Development of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany

Introduction

The study of modern political parties of foreign countries creates the prerequisite for the establishment of a scientific picture of the modern world with its characteristic contradictions. The practice of political life evidences, that there are various parties in FRG: political parties in the right spectrum as National Democratic Party of Germany (NPD), Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU), Christian Social Union in Bavaria(CSU), German People's Union (DVU), the Republicans (REP) and political parties in the left spectrum as Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), the Left, the party of environmental trends as the Greens. The party system presents one of the clearest examples of the different political histories of the FRG and GDR.

Today, there are two political parties that clearly dominate the German political scene: the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Socialist Democratic Party (SDP). While there are many other influential political parties than these, there are three that play significant role and come the closest to the power, namely the Free Democratic Party, the Left Party, and the Greens.

Historical background of the Christian Democratic Union

The CDU has vivid history. It is important to note that this party evolved from the Centre Party. The CDU was established in June of 1945 in Berlin and the Rheinland. It was organized in the German states and occupied zones from 1945 until 1949 and afterwards established nationally in 1950. The CDU was founded by individuals who wanted to construct Germany's future with a Christian-influenced, non-denominational party of the people. It was a mixed group of Catholics and Protestant Christians, conservatives, liberals and Christian-socials, business people and trade unions, women and men from different regions, from all social classes and democratic traditions.

Rather than representing narrow special interest, the party wished to appeal to a wide segment of society in order to obtain government power. The main principle of the party was to reconstruct West Germany along Christian and Humanitarian lines and to unite all Christians oriented forces into one union.

The nation's life supposed to be concentrate on the foundation of Christian, democratic, and federalist principles. Konrad Adenauer was the first chairman of the Christian Democratic Union. He developed the CDU into a conservative-orientated catchall party (Volkspartei) -

a sharp contrast to the fragmented ideological parties of Weimar. This strategy was successful and within a single decade, the CDU emerged as the largest party, capturing 40-50 percent of the popular vote.

At the beginning in 1948, the social market economy under Ludwig Erhard, took on a deciding significance. The main objectives of the party were to build its existence upon the European integration of Germany and connection of the West in the European partnership and NATO. After the separation of Germany into two parts, the central goal was the reunification of Germany. East Germany's citizens achieved the condition for a solution by a peaceful revolution. Free and unified Germany emerged and anchored in the West under the leadership of The Helmut Kohl.

Pressure of the Socialists on the CDU was increasing in the Soviet occupied zone and East Germany. After the Soviet occupation forces made the political work for the leaders Andreas Hermes, Jakob Kaiser and Ernst Lemmer impossible, the CDU was forced to provide a lesser role within the National Front of the SED. Although established by moral men and women, the CDU fell into the hands of a totalitarian system within the Soviet occupied zones and East Germany. Many individuals, who valued Christian-democratic principles, were prevented from joining the political way. Later, in the end of 1989, the CDU found its way back to its own politics and was successful at the first free elections for the People's Parliament on March 18, 1990. Together with the Democratic Movement (DA) and the German Social Union (DSU), it joined the electoral alliance named Alliance for Germany. From the beginning, the CDU stood firmly against opposition to the reunification of Germany. So when it was an opportunity for the unification of Germany, after decades of division, it was implemented under the leadership of the CDU.

The East and West CDU unified itself at the first joint party conference of the whole-German CDU Germany on October 1st and 2nd 1990.

The CDU operates in all states except Bavaria. In Bavaria the sister party Christian-Social Union (CSU) is having a parliamentary partnership with the CDU in the German Bundestag since 1949. The basic political philosophy CSU is more conservative than the CDU. These two parties generally function as one in national politics, forming a single parliamentary group in the Bundestag and campaigning together in the national elections.

Principles and Political Programs of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany

The CDU is a federally functioning party. In a total of 17 state associations (therefrom 14 in the federal states excluding Bavaria, as well as one each in Braunschweig, Hannover and Oldenburg), 27 local associations, 336 district associations and more than 10,000 town associations about 520,000 CDU members are engaged throughout the nation. At the head of the CDU Germany since April 10, 2000, is the Party President, Dr. Angela Merkel. According to the official results of the 17th German Bundestag elections on 27 September 2009 nowadays CDU/CSU has 239 seats in the German Bundestag. To give more precise information the CDU has 194 seats, and the CSU has 45 seats.

Analyzing the political program of the CDU it should be noted that the CDU is a center-right political party. Accordingly, this political party advocates environmental protection and equality between men, women and children. In the meantime, it supports a socialist market economy.

The CDU seeks free market integration with European Union (EU). These conservatives advocate for stronger German values and traditions, economic freedom and self-determination.

The CDU still possesses vividly the political standards, which was established from its foundation. The party is orientated on the Christian concept of mankind and his inviolable dignity from which are dependent the basic following values :

* freedom

* solidarity

* justice

The CDU strives for the right correlation between the basic values. Ludwig Erhard and the CDU introduced the economic and social model of the "Social Market Economy" in Germany that helped to create a rapid economic development called