HERR BRANDT SPEAKING AT RALLY - SOUND IN GERMAN.



TRANSCRIPT: "DEAR FRIENDS AND COMRADES, SOON AFTER THE ELECTIONS IN THE MOST POPULOUS FEDERAL STATE, RHEIN AND RUHR, THE POPULATION OF THE BIGGEST GERMAN STATE WITH THE RICHEST TRADITION WILL GO TO THE POLLS HERE IN BARVARIA. WE SOCIAL DEMOCRATS ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO THE DECISION OF OUR BAVARIAN FRIENDS AND COMPATRIOTS WITH QUIET CONFIDENCE BECAUSE WE ARE CONVINCED THAT OUR BAVARIAN FRIENDS WILL BE SUCCESSFUL. WE ALSO KNOW AND DO NOT HESITATE TO SAY, THAT THESE ELECTIONS IN NOVEMBER WILL BE IMPORTANT NOT ONLY FOR BAVARIA BUT FOR GERMAN POLITICS IN GENERAL.




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Background: HERR WILLY BRANDT, GOVERNING MAYOR OF WEST BERLIN AND LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION SOCIAL DEMOCRAT PARTY, SPOKE TO A SOCIAL DEMOCRAT CONGRESS IN MUNICH YESTERDAY (SATURDAY). IT WAS THE FIRST MAJOR MEETING OF THE PARTY TO OPEN THE CAMPAIGN FOR THE STATE ELECTIONS IN BAVARIA NEXT MONTH.

THE SOCIAL DEMOCRATS ARE CONFIDENT THAT THEIR STRENGTH IS GROWING THROUGHOUT WEST GERMANY AND RECENT EVENTS HAVE GIVEN THEM CAUSE FOR OPTIMISM. WEST GERMANY IS NOW HAVING TO DEFLATE HER ECONOMY AND THREE WEEKS AGO TOUGH STABILIZATION MEASURES WERE PUT THROUGH THE BUNDESTAG. JUST AS THE BATTLE TO PASS THE NEW ECONOMIC MEASURES BEGAN. DR. LUDGER WESTRICK, SPECIAL AFFAIRS MINISTER AND A KEY FIGURE IN THE CABINET, OFFERED HIS RESIGNATION WHICH WAS LATER ACCEPTED. AND THROUGHOUT THIS PERIOD THERE'S BEEN CONSTANT CRITICISM OF THE FEDERAL DEFENCE MINISTRY WHERE THE DISPUTES BETWEEN MILITARY AND CIVILIAN CHIEFS HAVE LED TO RESIGNATIONS AND NEW APPOINTMENTS. THE RATE OF STARFIGHTER CRASHES AND THE NORTH SEA SUBMARINE DISASTER HAVE ALSO COME UNDER HEAVY FIRE, PARTICULARLY FROM THE SOCIAL DEMOCRATS.

ALL THESE EVENTS HAVE SERVED TO STRENGTHEN THE SOCIAL DEMOCRAT PARTY, STILL RIDING ON THE SUCCESS THEY HAD IN JULY WHEN THEY WON A RESOUNDING ELECTORAL VICTORY IN THE STATE ELECTIONS IN NORTH-RHINE WESTPHALIA, THE LARGEST STATE BY POPULATION IN WEST GERMANY WHICH CONTAINS THE INDUSTRIAL AREA OF THE RUHR.

THIS VICTORY WAS REFERRED TO IN HERR BRANDT'S OPENING REMARKS..