How did the Free Democratic Party remove the Social Democratic Party of Germany from government in 1982?
In 1982, the Free Democratic Party (FDP) ended its long-standing coalition with the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) due to internal disagreements over economic policy, specifically regarding the government's proposed budget deficit and a refusal to cut social welfare programs during a period of worldwide recession.123
The FDP subsequently defected from the coalition and formed a new alliance with the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU). On October 1, 1982, the combined forces of the CDU, CSU, and the FDP defectors successfully passed a vote of no confidence against Chancellor Helmut Schmidt in the Bundestag. This action immediately forced Schmidt from office and allowed the Bundestag to elect Helmut Kohl as the new chancellor, effectively removing the SPD from government.13