Bundestag election 1983

← 1980Election to the
10th Bundestag in 19831987 →

(Second votes)

%

50

40

30th

20th

10

0

48.8

38.2

7.0

5.6

0.4

Otherwise.

Gains and losses

compared to 1980

% p

6th

4th

2

0

-2

-4

-6

+4.3

-4.7

-3.6

+4.1

-0.1

Otherwise.

The 1983 Bundestag election took place on March 6, 1983. The election to the 10th German Bundestag was the first Bundestag election after Helmut Kohl's election as Federal Chancellor and brought the Greens to parliament for the first time .

background

A total of 520 seats

SPD : 202
Greens : 28
CDU / CSU : 255
FDP : 35

Federal Chancellor Helmut Kohl in the 1983 federal election campaign

CDU election party on March 6, 1983 with Helmut Kohl and Heiner Geißler

SPD election campaign event with Hans-Jochen Vogel at the end of February 1983 in Cologne

In the federal election in 1980 , the social-liberal coalition under Chancellor Helmut Schmidt was confirmed. In the course of the legislative period , more and more differences arose between the governing parties, the SPD and the FDP , especially on economic policy . On February 5, 1982, Federal Chancellor Schmidt put the vote of confidence , the result of which confirmed him in office.

On September 17, the four FDP ministers resigned; a new government was formed by an SPD minority cabinet . On October 1, Helmut Schmidt was removed from office by the Bundestag with the votes of the Union parties and a majority of the FDP MPs by a constructive vote of no confidence and Helmut Kohl was elected as his successor.

For the FDP this was an acid test, because the party leadership around Hans-Dietrich Genscher and Otto Graf Lambsdorff had made a long-term move to the CDU / CSU, but an internal minority around Gerhart Baum , Günter Verheugen and Ingrid Matthäus-Maier rejected the coalition change. The results of the state elections in Hesse in 1982 , which took place two weeks after the end of the social-liberal coalition, were also not a good omen for the FDP. It lost more than half of its voters after an SPD campaign against the “betrayal in Bonn” and failed with 3.1% of the five percent hurdle .

There was thus a federal government that also had a majority in the Bundestag, but this government was to be legitimized by an early federal election. According to the Basic Law, early elections are only possible under strict conditions. One possibility to make such elections possible is a lost vote of confidence, which was then put on December 17th by Helmut Kohl. As agreed, he did not receive a majority in this vote of confidence. Thereupon Federal President Karl Carstens dissolved the Bundestag, there were new elections . The Federal Constitutional Court saw the way of the dissolution as constitutional.

After former Federal Chancellor Helmut Schmidt had renounced a new candidate for chancellor , the former Federal Minister of Justice Hans-Jochen Vogel was nominated as candidate for Chancellor of the SPD. Helmut Kohl stood for the CDU / CSU for the first time as Federal Chancellor.

Official end result

Result of the Bundestag election of March 6, 1983
Subject of evidence	First votes		Second votes		Seats¹	±	Direct mandates	Overhang mandate
Subject of evidence	number	%	number	%	Seats¹	±	Direct mandates	Overhang mandate
Eligible voters	44,088,935	100.0	44,088,935	100.0
Voters	39.279.529	89.1	39,279,528	89.1
Invalid	434.176	1.1	338.841	0.9
Valid	38.845.353	100.0	38,940,687	100.0	498 (22)	+ 1	248	2
from that:
Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD)	15,686,033	40.4	14,865,807	38.2	193 (9)	- 25	68	2
Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU)	15,943,460	41.0	14,857,680	38.2	191 (11)	+ 17	136	-
Christian Social Union in Bavaria (CSU)	4,318,800	11.1	4,140,865	10.6	53	+ 1	44	-
Free Democratic Party (FDP)	1,087,918	2.8	2,706,942	7.0	34 (1)	- 19th	-	-
The Greens (GREEN)	1,609,855	4.1	2,167,431	5.6	27 (1)	+ 28	-	-
Association of West German Communists (BWK)	686	0.0	2.129	0.0	-	-	-	-
Christian Bavarian People's Party (CBV)	2,068	0.0	10,994	0.0	-	-	-	-
German Communist Party (DKP)	96.143	0.2	64,986	0.2	-	-	-	-
European Workers Party (EAP)	7,491	0.0	14,966	0.0	-	-	-	-
Communist Party of Germany (KPD)	-	-	3,431	0.0	-	-	-	-
National Democratic Party of Germany (NPD)	57,112	0.1	91,095	0.2	-	-	-	-
Ecological Democratic Party (ÖDP)	3,341	0.0	11,028	0.0	-	-	-	-
Independent Social Democrats (USD)	450	0.0	3,333	0.0	-	-	-	-
Groups of voters / individual applicants	31,996	0.1	-	-	-	-	-	-

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

Another Berlin member of the Bundestag was provided by the Alternative List for Democracy and Environmental Protection (AL).

With 48.8%, the CDU / CSU received their second best second vote result to date ( 2017 ) in a federal election (they achieved the best result in 1957 with 50.2%).

Results in the federal states

Result of the federal election in 1983 in Baden-Württemberg
Subject of evidence	First votes		Second votes		Seats	Direct mandates
Subject of evidence	number	%	number	%	Seats	Direct mandates
Eligible voters	6,544,795	100.0	6,544,795	100.0
Voters	5,785,570	88.4	5,785,570	88.4
Invalid	77,150	1.3	62,985	1.1
Valid	5,708,420	100.0	5,722,585	100.0	74	37
from that:
SPD	1,929,527	33.8	1,777,511	31.1	23	1
CDU	3,263,045	57.2	3,010,521	52.6	39	36
FDP	200,803	3.5	514,382	9.0	7th	-
GREEN	262.217	4.6	389,863	6.8	5	-
BWK	364	0.0	900	0.0	-	-
DKP	13,196	0.2	8,185	0.1	-	-
EAP	635	0.0	2,918	0.1	-	-
NPD	9,774	0.2	18.305	0.3	-	-
Individual applicants	28,859	0.5	-	-	-	-

Result of the Federal Parliament election 1983 in Bavaria
Subject of evidence	First votes		Second votes		Seats	Direct mandates
Subject of evidence	number	%	number	%	Seats	Direct mandates
Eligible voters	8,012,989	100.0	8,012,989	100.0
Voters	7,020,065	87.6	7,020,065	87.6
Invalid	78,491	1.1	55.174	0.8
Valid	6,941,574	100.0	6,964,891	100.0	89	45
from that:
SPD	2,096,722	30.2	2,014,399	28.9	26th	1
CSU	4,318,800	62.2	4,140,865	59.5	53	44
FDP	212,568	3.1	433,652	6.2	6th	-
GREEN	274,522	4.0	323.901	4.7	4th	-
BWK	171	0.0	688	0.0	-	-
CBV	2,068	0.0	10,994	0.2	-	-
DKP	11,893	0.2	7,332	0.1	-	-
EAP	1,043	0.0	1.923	0.0	-	-
NPD	19,569	0.3	20,109	0.3	-	-
ÖDP	3,341	0.0	11,028	0.2	-	-
Individual applicants	877	0.0	-	-	-	-

Result of the Bundestag election 1983 in Bremen
Subject of evidence	First votes		Second votes		Seats	Direct mandates	Over- slope mandate
Subject of evidence	number	%	number	%	Seats	Direct mandates	Over- slope mandate
Eligible voters	523.260	100.0	523.260	100.0
Voters	462.122	88.3	462.122	88.3
Invalid	5,074	1.1	4,438	1.0
Valid	457.048	100.0	457.684	100.0	5	3	1
from that:
SPD	239,062	52.3	222.935	48.7	3	3	1
CDU	169.281	37.0	156.603	34.2	2	-	-
FDP	12,741	2.8	29,876	6.5	-	-	-
GREEN	32,422	7.1	44,576	9.7	-	-	-
DKP	2,616	0.6	1,982	0.4	-	-	-
EAP	403	0.1	324	0.1	-	-	-
KPD	-	-	198	0.0	-	-	-
NPD	523	0.1	1,190	0.3	-	-	-

Result of the Bundestag election 1983 in Hamburg
Subject of evidence	First votes		Second votes		Seats	Direct mandates	Over- slope mandate
Subject of evidence	number	%	number	%	Seats	Direct mandates	Over- slope mandate
Eligible voters	1,246,089	100.0	1,246,089	100.0
Voters	1,105,844	88.7	1,105,844	88.7
Invalid	6.330	0.6	4,977	0.5
Valid	1,099,514	100.0	1,100,867	100.0	13	7th	1
from that:
SPD	558,826	50.8	521.509	47.4	7th	7th	1
CDU	445,362	40.5	414.055	37.6	5	-	-
FDP	23,983	2.2	68,926	6.3	-	-	-
GREEN	65,947	6.0	90.174	8.2	1	-	-
DKP	4,981	0.5	3,821	0.3	-	-	-
EAP	117	0.0	323	0.0	-	-	-
KPD	-	-	305	0.0	-	-	-
NPD	298	0.0	1,754	0.2	-	-	-

Result of the federal election 1983 in Hessen
Subject of evidence	First votes		Second votes		Seats	Direct mandates
Subject of evidence	number	%	number	%	Seats	Direct mandates
Eligible voters	4,071,991	100.0	4,071,991	100.0
Voters	3,673,072	90.2	3,673,072	90.2
Invalid	40,665	1.1	31,563	0.9
Valid	3,632,407	100.0	3,641,509	100.0	48	22nd
from that:
SPD	1,603,317	44.1	1,513,449	41.6	20th	5
CDU	1,752,746	48.3	1,614,641	44.3	21st	17th
FDP	98.054	2.7	275,787	7.6	4th	-
GREEN	160.943	4.4	218,898	6.0	3	-
DKP	9,971	0.3	7,609	0.2	-	-
EAP	1,968	0.1	2.124	0.1	-	-
NPD	5,408	0.1	9.001	0.2	-	-

Result of the federal election in Lower Saxony in 1983
Subject of evidence	First votes		Second votes		Seats	Direct mandates
Subject of evidence	number	%	number	%	Seats	Direct mandates
Eligible voters	5,480,450	100.0	5,480,450	100.0
Voters	4,909,061	89.6	4,909,061	89.6
Invalid	42,883	0.9	34,225	0.7
Valid	4,866,178	100.0	4,874,836	100.0	63	31
from that:
SPD	2,111,536	43.4	2,015,731	41.3	26th	10
CDU	2,384,706	49.0	2,223,988	45.6	29	21st
FDP	130.937	2.7	338.416	6.9	4th	-
GREEN	220.143	4.5	278,597	5.7	4th	-
BWK	151	0.0	541	0.0	-	-
DKP	9,948	0.2	6.361	0.1	-	-
EAP	510	0.0	1,338	0.0	-	-
NPD	7,919	0.2	9,864	0.2	-	-
Individual applicants	328	0.0	-	-	-	-

Result of the federal election 1983 in North Rhine-Westphalia
Subject of evidence	First votes		Second votes		Seats	Direct mandates
Subject of evidence	number	%	number	%	Seats	Direct mandates
Eligible voters	12,576,604	100.0	12,576,604	100.0
Voters	11,254,374	89.5	11,254,374	89.5
Invalid	98.904	0.9	78.037	0.7
Valid	11,155,470	100.0	11.176.337	100.0	146	71
from that:
SPD	5,017,483	45.0	4,782,220	42.8	63	32
CDU	5,386,165	48.3	5,046,812	45.2	65	39
FDP	273.042	2.4	716.412	6.4	10	-
GREEN	435.916	3.9	581,350	5.2	8th	-
DKP	32,159	0.3	21,065	0.2	-	-
EAP	1,935	0.0	3,270	0.0	-	-
KPD	-	-	2,441	0.0	-	-
NPD	6,666	0.1	19,434	0.2	-	-
USD	450	0.0	3,333	0.0	-	-
Individual applicants	1,654	0.0	-	-	-	-

Result of the federal election in 1983 in Rhineland-Palatinate
Subject of evidence	First votes		Second votes		Seats	Direct mandates
Subject of evidence	number	%	number	%	Seats	Direct mandates
Eligible voters	2,816,609	100.0	2,816,609	100.0
Voters	2,546,266	90.4	2,546,266	90.4
Invalid	57,840	2.3	44,595	1.8
Valid	2,488,426	100.0	2,501,671	100.0	31	16
from that:
SPD	1.008.252	40.5	959.714	38.4	12	5
CDU	1,314,677	52.8	1,241,886	49.6	16	11
FDP	80,594	3.2	174,658	7.0	2	-
GREEN	74,818	3.0	113.185	4.5	1	-
DKP	5,539	0.2	3,993	0.2	-	-
EAP	322	0.0	1,609	0.1	-	-
NPD	4.224	0.2	6,626	0.3	-	-

Result of the Bundestag election 1983 in Saarland
Subject of evidence	First votes		Second votes		Seats	Direct mandates
Subject of evidence	number	%	number	%	Seats	Direct mandates
Eligible voters	841.073	100.0	841.073	100.0
Voters	761.886	90.6	761.885	90.6
Invalid	10,712	1.4	9,697	1.3
Valid	751.174	100.0	752.188	100.0	8th	5
from that:
SPD	347,702	46.3	329,436	43.8	4th	2
CDU	357,640	47.6	336.999	44.8	4th	3
FDP	18,464	2.5	44,934	6.0	-	-
GREEN	22,893	3.0	35,789	4.8	-	-
DKP	2,885	0.4	2,505	0.3	-	-
EAP	146	0.0	569	0.1	-	-
NPD	1,444	0.2	1.956	0.3	-	-

Result of the federal election 1983 in Schleswig-Holstein
Subject of evidence	First votes		Second votes		Seats	Direct mandates
Subject of evidence	number	%	number	%	Seats	Direct mandates
Eligible voters	1,975,075	100.0	1,975,075	100.0
Voters	1,761,269	89.2	1,761,269	89.2
Invalid	16,127	0.9	13,150	0.7
Valid	1,745,142	100.0	1,748,119	100.0	21st	11
from that:
SPD	773606	44.3	728.903	41.7	9	2
CDU	869.838	49.8	812.175	46.5	10	9
FDP	36,732	2.1	109,899	6.3	1	-
GREEN	60,034	3.4	91,098	5.2	1	-
DKP	2,955	0.2	2.133	0.1	-	-
EAP	412	0.0	568	0.0	-	-
KPD	-	-	487	0.0	-	-
NPD	1,287	0.1	2,856	0.2	-	-
Individual applicants	278	0.0	-	-	-	-

First majority in the constituencies:

SPD

CDU / CSU

consequence

Press conference of the Greens on the outcome of the Federal Parliament election 1983 with Otto Schily and Petra Kelly

The black-yellow coalition was guaranteed a clear majority for the next four years. Kohl formed the Kohl II cabinet . With the Greens , a fourth parliamentary group moved into the Bundestag for the first time since 1957 .

The FDP, which the Social Democrats in particular had accused of treason , suffered significant losses, but was able to move into the Bundestag again with 7.0% of the second vote . Before the election it was speculated whether the FDP would fail at the five percent hurdle .

literature

Uwe Andersen, Wichard Woyke : Wahl '83. Federal Parliament election 1983 - parties and voters, political development, elections and electoral procedures , Leske + Budrich , Opladen 1983, ISBN 3-8100-0419-7 .
Hans-Dieter Klingemann, Max Kaase (ed.): Elections and political process. Analyzes on the occasion of the Federal Parliament election 1983 , Westdeutscher Verlag, Opladen 1986, ISBN 3-531-11827-7 . (Writings of the Central Institute for Social Science Research at the Free University of Berlin, 49)

Web links

Commons : 1983 Germany Bundestag election - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Results of the election to the 10th German Bundestag on March 6, 1983 at the Federal Statistical Office
The turn is perfect . In: Der Spiegel . No. 10 , 1983, p. 6–23 ( online - March 7, 1983 , post-election version).

Individual evidence

↑ ^a ^b Election to the 10th German Bundestag on March 6, 1983 ( Memento from October 14, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) The Federal Returning Officer
^ Election to the 9th German Bundestag on October 5, 1980 ( Memento from December 21, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) The Federal Returning Officer
↑ BVerfGE : 62, 1
↑ ^a ^b The total of the second votes was 1 lower than the total number of voters due to a technical failure of a vote counting device in the St. Wendel constituency .
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j Result of the election to the 10th German Bundestag on March 6, 1983 by country ( Memento from September 21, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) (XLS; 46 kB)
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j Seats of the parties on March 6, 1983 by country ( Memento of September 21, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) (XLS; 22 kB)

[Wahl_1983-1] Election to the 10th German Bundestag on March 6, 1983 ( Memento from October 14, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) The Federal Returning Officer

[Wahl_1976-2] Election to the 9th German Bundestag on October 5, 1980 ( Memento from December 21, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) The Federal Returning Officer

[3] BVerfGE : 62, 1

[Saar-4] The total of the second votes was 1 lower than the total number of voters due to a technical failure of a vote counting device in the St. Wendel constituency .

[Länder-5] ↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j Result of the election to the 10th German Bundestag on March 6, 1983 by country ( Memento from September 21, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) (XLS; 46 kB)

[Sitze-6] ↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j Seats of the parties on March 6, 1983 by country ( Memento of September 21, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) (XLS; 22 kB)