Page 106 - The Making of the German Post-war Economy

THE SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY 79

Thus, on election day on 14 August 1949, two fundamentally different
economic concepts confronted each other and the voter was called to cast
a ballot either for the socialist planned economy or the Social Market
Economy.
This clear alternative, however, could not deny that the SPD lacked a
concrete economic concept and thus an effective slogan and
communication of party objectives in times of campaign. While it is
arguable whether Erhard’s economic concept led the SPD to a more
confrontational line away from its previous course, however, the
programmatic deficiency was predominantly due to party inconsistency.
Furthermore, the socialist planned economy confronted the primacy of
economics with the primacy of politics despite the wide absence of
governmental institutions, viz the economic concept of the SPD rested
upon unrealistic premises, such as a strong parliamentary government.
However, by performing effectively a constructive opposition in the
Economic Council, the Social Democrats contributed considerably to the
legislation and the formation of economic policies and to the
establishment and stabilisation of a new German parliamentary
democracy. An accomplishment, Kurt Schumacher unfortunately
relativised in a public speech by stating that ‘in Frankfurt, all action
emanated from the occupying powers and not from the German
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parties.’ This imprudent presentation of the political parties in post-war
West Germany was arguably detrimental to the appearance of the SPD
and the communication of its political objectives. In essence, the SPD did
not use the potentials to communicate both its achievements in the
Economic Council and its economic conceptions to the general public.