Federal Parliament election 1972

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
← 1969Election to the
7th Bundestag in 19721976 →
(Second votes)
 %
50
40
30th
20th
10
0
45.8
44.9
8.4
0.9
Otherwise.
Gains and losses
compared to 1969
 % p
   4th
   2
   0
  -2
  -4
  -6
+3.1
-1.2
+2.6
-4.5
Otherwise.

The 1972 federal election took place on November 19, 1972. The election to the 7th German Bundestag was the first early Bundestag election in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany . The election ended with the greatest success for the SPD in its history.

background

   
A total of 518 seats
Willy Brandt (SPD) and Walter Scheel (FDP) on election evening
Rainer Barzel, candidate from CDU / CSU, in the election campaign
Election poster of the SPD for its top candidate Willy Brandt

The election became necessary after the majority of the social-liberal coalition under Federal Chancellor Willy Brandt gradually crumbled during the legislative period due to changes in mandate, such as that of Erich Mende , who no longer wanted to support the coalition's policy.

In April 1972, a constructive vote of no confidence in Willy Brandt, in which Rainer Barzel was to be elected Chancellor, failed due to two missing votes. As it became known in the 1990s, at least two votes against Barzel ( Julius Steiner , CDU and Leo Wagner , CSU ) were bought by the Ministry for State Security (MfS) (see under Steiner-Wienand affair ) ; the exact background is permanently unknown ( no confidence vote 1972 ) . In spite of this, the coalition no longer had a viable majority, so that Federal President Gustav Heinemann dissolved the Bundestag after Chancellor Brandt gave a negative vote of confidence in September 1972 .

Although it was clear immediately after the failed vote of no confidence in April 1972 that the coalition had lost its majority, Brandt, in agreement with the opposition, delayed the necessary vote of confidence until autumn. The official reason was the Summer Olympics in August / September, the organization of which was not overruled by an election campaign , the formation of a government or even a change of government. Organizational issues also played a role for all parties. For the SPD, there was also the fact that the polls were catastrophic in the spring and a change in mood was only possible thanks to the campaign that was largely planned by Albrecht Müller .

The CDU party leader and chairman of the CDU / CSU parliamentary group, Rainer Barzel, stood as candidate for chancellor for the Union parties . It was an emotional election campaign with a high turnout , because it was about the confirmation or rejection of the first social-liberal coalition in federal history and its controversial Ostpolitik . The SPD benefited from its good membership structure and strength based on the local clubs that the CDU did not yet have.

For the first time, young people between the ages of 18 and 20 were allowed to take part in the Bundestag election after the voting age for active voting rights was reduced from 21 to 18 in July 1970. In addition, the minimum age for the right to stand for election has been reduced from the previous 25 years to 21 years. Incidentally, it was the only federal election in which the minimum age for the right to stand for election was 21 years. By lowering the age of majority from 21 to 18 on January 1, 1975, the age required for the right to stand for election to the Bundestag fell to 18 years.

Official end result

Result of the federal election of November 19, 1972
Subject of
evidence 		First
votes 		Second
votes 		Seats¹ ± Direct
mandates
number % number %
Eligible voters 41.446.302 100.0 41.446.302 100.0
Voters 37,761,589 91.1 37,761,589 91.1
Invalid 457.810 1.2 301,839 0.8
Valid 37,303,779 100.0 37,459,750 100.0 496 (22) 0 248
from that:
Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) 18.228.239 48.9 17.175.169 45.8 230 (12) + 6 152
Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU) 13,304,813 35.7 13.190.837 35.2 177 (9) - 16 65
Christian Social Union in Bavaria (CSU) 3,620,625 9.7 3,615,183 9.7 48 - 1 31
Free Democratic Party (FDP) 1,790,513 4.8 3,129,982 8.4 41 (1) + 11 -
German Communist Party (DKP) 146.258 0.4 113,891 0.3 - - -
European Federalist Party (EFP) 7,581 0.0 24,057 0.1 - - -
Free Social Union - Democratic Center (FSU) 1,864 0.0 3,166 0.0 - - -
National Democratic Party of Germany (NPD) 194,389 0.5 207,465 0.6 - - -
Groups of voters / individual applicants 9,497 0.0 - - - - -

¹ in brackets: number of Berlin Bundestag members elected on the same day by the Berlin House of Representatives who are not entitled to vote

The turnout of 91.1% was the highest turnout ever recorded in federal elections. For the first time, the SPD was able to form the strongest parliamentary group, previously only the Union group consisting of the CDU and CSU had succeeded.

Results in the federal states

Result of the 1972 federal election in Baden-Württemberg
Subject of
evidence 		First
votes 		Second
votes 		Seats Direct
mandates
number % number %
Eligible voters 5,960,714 100.0 5,960,714 100.0
Voters 5,376,985 90.2 5,376,985 90.2
Invalid 70,981 1.3 54,852 1.0
Valid 5,306,004 100.0 5,322,133 100.0 72 36
from that:
SPD 2,268,696 42.8 2,069,169 38.9 28 12
CDU 2,679,772 50.5 2,648,810 49.8 36 24
FDP 296.286 5.6 544.832 10.2 8th -
DKP 16.807 0.3 13,289 0.2 - -
EFP 603 0.0 5,453 0.1 - -
FSU 278 0.0 - - - -
NPD 36,134 0.7 40,580 0.8 - -
Individual applicants 7,428 0.1 - - - -
Result of the 1972 federal election in Bavaria
Subject of
evidence 		First
votes 		Second
votes 		Seats Direct
mandates
number % number %
Eligible voters 7,375,146 100.0 7,375,146 100.0
Voters 6,626,216 89.8 6,626,216 89.8
Invalid 97,596 1.5 62,426 0.9
Valid 6,528,620 100.0 6,563,790 100.0 86 44
from that:
SPD 2,572,250 39.4 2,483,136 37.8 33 13
CSU 3,620,625 55.5 3,615,183 55.1 48 31
FDP 260.019 4.0 399,554 6.1 5 -
DKP 19,890 0.3 13,607 0.2 - -
EFP 2,621 0.0 5,170 0.1 - -
FSU 420 0.0 - - - -
NPD 51,026 0.8 47,140 0.7 - -
Individual applicants 1,769 0.0 - - - -
Result of the 1972 federal election in Bremen
Subject of
evidence 		First
votes 		Second
votes 		Seats Direct
mandates
number % number %
Eligible voters 540.928 100.0 540.928 100.0
Voters 492,431 91.0 492,431 91.0
Invalid 4,861 1.0 3,546 0.7
Valid 487,570 100.0 488.885 100.0 4th 3
from that:
SPD 301.190 61.8 284.028 58.1 3 3
CDU 145.418 29.8 144,471 29.6 1 -
FDP 34,786 7.1 54,428 11.1 - -
DKP 3,863 0.8 3,335 0.7 - -
EFP - - 318 0.1 - -
NPD 2,313 0.5 2,305 0.5 - -
Result of the 1972 Bundestag election in Hamburg
Subject of
evidence 		First
votes 		Second
votes 		Seats Direct
mandates
number % number %
Eligible voters 1,348,617 100.0 1,348,617 100.0
Voters 1,242,832 92.2 1,242,832 92.2
Invalid 7,753 0.6 5,767 0.5
Valid 1,235,079 100.0 1,237,065 100.0 16 8th
from that:
SPD 742.999 60.2 673.517 54.4 9 8th
CDU 411,876 33.3 411,974 33.3 5 -
FDP 65,752 5.3 138,607 11.2 2 -
DKP 8,650 0.7 6,944 0.6 - -
EFP 1,099 0.1 910 0.1 - -
FSU 209 0.0 480 0.0 - -
NPD 4,494 0.4 4,633 0.4 - -
Result of the federal election 1972 in Hessen
Subject of
evidence 		First
votes 		Second
votes 		Seats Direct
mandates
number % number %
Eligible voters 3,841,104 100.0 3,841,104 100.0
Voters 3,522,483 91.7 3,522,483 91.7
Invalid 36,907 1.0 23,647 0.7
Valid 3,485,576 100.0 3,498,836 100.0 47 22nd
from that:
SPD 1,856,417 53.3 1,697,322 48.5 23 20th
CDU 1,411,018 40.5 1,409,771 40.3 19th 2
FDP 183,553 5.3 355,558 10.2 5 -
DKP 16,925 0.5 13,214 0.4 - -
EFP 334 0.0 3,204 0.1 - -
NPD 17,329 0.5 19,767 0.6 - -
Result of the 1972 federal election in Lower Saxony
Subject of
evidence 		First
votes 		Second
votes 		Seats Direct
mandates
number % number %
Eligible voters 5,126,515 100.0 5,126,515 100.0
Voters 4,684,898 91.4 4,684,898 91.4
Invalid 46,809 1.0 32,424 0.7
Valid 4,638,089 100.0 4,652,474 100.0 62 30th
from that:
SPD 2,389,346 51.5 2,235,911 48.1 30th 23
CDU 2,007,358 43.3 1,988,720 42.7 27 7th
FDP 207.187 4.5 393.282 8.5 5 -
DKP 11,689 0.3 9,467 0.2 - -
EFP 358 0.0 2,187 0.0 - -
FSU 83 0.0 - - - -
NPD 22,068 0.5 22,907 0.5 - -
Result of the 1972 federal election in North Rhine-Westphalia
Subject of
evidence 		First
votes 		Second
votes 		Seats Direct
mandates
number % number %
Eligible voters 11,992,806 100.0 11,992,806 100.0
Voters 11.005.807 91.8 11.005.807 91.8
Invalid 128.101 1.2 71.169 0.6
Valid 10,877,706 100.0 10,934,638 100.0 148 73
from that:
SPD 5,743,844 52.8 5,509,886 50.4 75 52
CDU 4,517,830 41.5 4,484,657 41.0 61 21st
FDP 530.974 4.9 856.963 7.8 12 -
DKP 49,611 0.5 37,600 0.3 - -
EFP 1,750 0.0 5,218 0.0 - -
FSU 510 0.0 2,686 0.0 - -
NPD 33,187 0.3 37,628 0.3 - -
Result of the federal election 1972 in Rhineland-Palatinate
Subject of
evidence 		First
votes 		Second
votes 		Seats Direct
mandates
number % number %
Eligible voters 2,623,690 100.0 2,623,690 100.0
Voters 2,404,007 91.6 2,404,007 91.6
Invalid 33,295 1.4 26,146 1.1
Valid 2,370,712 100.0 2,377,861 100.0 31 16
from that:
SPD 1,128,019 47.6 1,067,953 44.9 14th 9
CDU 1,105,288 46.6 1,090,339 45.9 15th 7th
FDP 113.062 4.8 193,499 8.1 2 -
DKP 9.227 0.4 7,749 0.3 - -
NPD 14,816 0.6 18,321 0.8 - -
Individual applicants 300 0.0 - - - -
Result of the 1972 federal election in Saarland
Subject of
evidence 		First
votes 		Second
votes 		Seats Direct
mandates
number % number %
Eligible voters 797.605 100.0 797.605 100.0
Voters 740.910 92.9 740.910 92.9
Invalid 13,039 1.8 10,998 1.5
Valid 727.871 100.0 729.912 100.0 8th 5
from that:
SPD 367.397 50.5 349,801 47.9 4th 3
CDU 320.287 44.0 316.955 43.4 4th 2
FDP 29,311 4.0 51,762 7.1 - -
DKP 5,665 0.8 5,158 0.7 - -
EFP - - 587 0.1 - -
NPD 5,211 0.7 5,649 0.8 - -
Result of the 1972 federal election in Schleswig-Holstein
Subject of
evidence 		First
votes 		Second
votes 		Seats Direct
mandates
number % number %
Eligible voters 1,839,177 100.0 1,839,177 100.0
Voters 1,665,020 90.5 1,665,020 90.5
Invalid 18,468 1.1 10,864 0.7
Valid 1,646,552 100.0 1,654,156 100.0 22nd 11
from that:
SPD 858.081 52.1 804.446 48.6 11 9
CDU 705.966 42.9 695.140 42.0 9 2
FDP 69,583 4.2 141,497 8.6 2 -
DKP 3,931 0.2 3,528 0.2 - -
EFP 816 0.0 1.010 0.1 - -
FSU 364 0.0 - - - -
NPD 7,811 0.5 8,535 0.5 - -
First majority in the constituencies:
  • SPD
  • CDU / CSU

    • Consequences

    The Brandt Cabinet when taking office.

    Willy Brandt was re-elected as Federal Chancellor by the SPD / FDP majority in the Bundestag in December 1972; this time, in contrast to the 1969 election, the coalition was able to achieve an absolute majority of the electorate and a clear majority in the Bundestag. Barzel initially remained the CDU / CSU opposition leader , but resigned six months later. With Annemarie Renger (SPD), a woman was the first time the President of the Bundestag elected. She was also the first SPD member to hold this post.

    See also

    Web links

    Commons : 1972 Germany Bundestag election  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

    Individual evidence

    1. ^ A b Election to the 7th German Bundestag on November 19, 1972 ( Memento from January 30, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) The Federal Returning Officer
    2. ^ Election to the 6th German Bundestag on September 28, 1969 ( Memento from May 6, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) The Federal Returning Officer
    3. ↑ spiegel.de: Ex-Chancellor candidate Barzel - Crash of a lightning careerist , March 11, 2007, accessed on September 17, 2011
    4. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j Result of the election to the 7th German Bundestag on November 19, 1972 by country ( Memento from January 12, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) (XLS; 37 kB)
    5. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j Seats of the parties on November 19, 1972 by country ( Memento of July 27, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) (XLS; 21 kB)