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Germany, and that in both these
wars, America's entry sealed Ger–
many's defeat, the two countries,
he says, should logically be "eter–
na! enemies." But the opposite
situatíon has prevailed: an "aston–
ishing !ove affair" he calls it.
How much longer will thís
"!ove affai r" last?
Franz Josef Strauss Not
Flnlshed
And what of tbe future of Franz
Josef Strauss? Right now, it's
bleak, a development the Bavar–
ian has faced numerous times in
his long up-and-down career. Un–
d e r
normal
conditions, Mr.
Strauss stands little c hance of
becoming the CDU
¡esu
stan–
dard bearer four years hence. The
bigger CDU faction is not in–
cli ned to g ive him another
chance- unless there should be a
sudden colla pse of the ruling
coali tion.
More likely, however, Mr.
Strauss, as Bavaria's minister–
president (governor), will contin–
ue to speak out against policies
from within the Bundesrat,
Bo nn 's upper chamber . ln–
creased world turmoil is certain–
ly in his favor. Mr. Strauss will
repeatedly warn, as he did con–
tinually during the campaign,
that the left-lurching Social ists
are cutting Germany's mooríngs
from the West and from Amer–
ica in particular.
Mr. Strauss has stressed over
and agaín that detente, and par–
ticularly Bonn's
Ostpolitik.
or
eastern policy, pushed through
by former SPD Chancellor Wil–
ly Brandt, has íts limi ts. He was
proveo correct a few days after
his defeat when Communist East
Germany abruptly doubled the
cost for West Germans visiting
relatives and friends in the East.
The East German regime, under
pressure from Moscow, wants to
limit Western contacts, in order
lo prevent "another Poland ."
The incident s howed how
fragile
Ostpolitik
really is.
A Man for "Stormy Times"
In 1980, with relative prosperity
still to be enjoyed, West German
voters didn't feel Mr. Strauss had
44
a strong enough argument. But
this perception could change
drasticaJly, especially if Russia
grabs a stranglehold on Persian
Gulf oil and ends up holding
Germany and the West at ran–
som, demanding that NATO be
dismembered , forcing the Ameri–
cans-Germany's defenders-to
leave Europe.
Finally feeli ng the chilling em–
brace of Moscow, the German
people may yet cal! for the Bavar–
ian strongman- the one they
feared in good times- to rescue
them from their impending
doom.
Otto von Hapsburg, eldest son
of the Jast Austro-Hungarian em–
peror, and one of West Germa–
ny's representatives in the Euro–
pean parliament, knows Mr.
Strauss quite well. In a recent
oewspaper column entit led "Why
Europe Needs West Germany's
Franz Josef Strauss," von Haps–
burg relates Strauss's impressive
credentials for leadership-"a
true democrat, a profoundly reli–
gious man, with a deep sense of
Gu·
his responsibilities as a pol itical
leader." And bis record in sup–
port of the concept of the political
unification of Europe goes back
33 years.
Then Dr. von Hapsburg draws
an interesting his torical paral–
lel:
" Having frequently met both
Sir Win ston Churchill and
Franz Josef Strauss,
I
find many
similarities between tbem. They
had or have a
broad vision
and
the courage to say what they
believe, even thougb it may
seem inconvenient.
They are
strong persona/ities, best
fit
for
stormy times."
The 1980s give indication of
being one of the stormiest de–
cades in human history. Germa–
ny- and Europe-has very likely
not seen the last of Franz Josef
Strauss.
o
The author spent a period of time
in West Germany before the
October 5, 1980, national parl ia–
mentary elections a nd was in
Bonn on election day.
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