Germany: Grand Coalition, Emergency Laws and APO
The changing political landscape within West Germany also had an affect on the student movement. Until this point the conservative parties CDU/CSU (who always work together in a partnership) were governing alone or in a coalition with the liberal party FDP. Yet in 1966 there was a coalition between the two largest parties, the CDU/CSU and the social democratic party SPD. This "Große Koalition", 'grand coalition', was a significant change for the political landscape. Suddenly the whole opposition was represented by the relatively small FDP. Plans by the Große Koalition to change the rules about voting further alarmed many people who didn't think the FDP was strong enough as an opposition or who didn't feel properly represented by it. Many young people also felt disappointed by the only large left party SPD following controversial and relatively conservative politics.
A new protest movement was created called "Außerparlamentarische Opposition" (also called "APO") which means opposition outside of the parliament. They wanted to work in public to protest against the plans of the Große Koalition.
The APO became a voice of the student movement and often both of them were synonymous. Many of their demands were the same as the ones of the student movement, such as the democratization of universities and the effort to resolve the Nazi past of the german society.
In 1968 a law called "Notstandgesetze" was being created. The law was supposed to give the government additional rights in the case of an emergency (like natural disasters, war or uprisings) to be able to act accordingly.
This lead to a huge outcry in the Western German public. Many people felt reminded of similar laws of the Weimar Republic which had been abused to bring antidemocrats in power. People saw democracy being threatened.
In the eyes of the government this law was necessary both to prepare for a crisis and to gain more control over the Western German state. The three Western Allies USA, GB and France had declared that they would return additional rights (called "Vorbehaltsrecht") over the Western German state if this law was being installed. One reason for them wanting this law was that they wished their soldiers on Western German territory to be safe in a case of emergency.
Nevertheless large parts of the Western German society protested against this law. There were demonstrations all over the country. Eventually the law was being installed in June 28 1968 yet not without some compromises. Among other points there was a "right to resist" being included that would give citizens the formal right to fight against the state if the state would abuse this law and if there was no other way to oppose this.
The changing political landscape within West Germany also had an affect on the student movement. Until this point the conservative parties CDU/CSU (who always work together in a partnership) were governing alone or in a coalition with the liberal party FDP. Yet in 1966 there was a coalition between the two largest parties, the CDU/CSU and the social democratic party SPD. This "Große Koalition", 'grand coalition', was a significant change for the political landscape. Suddenly the whole opposition was represented by the relatively small FDP. Plans by the Große Koalition to change the rules about voting further alarmed many people who didn't think the FDP was strong enough as an opposition or who didn't feel properly represented by it. Many young people also felt disappointed by the only large left party SPD following controversial and relatively conservative politics.
A new protest movement was created called "Außerparlamentarische Opposition" (also called "APO") which means opposition outside of the parliament. They wanted to work in public to protest against the plans of the Große Koalition.
The APO became a voice of the student movement and often both of them were synonymous. Many of their demands were the same as the ones of the student movement, such as the democratization of universities and the effort to resolve the Nazi past of the german society.
In 1968 a law called "Notstandgesetze" was being created. The law was supposed to give the government additional rights in the case of an emergency (like natural disasters, war or uprisings) to be able to act accordingly.
This lead to a huge outcry in the Western German public. Many people felt reminded of similar laws of the Weimar Republic which had been abused to bring antidemocrats in power. People saw democracy being threatened.
In the eyes of the government this law was necessary both to prepare for a crisis and to gain more control over the Western German state. The three Western Allies USA, GB and France had declared that they would return additional rights (called "Vorbehaltsrecht") over the Western German state if this law was being installed. One reason for them wanting this law was that they wished their soldiers on Western German territory to be safe in a case of emergency.
Nevertheless large parts of the Western German society protested against this law. There were demonstrations all over the country. Eventually the law was being installed in June 28 1968 yet not without some compromises. Among other points there was a "right to resist" being included that would give citizens the formal right to fight against the state if the state would abuse this law and if there was no other way to oppose this.
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