Kiesinger 1966-69

• Erhard was replaced by Kurt Kiesinger as chancellor and leader of the CDU/CSU in 1966. Kiesinger entered a 'Grand Coalition' with the SPD and Willy Brandt as his deputy and foreign minister.
• The coalition in December 1966 between the SPD and the CDU/CSU had been formed because of the serious economic challenges the FRG was facing at the time, such as the economic dislocation caused by the Berlin Wall, ending of skilled migrants from the GDR and a fear of expanding too quickly.
• Kiesinger was criticised by political opponents for being a former member of the Nazi Party.
• In 1968, further criticisms were raised when the coalition government amended the FRG's constitution to establish an elected committee that could enact emergency measures when confronted with a very serious threat, such as widespread civil unrest. This was implemented in the wake of student protests. Many Germans, especially those on the left, opposed the policy, viewing it as too authoritarianism and endangering individual freedoms and democracy within the FRG.
• He faced threats from the extreme right, with the growth of the National Democratic Party (NPD). In 1967, the NPD gained 48 seats in 6 lander parliaments across the FRG.