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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, JUNE 22, 1984
Euro-elections
While we were in Vienna, Austria,
voters in
the
ten
nations of the European
Community went to the polls to elect representatives to the European Par
liament.
(Austria, of course, being
a
neutral country outside the E.C.,
did not participate.)
The greatest impact of the so-called "Euro-elec
tions" was that they served as a barometer of voter support or displeasure
on national, rather than European, issues within each country.
In Britain, for example, there appears to be a growing feeling that the
average working person in Britain is feeling the pinch of Prime Minister
Margaret Thatcher's economic reforms, which have resulted in hikes in basic
services. This negative mood was translated into a loss of 15 conservative
party seats to the opposition Labor Party--even though this in no way re
flects the balance of power in Westminster. But it could indicate a trend.
In France, disaffection with the rule of Socialist President Francois Mit
terrand was reflected in a solid victory for the Conservative slate of can
didates who pulled 41% as opposed to 30% for the Socialists. A far-rightist
group advocating the expulsion of France's two million immigrants and
"guest workers" also pulled a surprisingly strong response.
In Italy, the sudden death of popular Communist Party chief Enrico Berlin
guer resulted in a swelling of sympathetic support for the Communist Party,
which, for the first time in Italian political history, outpolled the
Christian Democrats (33.3% to 32.9%).
Perhaps the biggest setback was felt by the government of West Germany. In
its own Euro-election round, the Free Democratic Party, a small coalition
aroup allied with the Christian Democrats in the Bundestag, failed to clear
the five percent vote required for further European Parliament represen
tation.
Instead, their seats, and more, were grabbed by the anti-war,
radical environmentalist "Greens," who got a comfortable 8.2% of the vote.
Writing from Bonn, Los Angeles TIMES reporter Tyler Marshall analyzed the
outcome as follows:
Although the importance of European Parliament representation is
symbolic rather than substantive, the Free Democrats' dismal
showing is both a psychological blow and a clear indication of
just how much support the party has lost since scrapping its
coalition agreement with the Social Democratic Party of then
Chancellor Helmut Schmidt in September, 1982.
The following
month, a Christian Democratic-Free Democratic coalition won gen
eral elections.
The Free Democrats' humiliation at losing their four seats in the
European Parliament and at falling below the Greens is expected
to deepen concern within the Kohl Cabinet and add to criticism of
[FDP party leader and government Foreign
Minister]
Genscher....
Genscher announced last month that he will not seek reelection as
party leader when his term expires in 1986. If he is forced to
resign his party chairmanship earlier than that, he would almost
certainly have to give up his Cabinet post••.. The party's only
other prominent figure, Economics Minister Otto Lambsdorff, has