1975 West Berlin state election
{{Short description|West Berlin election}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2022}}
{{unreferenced|date=August 2015}}
The election to the Berlin House of Representatives occurred on March 2, 1975. The election campaign was marked by the kidnapping of the CDU top candidate, Peter Lorenz. Lorenz was kidnapped three days before the election by 2 June Movement who demanded the release of six of their comrades. This left incumbent SPD mayor Klaus Schütz in the somewhat awkward position of having to determine, so to speak, the life of his challenger. After the federal government gave in to the demands by the 2 June Movement, Peter Lorenz was released two days after the election.
In the election the SPD lost 7.8 percentage points in the election, and with 42.6% of the vote lost its absolute majority that it had held since 1954. The election results gave the power of determining the governing coalition to the FDP. After negotiations, incumbent SPD mayor Klaus Schütz was able to be re-elected at the head of an SPD-FDP government.
{{Infobox election
| election_date = 2 March 1975
| election_name = 1975 West Berlin state election
| type = legislative
| country = West Berlin
| party_name = yes
| previous_election = 1971 West Berlin state election
| previous_year = 1971
| next_election = 1979 West Berlin state election
| next_year = 1979
| party1 = Christian Democratic Union of Germany
| leader1 = Peter Lorenz
| last_election1 = 54 seats, 38.2%
| seats_before1 = 54
| seats_after1 = 69
| image2 = File:Klaus_Schütz_thumb.jpg
| leader2 = Klaus Schütz
| party2 = Social Democratic Party of Germany
| last_election2 = 73 seats, 50.4%
| seats_before2 = 73
| seats_after2 = 67
| seat_change2 = {{decrease}} 6
| seat_change1 = {{increase}} 15
| party3 = Free Democratic Party (Germany)
| last_election3 = 11 seats, 8.4%
| seats_before3 = 11
| seats_after3 = 11
| seat_change3 = {{steady}}
| majority_seats = 74
| seats_for_election = All 147 seats in the House of Representatives
| popular_vote1 = 604,007
| popular_vote2 = 585,605
| popular_vote3 = 97,969
| percentage1 = 43.9%
| percentage2 = 42.6%
| percentage3 = 7.1%
| swing1 = {{increase}} 5.7%
| swing2 = {{decrease}} 7.8%
| swing3 = {{decrease}} 1.3%
| title = Mayor
| before_election = Klaus Schütz
| before_party = Social Democratic Party of Germany
| after_election = Klaus Schütz
| after_party = Social Democratic Party of Germany
}}{{Election results|image=File:1975 West Berlin House of Representatives.svg|party1=Christian Democratic Union|party2=Social Democratic Party of Germany|party3=Free Democratic Party|party4=Confederation of Free Germany|party5=Socialist Unity Party of West Berlin|colour5={{party colour|Socialist Unity Party of Germany}}|party6=Communist Party of Germany|party7=Others|votes1=604007|votes2=585605|votes3=97969|votes4=46691|votes5=25105|votes6=10125|votes7=6020|seats1=69|seats2=67|seats3=11|sw1={{increase}} 5.7%|sw2={{decrease}} 7.8%|sw3={{decrease}} 1.3%|sw4={{increase}} 3.4%|sw5={{decrease}} 0.5%|sw6={{increase}} 0.7%|sw7={{decrease}} 0.1%|sc1={{increase}} 15|sc2={{decrease}} 6|sc3={{steady}}|seats4=0|seats5=0|seats6=0|seats7=0|sc4={{steady}}|sc5={{steady}}|sc6={{steady}}|sc7={{steady}}|caption=Summary of the results of the 2 March 1975 election to Berlin's Abgeordnetenhaus|source=German Wikipedia}}{{Berlin state elections}}
