The Christian Democratic Union, which is headed by Chancellor Kurt Georg Kiesinger, announced today that it would take a position in the forthcoming elections fighting both the Social Democrats, its traditional opponents, and the National Democratic Party (NPD), the right-wing neo-Nazi organization whose leadership includes many former Nazis. A party spokesman said it was determined not to permit the NPD to enter the Bundestag, the West German Parliament’s Lower House.
The party stand followed sharp criticism, both within its ranks and outside, of the position taken by Chancellor Kiesinger in absolving the NPD of neo-Nazi coloration. The clean bill of health the Chancellor gave the party was widely interpreted as a bid for support of conservative elements reportedly attracted to the NPD by its “law and order” program.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.