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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, OCTOBER 22, 1982
PAGE 6
social policy.
"To strengthen the financial foundation of our 'social
net,' [similar to Mr. Reagan's "safety net"] we must ask our citizens to
make sacrifices," he said. Not exactly supply-side economics, but then
West Germany's commitment to the welfare state is much deeper in time than
America's. In fact, the German concept of social welfare goes back to the
"Iron Chancellor," Bismarck.
Herr Kohl's Dilemma, Herr Strauss' Caution
Commenting about Chancellor Kohl's chances for success, especially on the
economically-depressed home front, London's FINANCIAL TIMES observed, in
its October 15, 1982 edition:
All this still needs fleshing out and, above all, time. Dr. Kohl
himself admits that it will take years to get an exploding budget
deficit under control. The interesting question is whether that
time will be granted to him and to his coalition of Christian
Democrats (in close alliance with Herr Franz Josef Strauss
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Christian Social Union in Bavaria) and the Free Democrats.
Thus Herr Kohl is in a race against time, much as is President Reagan. It
takes ti�e to turn a wayward economy around, but impatient voters, espe
cially those holding "pink slips" (redundancy notices) are hardly in a mood
to view events from a long-term perspective. They may be in an angry frame
of mind come March 6, 1983, the date tentatively set for the next federal
elections.
For this reason, if none other, Bavaria's Franz Josef Strauss declined to
take either the finance or economics cabinet posts.
(No one else from
Strauss' Christian Social Union has accepted those cabinet posts either.)
Why be blamed for something over which one has no control? Instead Herr
Strauss is "sitting this cabinet out." But to make his influence felt, he
engineered for his top lieutenant of 35 years, Friedrich Zimmermann, to be
appointed as Interior Minister, the number two cabinet post, next in
importance to that of Foreign Minister.
Strauss: Content for Now to Be the Power-behind-the-throne
After the Bavarian state elections of October 10, Strauss and his CSU are
once again, as always, firmly in control of "Freistaat Bayern"--the Free
State of Bavaria. The "turncoat" FDP was trounced, failing to gain legis
lative representation. Even the "Greens" couldn't clear the five percent
hurdle as they have in six other lander (states).
The FRANKFURTER
RUNDSCHAU, on October 11, observed that for the CSU its victory must be seen
as a confirmation of Strauss' warning of the folly of an alliance with the
"Genscher troop." The NEUE RUHR ZEITUNG of the same date commented that the
most important effect on Bonn will be Strauss' increased political clout
within the Union (the CDU/CSU):
The confirmation by the voters [in Bavaria] is a confirmation of
Strauss' concept regarding Bonn's course...• One can expect that
even more than before, Strauss will influence the course of
events. Chancellor Kohl should prepare himself.
Once bitter rivals for control of the combined CDU/CSU destiny, Kohl and
Strauss have settled into an "understanding" relationship. The ECONOMIST