National Front of the German Democratic Republic

The National Front of the German Democratic Republic (German: Nationale Front der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik) was a coalition of parties and mass organisations from 1950 to 1990 which governed the German Democratic Republic (GDR), informally known as East Germany. Although it was presented as a broad alliance, real political authority in the country rested with the ruling Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED). The National Front's primary role was to manage electoral processes through a single list of approved candidates (Einheitsliste) for the Volkskammer. This system was designed to present an appearance of democratic pluralism under a multi-party system.

The National Front developed out of the Democratic Bloc, established in 1945. After the Second World War, the Soviet Union permitted the formation of four parties, but in 1946 the Communist Party forced a merger with the Social Democrats to create the SED. Other parties such as the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Liberal Democratic Party (LDPD) were gradually brought into line through intimidation and the removal of dissenting leaders. Two additional parties, the Democratic Farmers' Party (DBD) and the National Democratic Party (NDPD), were created in 1948 under SED direction to draw support away from existing parties and incorporate former Nazis. These non-SED parties were called Blockpartei.

Mass organisations such as trade unions and women's groups were also part of the National Front and held seats in the Volkskammer. Many of their representatives were SED members, ensuring continued control. All parties and organisations were required to accept the SED's leading role as a vanguard party, and even regional leaders were subject to SED approval. Although the blockpartei were granted significant resources and governmental representation, all ministers operated under the authority of the SED's Central Committee.

In the final months before the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989, some blockpartei members began to express limited dissent. The National Front was dissolved in February 1990, ahead of the first free elections in East Germany. After reunification, the blockpartei merged with their West German counterparts: the Liberal Democrats and National Democrats joined the Free Democratic Party (FDP), while the East German CDU and the DBD merged with the West German CDU. These mergers were controversial due to the blockpartei access to well-developed infrastructure and resources under the SED regime, putting them at a great competitive advantage over newly established parties.^[1]