Rainer Barzel

Who was Rainer Barzel?

Rainer Candidus Barzel was a German politician of the CDU.

Born in Braunsberg, East Prussia, Barzel served as Chairman of the CDU from 1971 and 1973 and ran as the CDU's candidate for Chancellor of Germany in the 1972 federal elections, losing to Willy Brandt's SPD.

The 1972 election is commonly regarded as an indirect referendum on Chancellor Brandt's Ostpolitik, which called for normalized relations with the GDR and the USSR, and which Barzel vehemently opposed. On April 27, 1972, Barzel and the CDU/CSU called a constructive vote of no confidence against Brandt's government. Had the motion carried, Barzel would have succeeded Brandt as Chancellor of Germany. The implications of this vote were far-reaching. The initial reaction to Brandt was that he, along with his policy of Ostpolitik, was finished. Several German trade unions went on strike in anticipation of his loss in the no confidence motion. However, the final tally only received 247 votes, whereas 249 were needed to expel Brandt from office. Later it was found out that two members of Parliament, Julius Steiner and Leo Wagner had been bribed by the East German Ministry for State Security.