Ten years ago the Liberal Voters Alliance (LVA, Freie Wähler) was a side issue on Germany’s political stage. But now, having gained 19 percent of votes in Bavarian local elections in March 2008 and more than 10 percent in elections to Bavarian Parliament in September 2008, the little party has become the key for Federal President Horst Köhler (Bundespräsident) to be re-elected by the Federal Convention (Bundesversammlung) on May 23rd.
“We wish to make both candidates an offer of equal opportunities” Hubert Aiwanger said during an interview with Germany’s leading newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung as he announced having invited Horst Köhler and Prof. Gesine Schwan, candidate of the Social Democrat Party (SPD, Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands), to Bavaria for negotiations. The 37-year-old farmer is the leader of the party and its parliamentary group. After not having been able to tackle the 5-percent-burden in 1998 and 2003 LVA nearly doubled its votes in 2008 and now is represented in the Maximilaneum – the Bavarian Parliament – with 16 MPs. The party demonstrates power in rural areas especially, and has more than 800 local mayors and 14 governors. Describing itself as a people-oriented alternative to the Christian Social Union (CSU, Christlich Soziale Union), which has been holding power in Bavaria since more than 45 years, the small alliance has ten votes in the Federal Convention. During its election campaign and afterwards the 1978-established LVA with its 40,000 members was considered as a reliable supporter of still-in-office president Horst Köhler by party seniors and political analysts. But now, the Bavarian LVA delegates could tip the scale.
According to Article 54 of the German Constitution (Grundgesetz) the Federal President is elected by the Federal Convention for an office term of five years. When Horst Köhler, former chairman of IMF and compromise candidate of CSU, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU, Christlich Demokratische Union) and the Liberal Democratic Party (FDP, Freie Demokratische Partei), was elected in 2004, he had fought against Gesine Schwan. Now it is the same run, but small parties like the Left Party (Linkspartei) nominated its own candidates. The person receiving the votes of a majority of the Federal Convention is elected president. If after two ballots no candidate has obtained such majority the person who receives the largest number of votes on the next ballot becomes the highest representative of Germany for international law (Grundgesetz Art. 54/6). The Federal Convention consists of all members of the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag) and an equal number of members nominated by the parliaments of the 16 Federal States (Bundesländer). According to the current constellation of the Bundestag the Federal Convention has 1224 members, but the Union Parties (CSU and CDU) and FDP do not posses the necessary majority to make Horst Köhler president for another term. They have only 606 votes together and they need the additional ten votes of the LVA.
Party seniors of the CSU, CDU, and FDP criticized the alliance harshly. Guido Westerwelle, chairman of the FDP, accused the LVA of breaking its pre-election word. Georg Schmid, leader of the CSU parliamentary group, felt disappointed in the “zig-zag-course” and questioned the LVA’s credibility and election promise to support Horst Köhler. At the same time, SPD fellows were satisfied with Aiwanger`s decision to talk with both candidates.
Holding the office of Federal President is an honorable duty, although the authorities of the president are strictly limited by constitution due to negative experience in the past. It was the Weimar Constitution (1918-33) that gave extraordinary power to the president and that was the starting point of the Nazi Regime (1933-45) under Adolf Hitler. So, when the authors of the current constitution created an institutional framework for the new Federal Republic after World War II they set high walls around the president’s power. But still, the Federal President is highly esteemed by politicians and the people and acts as a moral mediator in heavy times.
Hubert Aiwanger has already made clear for many times that the basic attitude of the LVA to vote in favour of Horst Köhler has still not changed. But the party leaders wish to open a door for both candidates and to give them an equal opportunity to prove leadership qualities. The Union Parties and FDP should not bark too loudly, otherwise Aiwanger could change his mind. Although LVA is a small and newcomer party it plays an essential role at the current situation and wants to be taken seriously.
The name of the next Federal President depends on ten LVA delegates, although they come from Bavaria’s rural area.
By Cenk Alican – Letters from Germany
