From: Phil Payne 

> >Indeed.  I was living there at the time, though, and it wasn't about
> >Genscher's job.  Very few Germans complained about the swap.  Especially
> >not Franz-Josef Strauss.
>
> It is quite true that few Germans were at all bothered by a change of
government
> without an election. That says something about the Germans and there
> understanding of and commitment to democracy. Even after all these years, I
> still don't fully trust those people. They seem even now too inclined to
accept
> whatever happens as being their fate and letting it go at that.

It was called "Die Wende" - "the turnaround" - and it
was mainly to do with economic policy.  We debated it at incredible length
during "Frhschoppen" sessions at the local mayor's house.  The
SPD people were really upset because they claimed they'd had a
"contract" with the FDP - they'd delivered on their part - so
they said - but the FPD had always dragged its feet.

Some bitterness remains - one of my friends back there is staunch SPD and
still hasn't forgiven his FDP neighbour.

--
  Phil Payne
  http://www.isham-research.com
  +44 7785 302 803
  +49 173 6242039

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