The development of the relations between the German CDU and the Green Party has been a unique one in the history of German political parties. The early Green Party, established as a fundamentally oppositional movement, rejected nearly everything that was sacred to the Christian Democrats: traditions, economic growth, ties to the West. On the other hand, the CDU considered the Green Party to be public enemies. Black and green – that used to be the same as black and white even into the 1990s. Yet since both parties have undergone radical changes, they have managed to overcome these rifts. Over the years, the political archenemies have become allies: first in the communities, then in the German states – and perhaps in the whole federal government as well. Christoph Weckenbrock narrates the exciting story of Black and Green – from the end of the 1970s to the eve of the 2017 federal elections. "What used to be absolutely out of the question for both parties in the 1980s and 1990s may still be unusual today, but it is no longer impossible. This book describes the slow dissolution of the taboo of Black-and-Green – oftentimes more suspenseful than a political thriller." (Ole von Beust) "Weckenbrock does not deliver a passionate plea for Black-and-Green here. He much rather illustrates how this coalition model could move towards that which is feasible. While doing so, he has managed to depict an exciting genre picture of German contemporary and political history." (Rezzo Schlauch)
