The election to the Berlin House of Representatives occurred on March 2, 1975. The election campaign was marked by the kidnapping of the CDU top candidate, Peter Lorenz. Lorenz was kidnapped three days before the election by 2 June Movement who demanded the release of six of their comrades. This left incumbent SPD mayor Klaus Schütz in the somewhat awkward position of having to determine, so to speak, the life of his challenger. After the federal government gave in to the demands by the 2 June Movement, Peter Lorenz was released two days after the election.
In the election the SPD lost 7.8 percentage points in the election, and with 42.6% of the vote lost its absolute majority that it had held since 1954. The election results gave the power of determining the governing coalition to the FDP. After negotiations, incumbent SPD mayor Klaus Schütz was able to be re-elected at the head of an SPD-FDP government.
Election Date: | 2 March 1975 |
Election Name: | 1975 West Berlin state election |
Type: | legislative |
Country: | West Berlin |
Party Name: | yes |
Previous Election: | 1971 West Berlin state election |
Previous Year: | 1971 |
Next Election: | 1979 West Berlin state election |
Next Year: | 1979 |
Party1: | Christian Democratic Union of Germany |
Leader1: | Peter Lorenz |
Last Election1: | 54 seats, 38.2% |
Seats Before1: | 54 |
Seats After1: | 69 |
Leader2: | Klaus Schütz |
Party2: | Social Democratic Party of Germany |
Last Election2: | 73 seats, 50.4% |
Seats Before2: | 73 |
Seats After2: | 67 |
Seat Change2: | 6 |
Seat Change1: | 15 |
Party3: | Free Democratic Party (Germany) |
Last Election3: | 11 seats, 8.4% |
Seats Before3: | 11 |
Seats After3: | 11 |
Majority Seats: | 74 |
Seats For Election: | All 147 seats in the House of Representatives |
Popular Vote1: | 604,007 |
Popular Vote2: | 585,605 |
Popular Vote3: | 97,969 |
Percentage1: | 43.9% |
Percentage2: | 42.6% |
Percentage3: | 7.1% |
Swing1: | 5.7% |
Swing2: | 7.8% |
Swing3: | 1.3% |
Mayor | |
Before Election: | Klaus Schütz |
Before Party: | Social Democratic Party of Germany |
After Election: | Klaus Schütz |
After Party: | Social Democratic Party of Germany |