Issue 4, 1999   

 

Mission impossible. Ein Jahr Rot-Grün
Abstracts (english)

Warnfried Dettling: Renewing and preserving. Considerations about the government’s ideological profile, FJ NSB 4/99, S. 5-9

The author presents an balanced review of the first year in government of the SPD and Bündnis 90/Die Grünen: They had a bad start, reputation declines and trust is fading away. Public opinion though is worse than the actual results. This is caused by a lack of political ideas, which draw on and develop further the parties‘ traditions. Conceptions, which not only describe the present but also provide a vision of the future, have been unsufficiently developed. Distributive, generational and particpatory justice are central claims, which would have to be included in a reform concept. On such a basis the government may well have the chance to gain new political credibility. Success or failure of the red-green government not only concerns the future of this government but also affects the efficiency of democracy more generally.

Roland Roth: A political fatal disaster for the new social movements – interim review after one year red-green federal government, FJ NSB 4/99, S. 10-21

Roland Roth’s article deals with the relationship between social movements and governmental politics, the expectations and missed opportunities. Though one might expect the implementation of fundamental movement goals by the red-green government, the interim review is negative. The government politics does not meet the old movement’s goals in various policy fields. That accounts for the fact that politics is focused on central figures like chancellor Schröder in the SPD and Joseph Fischer within the Bündnis 90/Die Grünen. Politic mediation is no longer based on party organizations but on personalized media presentation. Roth emphasizes that this development does not imply a decline of public political interest or engagement. Politic has spread outside the institutions into citizen groups and movements. Whether this political culture strengthens the political potential is hard to predict. However, a localizing of political decisions is necessary.

Lothar Probst: Is the red-green government able to govern Germany? Remarks on the situation and perspectives of SPD and Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, FJ NSB 4/99, S. 22-31

The conditions for a government change where good, so why is the performance of the red-green government so poor one year after they came in office? Lothar Probst questions whether this situation can explained by the stereotypes of lost elections and insufficient coordination etc. He assumes more basic reasons for the negative results: the red-green government came accidentally to power, instead of being a widely accepted reform alliance and the legislation by the new government is unprofessional. Bündnis 90/Die Grünen as well as the SPD are subject to internal struggles about policies and personnel. The CDU, however, recovered fast from the electoral defeat and gains new strength. Probst judges the situation as difficult but not hopeless. Necessary to his mind is a better coordination of alliance affairs and clear party positions. Corresponding strategies are presented.

Gerd Mielke: 1999 – A crucial year for the SPD, FJ NSB 4/99, S. 32-39

Over the course of the social democrats’ hundred years old tradition there have been several periods of crucial importance for the party. The author presents the thesis, that 1999 might be one of these crucial years for the Social Democratic Party. A deep crisis of legitimacy among the social democratic electorate, the instability of the leadership as well as the programmatic crisis indicate such a significant period in the party’s history. All three crises are closely interwoven and reinforce each other. Improved political coordination, professional management and a better orchestration of communication are necessary, but alone cannot solve the problems. The fundamental problem leading to this crisis are structural in nature. The failures and shortcoming of the first year can only be overcome by a fast and courageous resolution of these problems.

Markus Klein: The Year after. Support for the red- green federal government one year after the 1998 election, FJ NSB 4/99, S. 40-49

In 1998 a government has been voted out for the first time in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany by means of parliamentary elections. The consent to a red-green government was surprisingly large. The more surprises that one year after the parliamentary elections that consent declined dramatically. On empirical data basis Markus Klein analyzes how support for governing parties SPD and Bündnis 90/Die Grünen has developed and explains the reasons for a decreasing assent in particular for the SPD. Both personal matters and substantial aspects like the 630 -DM bill and the law against apparent self-employment have made electors more and more malcontent. Klein refers to two possible explanations for the declining consent: on the one hand the development could be explained by the so called electoral cycle. On the other hand the growing antipathy maybe due to the separation of the fragile target group coalition of traditional SPD- electors and modernization orientated electors of the "Neue Mitte" . According to Klein the dual strategy now shows unwelcome side effects so that the government has lost both groups.

Sven Jochem/Nico A. Siegel: The Dilemma of the "Bündnis für Arbeit" (Alliance for employment), FJ NSB 4/99, S. 50-60

The government of chancellor Schröder focuses its policy on the reduction of unemployment. Sven Jochem and Nico Siegel analyze the constellation and the actor’s intentions in the "Bündnis für Arbeit". One main problem derives from the actor’s different problem definition resulting in different problem solving strategies. Furthermore the federal political system with differentiated fiscal competencies and the complex social system complicate a reform conception. The authors comment on a – to their mind – fundamental problem of the alliance: Up to now all participants tried to reduce the supply of workers instead of focusing on the increase of employment. This would mean an intensive discussion of how to promote the emergence of a service society and a further differentiation of the income structure. The authors conclude that for including these aspects in a general concept, an elaboration of the governmental policy is a precondition. In the "Bündnis für Arbeit" this is not in sight up to now.