant to be the presumed victims of
the far-right National Socialist Underground (NSU).
The neo-Nazi cell was discovered in November, when two of the members were
found dead in an apparent suicide pact. A third member turned herself in, but is
refusing to cooperate with police.
The NSU is believed to have carried out a series of murders across the country that
left eight Turkish-German businesspeople, a Greek man and a police officer dead.
How the German police and internal intelligence authorities allowed this gang of
neo-Nazi murderers to operate untouched for 7 years is unbelievable. The
uncovering of the murders has led Germany to do a lot of soul searching. The fact
that the Chancellor and a number of Ministers participated in the memorial event
points up the seriousness of the matter and indicates the deep wound it has left.
Will the Chancellor and the government do more to see that there will be no more
crimes like the ones already committed? Will the neo-Nazis be more forcefully dealt
with? Well, as the time honored saying goes, “The proof of the pudding is in the
eating thereof”'. Time will tell.
Read a further story by clicking here.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,817388,00.html
DRESDEN: NAZIS & ANTI-NAZIS
Since I’m on the subject of neo-Nazis…
The citizens of Dresden do not look forward to February 13th. First of all, on that date
in 1945 two waves of Allied bombers leveled three quarters of the city and created a
firestorm which killed 20,000 people.
According to DW-World, “Since 1946, Dresden's churches have rung their bells
every February 13 in remembrance of the many who died during the firebombing. In
1998, far-right and neo-Nazi groups staged demonstrations on the anniversary of
the city's destruction to deny German war guilt and the Holocaust. What started with
less than 100 participants grew into mass demonstrations with some 6,500 neo-
Nazis taking part in the 2011 protest that was billed as a "funeral march." This year,
some 1,600 neo-Nazis showed up, less than the number organizers had expected.
Police cordoned off the extremists from a counter-demonstration, whose participants
were close enough to be heard and seen chanting "Out with Nazis."
That’s the bad news.
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10. Now the good news. Earlier in the day, though, 13,000 people answered the call of
an alliance of politicians, unions and religious groups to join in a human chain to
celebrate "courage, respect and tolerance" in the city.
Now the not so good news. Police forcibly removed the protesters to allow the far-
right groups, including skinheads and neo-Nazis, access to the city. From the state's
point of view, the sit-ins represented criminal obstruction of an officially authorized
demonstration.
Now the expected reaction . The head of the Central Council of Jews in Germany,
Stephan Kramer, expressed his approval of the sit-ins and called the authorities'
actions last year in Dresden a "reversal of justice." The head of the Central Council
of Muslims in Germany, Aiman Mazyek, also lent support to the "Nazi-free Dresden"
movement.
Germany's Christian churches issued a joint statement appealing to people to
protest the far-right marches. Church leaders said the discovery of the National
Socialist Underground terrorist cell and the murders it was allegedly involved in
made it "especially important this year for many people from outside the city to take
a clear position against right-wing terrorism and misanthropic attitudes."
Police called on all groups from across the political spectrum to respect the public's
right to free assembly. Nearly 6,000 police were on hand to maintain order.
No matter whom you are in Dresden, Feb. 13th is not a happy day. However, two
positive statistics in the story jump out. First, of course, 13,000 people showed up to
demonstrate against to Nazis. That’s a lot of people – especially on a Monday in the
freezing cold weather! That’s more of a turnout that my NY Mets will get at most of
their games this year.
The second statistic has to do with the number of police – 6,000! The Dresden
authorities are very smart. The thing that Nazis hope for is for some of the counter
demonstrators to attack them. The publicity energizes their base appreciably. 6,000
cops stopped them from getting what they wanted most. Sometimes I love cops!
HOLOCAUST EDUCATION: MORE BAD THAN GOOD?
During my 2 ½ years living in Germany I frequently came across young people who
had experienced Holocaust education but did not seem to be affected by it. I found a
“What has that got to do with me” attitude. In fact, the feeling expressed in many
ways was something like, “I didn’t do anything, my parents didn’t do anything, maybe
my grandfather who I didn’t know did something – but what has it all got to do with
me?” I found it upsetting and frustrating but really didn’t know what to do, if anything,
about it.
10

11. Recently an important article appeared in The Forward by Dan Fleshler, a strategic
communications and public affairs consultant based in New York City who has
represented clients dealing with Holocaust education and remembrance. The piece
is entitled, “Does Education Fuel Anti-Semitism?” which explains the problem better
than I ever could and spells out some remedies that might help.
A new study on anti-Semitism, commissioned by the German Parliament, came to
the distressing, widely publicized conclusion that 20% of Germans are “latent” anti-
Semites. But buried deep in the report is an assertion that might be even more
troubling: Holocaust education is inadvertently fueling German anti-Semitism,
making it worse.
The study concluded that “anti-Semitic stereotypes might be conveyed by the one-
sided presentations of Jews as victims in [curriculum] plans and… books.’’ It noted
that education about the Nazis often imposes “exaggerated moral expectations” on
students, who respond with an anti-Semitism that is typified by “guilt denial.” In other
words, explained Wolfgang Battermann, an educator from the town of Petershagen,
“they feel accused of acts they had nothing to do with. Some hate the Jews for
putting them in this situation.” And accounts of Nazi propaganda, if not presented
carefully, can end up perpetuating vile stereotypes, especially in an era where half-
truths and lies about Jews are readily available online.
Those trying to educate Germans about the Nazis must also contend with the well-
documented and long- standing problem of “Holocaust fatigue”: Sixty-seven percent
of Germans surveyed by researchers from Bielefeld University in 2008 found it
“annoying that Germans are still held responsible for crimes against the Jews.”
No people has done more than the Germans to squelch far-right extremism and
battle racism. Their government deserves praise for studying and publicly
acknowledging a problem that is hardly limited to Germany. But surely Germans
have a special obligation to teach their children about the Nazis and learn lessons
from the Shoah without creating more hatred of Jews. Spend time with German
educators dealing with the Holocaust, as I have, and you’ll realize how fiendishly
complex this challenge is.
Focusing on the Nazi era in Germany can make different ingredients in a pre-
existing stew of anti-Semitism even more toxic. Exaggerated notions of Jewish
power can prompt Germans to blame Jews for unwelcome messages about the
Shoah
One key problem is that too often in German schools and media, Jews become stick
figures, caricatures of either passive victims or — because of absurdly one-sided
depictions of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict — vicious victimizers. As Deidre Berger,
director of the American Jewish Committee’s Berlin office puts it, “Most young
Germans are able to understand what the Holocaust was, but not who it happened
to.” In most German schools, “there is very little talk about Judaism, Jewish culture
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12. and history. Jews only appear in textbooks dealing with the Crusades and with the
Holocaust.”
Battermann provides one solution to this problem. He led efforts to restore the
deserted, damaged local synagogue and Jewish school and transform them into an
“Information and Documentation Center” on the town’s vanished Jewish community.
Battermann works to ensure that the Jews are given back their rightful place in local
history.
“Of course they need to know about Dachau and the Kristallnacht,” Battermann said.
The problem is that, especially for “young people, teenagers, the atrocities are hard
to imagine, they seem unreal.
Along the same lines, the AJC created a high school curriculum that teaches Jewish
culture and rituals and also deals with the Nazis’ crimes. Even the thorny problem of
anti-Semitism in Germany’s mostly Muslim immigrant communities can be reduced
at least a bit with this approach.
Obviously, the problem of educating young Germans and reducing anti-Semitism in
the Federal Republic is not an easy one to deal with. However, if nothing else,
Fleshler has raised an important question about how effective what is being done
presently. Obviously, just pouring on more of an educational brew that doesn’t work
is not the answer. AJC and others are trying new approaches which are at least
thoughtful. If there are, indeed, answers the responsibility for seeking them resides
with the German education establishment which is large and very slow moving. A
little “utzing” from the Jewish community won’t hurt.
There is more to the article which can be read in its entirety by clicking here.
http://forward.com/articles/151531/?
utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Weekly%2520%252B
%2520Daily&utm_campaign=Weekly_Newsletter_Friday%25202012-02-18
CORRECTIONS
In the last edition I wrote briefly about Evan Kaufmann, “a nice Jewish boy from
Michigan whose great grand parents perished in the Holocaust has become a
member of the German National Hockey Team.” An old pal and noted Minneapolis
publisher, Harry Lerner, wrote to me pointing out that Kaufmann was not from
Michigan but from Minnesota. Not only that, but Kaufmann’s parents live next door to
him. Oy! What a mistake. Sorry Harry! My apologies!
In my Special Edition on President Wulff’s resignation I noted that Chancellor Merkel
“does not have the votes in the Federal Convention to get her own candidate
elected”. Technically that is incorrect. DW reported, “The coalition parties - the CDU,
its Bavarian sister party CSU and the Free Democrats (FDP) - have a majority of
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13. around four seats in the Federal Convention. However, in real world terms my
informant was absolutely right. Four seats out of 1244 could certainly not insure the
election of the Chancellor’s candidate without votes from the opposition parties.
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See you again in March
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