It seems that it does not pay to leave the federal election as the beaming victor. Ludwig Erhard could only make use of his personal triumph in 1965 for 12 months, until the Grand Coalition ended his period in office. Willy Brandt's victory for his party in 1972 was overwhelming. However, his second parliamentary term as the Chancellor of the Republic was overshadowed by weakness and a lack of purpose from the very beginning. The central problem is the political decisions a federal government makes.
Every coalition government experiences some strained relations or dilemmas of decision making.
The chancellor is forced to choose between different political alternatives, due to the interwoven interests of the various actors involved. This article identifies semi-sovereignty as the defining characteristic of the Bonn Republic. This is associated with an external role of reflexive multilateralism, a concentrated party system, a co-operative opposition and a moderate policy style. The article then looks at these defining characteristics in relation to the Berlin Republic. Germany's role in external security provision is seen as the biggest change.