West German federal election, 1969

• CDU / CSU: 250
• SPD: 237
• FDP: 31

The 1969 federal election was held on 28 September 1969. The election of the 6th German Bundestag marked a decisive turning with it, because for the first time in its 20-year history of the Federal Republic of Germany presented the Union parties after a general election no longer the Chancellor, although since 1949 presented the strongest faction again and uninterrupted.

Background

This was preceded by a 1966 change in chancellors in the current legislature. Chancellor Ludwig Erhard had resigned on 30 November 1966 after the coalition of CDU / CSU and FDP was broken on questions of economic policy. His successor, the previous Minister President of Baden -Württemberg, Kurt Georg Kiesinger was chosen, which has a grand coalition of CDU / CSU and SPD was formed (Cabinet Kiesinger ). German Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor was the former mayor of Berlin Willy Brandt. The appointment to the federal government was decisive for Willy Brandt, but to compete again against a declared after the 1965 Bundestag elections waiver of a renewed candidacy for chancellor.

Brandt therefore not occurred, at the third time as chancellor candidate of the SPD, Kiesinger for the CDU / CSU for the first time.

For the second time after 1949 the government forming parties were given at an election less than half of the votes cast. SPD and FDP received the majority of seats in the Bundestag, because the NPD 4.3% failed at the five-percent hurdle.

During the night agreed Brandt and FDP leader Walter Scheel recording of coalition negotiations.

It was the last federal election at the voting age for the right to vote even at 21 years, and was on the stand for election even at 25 years.

Official final result

¹ in brackets: number of representatives elected on the same day by the Berlin House of Representatives, non-voting members of the Bundestag in Berlin

Results in the provinces

Consequences

On October 21, 1969, Willy Brandt was elected by a narrow majority of the social-liberal coalition as Chancellor. Thus he was the first Social Democratic Chancellor of the Federal Republic. The formation of a government, the election day to Kabinettsvereidigung on 22 October, took a total of only 24 days - much shorter than in all previous elections. The social-liberal coalition persisted until 1982.

The FDP fell by the abandonment of the Union in violent infighting. Part of the FDP organized in the National - Liberal action and later in the German Union. A number of the FDP parliamentary deputies to Siegfried Zoglmann left the party and joined the opposition.

The NPD was their series of electoral successes they had achieved during the time of the grand coalition, no longer continue and failed sämtlichst in the held state elections in 1970, at the five percent hurdle. She's never since recovered in a West German Parliament.