ABSTRACT
The late 1950s rang in political changes that were inextricably linked to changing conceptions of democracy among the major political parties. The political constellation was overhauled with the establishment of the Fifth Republic in France, the formation of the first centre-left government between PSI and DC in Italy, and the SPD-CDU coalition talks which ultimately led to the Grand Coalition. That these new alliances were possible is often attributed to the socioeconomic changes that ushered in Western Europe’s ‘Age of Affluence’; to the era of ‘peaceful coexistence’ between East and West following Stalin’s death; to the twentieth party congress of the Soviet communist party (CPSU); and, in France, to the Algerian War.1 Whereas these events doubtlessly played a role, a key condition had to be fulfilled to make the formation of the new political alliances in France, the Federal Republic, and Italy possible. The political actors in these countries had to first accept each other as democrats who shared broadly similar notions of democracy.
