West German federal election, 1976
Seat results -- SPD in red, FDP in yellow, CDU/CSU in black
Federal elections were held in West Germany on 3 October 1976.
Campaign
The coalition of SPD and FDP wanted to be re-elected, with the SPD now led by Helmut Schmidt—the party's candidate for Chancellor. CDU and CSU tried to achieve an absolute majority of the votes to make CDU chairman Helmut Kohl Chancellor.
Results
Summary of the 3 October 1976 German Bundestag election results
| Parties |
Constituency |
Party list |
Total seats |
| Votes |
% |
+/− |
Seats |
+/− |
Votes |
% |
+/− |
Seats |
+/− |
Seats† |
+/− |
% |
|
Social Democratic Party (SPD) |
16,471,321 |
43.7 |
−5.2 |
114 |
−38 |
16,099,019 |
42.6 |
−3.2 |
100 |
+22 |
224 |
−18 |
43.2 |
|
Christian Democratic Union (CDU) |
14,423,157 |
38.3 |
+2.6 |
94 |
+29 |
14,367,302 |
38.0 |
+2.8 |
96 |
−18 |
201 |
+15 |
38.8 |
|
Christian Social Union (CSU) |
4,008,514 |
10.6 |
+0.9 |
40 |
+9 |
4,027,499 |
10.6 |
+0.9 |
13 |
−4 |
53 |
+5 |
10.2 |
|
Free Democratic Party (FDP) |
2,417,683 |
6.4 |
+1.6 |
0 |
±0 |
2,995,085 |
7.9 |
−0.5 |
39 |
−2 |
40 |
−2 |
7.7 |
|
|
National Democratic Party (NPD) |
136,028 |
0.4 |
−0.1 |
0 |
±0 |
122,661 |
0.3 |
−0.3 |
0 |
±0 |
0 |
±0 |
0 |
|
German Communist Party (DKP) |
170,855 |
0.5 |
+0.1 |
0 |
±0 |
118,581 |
0.3 |
±0 |
0 |
±0 |
0 |
±0 |
0 |
|
Communist Party of Germany (KPD) |
8,822 |
0.0 |
+0.0 |
0 |
±0 |
22,714 |
0.1 |
+0.1 |
0 |
±0 |
0 |
±0 |
0 |
|
Action Community of Independent Germans (AUD) |
19,490 |
0.1 |
+0.1 |
0 |
±0 |
22,202 |
0.1 |
+0.1 |
0 |
±0 |
0 |
±0 |
0 |
|
Communist League of West Germany (KBW) |
21,414 |
0.1 |
+0.1 |
0 |
±0 |
20,018 |
0.1 |
+0.1 |
0 |
±0 |
0 |
±0 |
0 |
|
European Workers' Party (EAP) |
3,177 |
0.0 |
+0.0 |
0 |
±0 |
6,811 |
0.0 |
+0.0 |
0 |
±0 |
0 |
±0 |
0 |
|
Christian Bavarian People's Party (CBV) |
4,876 |
0.0 |
+0.0 |
0 |
±0 |
6,720 |
0.0 |
+0.0 |
0 |
±0 |
0 |
±0 |
0 |
|
International Marxist Group (GIM) |
2,037 |
0.0 |
+0.0 |
0 |
±0 |
4,759 |
0.0 |
+0.0 |
0 |
±0 |
0 |
±0 |
0 |
|
Action Community Fourth Party (AVP) |
2,636 |
0.0 |
+0.0 |
0 |
±0 |
4,723 |
0.0 |
+0.0 |
0 |
±0 |
0 |
±0 |
0 |
|
5%-Block |
985 |
0.0 |
+0.0 |
0 |
±0 |
2,940 |
0.0 |
+0.0 |
0 |
±0 |
0 |
±0 |
0 |
|
Independent Workers' Party (UAP) |
499 |
0.0 |
+0.0 |
0 |
±0 |
765 |
0.0 |
+0.0 |
0 |
±0 |
0 |
±0 |
0 |
|
United Left (VL) |
217 |
0.0 |
+0.0 |
0 |
±0 |
701 |
0.0 |
+0.0 |
0 |
±0 |
0 |
±0 |
0 |
|
RFP |
227 |
0.0 |
+0.0 |
0 |
±0 |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
0 |
±0 |
0 |
|
Electoral groups and independents |
3,706 |
0.0 |
±0 |
0 |
±0 |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
0 |
±0 |
0 |
| Invalid/blank votes |
470,109 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
343,253 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
| Totals |
38,165,753 |
100 |
±0.0 |
248 |
±0 |
38,165,753 |
100 |
±0.0 |
248 |
±0 |
518 |
±0 |
±0 |
| Registered voters/turnout |
42,058,015 |
90.7 |
— |
— |
— |
42,058,015 |
90.7 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
| Source: Federal Returning Officer |
- ^† — includes the non-voting delegates for West Berlin (11 CDU, 10 SPD, 1 FDP).
↓
| 254 |
224 |
40 |
| CDU/CSU |
SPD |
FDP |
| Popular Vote |
|---|
|
|
|
|
|
| CDU/CSU |
|
48.63% |
| SPD |
|
42.56% |
| F.D.P. |
|
7.92% |
| Other |
|
0.88% |
| Bundestag seats |
|---|
|
|
|
|
|
| CDU/CSU |
|
48.99% |
| SPD |
|
43.15% |
| F.D.P. |
|
7.86% |
Aftermath
The coalition between the SPD and the FDP remained in government, with Helmut Schmidt as Chancellor. Between the "sister parties" of CDU and Bavarian CSU there emerged a critical conflict, as the CSU leader Franz Josef Strauß wanted to break both the united Bundestag group of the parties and the agreement not to compete against each other in any Land. Later, this attack was withdrawn, while Strauß became candidate for chancellor for the 1980 elections.
References
