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Free Democratic Party (Liberal Party) (Germany)

Freie Demokratische Partei / Die Liberalen (FDP)

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both by Marcus Schmöger
Flags used since c.1969

See also:

Introduction

The FDP (Freie Demokratische Partei, Free Democratic Party), although being a liberal party, has always been more or less a mixture of more left-liberal (for civic rights) and right-liberal (nationalistic) attitudes. Especially in the 1950's there were several attempts to make the FDP a forum for decidedly right-wing politics (perhaps something like the Austrian FPÖ). This also could be seen in its political symbolism. With the SPD-FDP coalition 1969-1982 the left-liberals became more prominent in the party, and even before that decidedly right-wing members left the party, at least in part joining the 1964-founded NPD. Today the FDP maintains a position in the middle of the political positions, forming coalitions with the CDU as well as with the SPD in certain Länder.

The FDP was founded in 1948 and in 1949 it joined the federal coalition under Chancellor Adenauer, where it remained (except for a short opposition period 1957-1961) until 1966, when it went into opposition for another three years. During 1969-1982 it was part of the SPD-FDP coalition, from 1982-1998 part of the CDU-CSU-FDP coalition under Chancellor Kohl. Since 1998 it is in federal opposition. Although remaining the third or fourth largest parliamentary group in the Bundestag, the FDP constantly lost support in the Länder and now it is only represented in five out of 16 Länder parliaments. Especially in the new Länder (former German Democratic Republic) the FDP is very weak, in spite of its unification with the former East German parties LDPD and NDPD.

Marcus Schmöger, 31 March 2001

Description

The flags used in the 1950's and their symbolism went out of use in the 1960's, according to Rabbow 1970. Since 1966 and even more since 1972 the FD