The German "Liberale" have always been seated on the very right side of the parliament since the last war. That's where they belong to, mostly, even in those years when they had a coalition with the social democrats on the left side on the parliament.

They are an interesting mixture of 'neoliberal' opinions when it comes to economy or unions or solidarity with the poor and truly liberal when it comes to religion, women rights, civil rights.

They support the modern unideological version of capitalism that wants to get rid of old hats. That's why they could form a coalition with the left in the 1970s. The times of Adenauer (a conservative restituion of a German republic) had left many reform projects untouched.

Just imagine for a moment that in the 1960s an 85 year old woman got sentenced for 'pimping' when her son (in his fifties) did sleep with his female friend in her house. A married woman, even if she happened to be the sole earner in the marriage had to ask her husband before being allowed to spend her own money on buyings more than just daily necessities. He could veto any larger spending. There are many more examples of that kind. The German capitalism had worked quite well for rebuilding the country after the war, but then (late 60s) it was in an urgent need of reform to get rid of oldfashioned religiously dominated laws. The social liberal coalition reformed a lot of out of date laws and made the German capitalism more stream-like for the modern times. It also opened the politics to the East of Europe with considerable success.

But after these overdue reforms were done against the opposition of the ideologically and religiously motivated conservative part of the society the common ground was quickly sliding away between the unequal pertners and the Liberals changed partners into a coalition with the Christian democrats who are much nearer to them in economical terms.

Even now the Liberals are extremely conservative (neoliberal) when it comes to economy (even more than the Christian democrats) but still fairly left regarding civil rights. They are led by a more or less open homosexual (and nobody cares), they would oppose any infringement of human rights, are outspokenly against Guantanamo and Bush's world politics, are of course pro choice and all that, but would immediately implement a Thatcherian economy if they could. Low taxes and no increase of taxation with the income is what they are for.

No (or close to no) interference of the government with anything is their battle cry, and that means on the one hand for instance no interference with sexual lifestyle (between consenting adults) and also, on the other hand, no interference with joblessness and firings.

So depending upon what you look at you might call them right or left of the center. They themselves would consider them right of the center. And so do I.

Wolfgang (who has only voted once for that party for tactical reasons and immediately rued that decision)