The neo-Nazi National Democratic Party gave further cause for concern over its rising political power as a result of the votes it captured in three municipal elections held yesterday in Westphalia. The party leader, Adolf von Thadden, said at a press conference tonight that he was pleased with the results and predicted even greater success for the NPD in the forthcoming elections in Baden-Wurtemberg.
In the Westphalian town of Unna, the NPD, which espouses Hitlerian tenets, won 11.7 percent of the vote while in Kamen, its total was 7.5 percent. Had the elections been national instead of local, the right-wing party would have won four and two seats respectively, in the Bundestag, West Germany’s lower house, political observers pointed out. In the town of Hamm, the NPD polled 5.9 percent, a larger vote than it was expected to get.
(The official East German news agency, ADN, reported in Berlin today that members of the NPD will no longer be admitted to East Germany. The ban includes party members travelling to and from West Berlin, the news agency said.)
Von Thadden said his party would get 10 percent of the vote in Baden-Wurtemberg where it is planning an all-out election drive. He said the NPD would hold 2000 meetings throughout the state and that it would distribute 7 million electoral “newspapers.” Von Thadden said he welcomed a purported statement by West German Chancellor Kurt Kiesinger that the NPD posed no threat to German democracy.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
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.
