‘수상선거협회(Kanzlerwahlverin)’에서 정당으로 : 야당으로서의 기민련(Christliche Demokratiche Union)

Abstract

While the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) was a ruling party, it was widely regarded as just “the chancellor election committee” because neither did it have proper political programs as a political party nor did it have the party structure separate from the government. It was not until the CDU lost political power and became an opposition party that it deserved the titleof a proper political party. This article examines the transformation of the CDU from the “commission from the chancellor election” into a “proper political party”.The “45er generation”, whose turning point in life was the end of WWII, along with the conservative faction of the 1968 generation became the main protagonists in this process. These two groups succeeded in proclaiming both the “Mannheimer Programm” in 1975 and the Grundsatzprogramm in 1978. Furthermore, they strengthened the party’s organization in various ways including the establishment of the “Secretary-General“ of the party.In the case of the CDU, the seizure of power as a political party and the consolidation of the party structure did not occur simultaneously. Ironically, the CDU could gain momentum towards the consolidation of a political party only after it became anopposition party.