The Man for 1980

My excuse for a column on Franz Josef Strauss is that 1 had a long talk with him in Munich just before Christmas; but really, no excuse is needed. In the fall of 1980, the Federal Republic will hold general elections, and it is very possible, and greatly to be desired, that the Christian Democrats will return to power for the first time in over a decade, with Strauss as chancellor.

There are two very good reasons for expressing this hope: one is that the return to power of Chancellor Schmidt would be positively dangerous for the Western Alliance and for Germany itself; the other is that Strauss is a good European and Atlanticist, and a genuine champion of freedom and the free-enterprise system. As this view differs markedly from the widely accepted public images of Schmidt and Strauss, some words of explanation are needed.

BC

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Brian Crozier

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My excuse for a column on Franz Josef Strauss is that 1 had a long talk with him in Munich just before Christmas; but really, no excuse is needed. In the fall of 1980, the Federal Republic will hold general elections, and it is very possible, and greatly to be desired, that the Christian Democrats will return to power for the first time in over a decade, with Strauss as chancellor.

There are two very good reasons for expressing this hope: one is that the return to power of Chancellor Schmidt would be positively dangerous for the Western Alliance and for Germany itself; the other is that Strauss is a good European and Atlanticist, and a genuine champion of freedom and the free-enterprise system. As this view differs markedly from the widely accepted public images of Schmidt and Strauss, some words of explanation are needed.