Editing Politics of Germany (section)

===Before 1998===
Beginning with the election of [[Konrad Adenauer]] in 1949, the [[West Germany|Federal Republic of Germany]] had [[CDU/CSU|Christian Democratic]] chancellors for 20 years until a [[German governing coalition|coalition]] between the [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|Social Democrats]] and the [[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|Liberals]] took over. From 1982, Christian Democratic leader [[Helmut Kohl]] was chancellor in a coalition with the Liberals for 16 years. In this period fell the reunification of Germany, in 1990: the [[German Democratic Republic]] joined the Federal Republic. In the former GDR's territory, five ''Länder'' (states) were established or reestablished. The two parts of Berlin united as one "Land" (state).

The political system of the Federal Republic remained more or less unchanged. Specific provisions for the former GDR territory were enabled via the ''unification treaty'' between the Federal Republic and the GDR prior to the [[German Unity Day|unification day]] of 3 October 1990. However, Germany saw in the following two distinct party systems: the Green party and the Liberals remained mostly West German parties, while in the East the former socialist state party, now called The Left Party, flourished along with the Christian Democrats and Social Democrats.