From pariah to power: the Berlin election of 2001 and the PDS question

McKay, J., 2002. From pariah to power: the Berlin election of 2001 and the PDS question. German Politics, 11 (2), pp. 21-38. ISSN 0964-4008

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Abstract

In 2001 Berlin's grand coalition collapsed in dramatic circumstances, leading to a Land election which attracted unprecedented attention within the Federal Republic and beyond. The entire campaign was dominated by one question, namely could the post-communist PDS gain a share of power in the city that embodied the victory of the capitalist west over the communist east? This article outlines the background to the election, and examines the campaigns of all the main parties. It then analyses the results, with comparisons between the east and west of the city, and examines the process that finally resulted in the formation of a Red-Red coalition government. It concludes with a consideration of the significance of the election results for all the parties concerned and for German politics. Overall, the election suggests that 'inner unity' may well be unattainable in Berlin, and that an acceptance of the city's diversity may be the way forward for its politicians.

Item Type:	Journal article
Publication Title:	German Politics
Creators:	McKay, J.
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis (Routledge)
Date:	2002
Volume:	11
Number:	2
ISSN:	0964-4008
Identifiers:	Number Type 10.1080/714001276 DOI
Divisions:	Schools > School of Social Sciences
Record created by:	EPrints Services
Date Added:	09 Oct 2015 09:52
Last Modified:	23 Aug 2016 09:06
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/4065

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