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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, MAY 15, 1981
Page 13
dictatorships." They might not continue to support London and Washington
with U.N. veto power in explosive issues affecting southern Africa.
Yet, Mitterrand is known to be more of a friend of Israel {and a supporter
of the Camp David accords) than Giscard. Prime Minister Begin was almost
overjoyed at Mitterrand's victory.
The big question mark is how reliable France would be as a Western Alliance
partner with Communist Party members in the cabinet, should that occur.
The United States has shared considerable information with Paris on sen
sitive nuclear weapons strategy. Could this continue?
One area of the socialists' "110 propositions for France," if approved how
ever, could be of great significance for God's Work. The socialists, in
what on the surface appears to be very unsocialistic practice, propose to
free radio and television from direct government control. Private radio
stations, now illegal, would be allowed as in other countries.
Thus
Christ's Gospel message to the modern-day descendants of Reuben could be
enhanced!
Through various other measures (not all of them good, such as easier
abortion laws) a socialist France will be even more of a secular society,
less tied to Roman Catholic influence.
Schmidt's Twin Blows
On the same Sunday, West German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt suffered two
defeats. The first loss was the demise of his political ally, Giscard. The
two leaders enjoyed a particularly close partnership. Together they had
set the political tone for much of Western Europe. It is unlikely that
Schmidt will have anywhere near this type of working relationship with
Mitterrand.
Secondly, Schmidt's
defeat in municipal
an SPD stronghold,
Chancellor's office.
Social Democratic Party was dealt a stinging electoral
elections in West Berlin. For decades Berlin had been
at one time propelling mayor Willy Brandt into the
In the May 10 elections, all this changed. The SPD tumbled by four per
centage points to less than 39% of the vote. The conservative Christian
Democrats Union (CDU) won nearly 48%.
The final outcome of the election is still uncertain.
The CDU needs
coalition help in order to govern. It certainly won't find help from the
radical left "Alternative List"--a curious mixed bag of Marxists, Maoists,
down-with-everything anarchists and environmentalists--which showed sur
prising strength (nine seats and 7.2% of the vote.)
The CDU will instead make overtures to the liberal Free Democratic Party
(FOP) in an attempt to pry them away from their previous alliance with the
SPD. Such a prospect has nationwide implications. If the Free Democrats
should now swing to the side of the Christian Democrats in Berlin, the move
could encourage some disgruntled Free Democrats who have been wanting to
split from the SPD and link up with the CDU at the federal level. Many FOP
members are increasingly dissatisfied with the growing strength of radical
leftists within the SPD.