<!doctype html public «-//w3c//dtd html 4.0 transitional//en»> http-equiv=content-type> Andreas Malycha analyzes intra-party conflicts and decision-making processes in the inner power circle of East Germany’s SED (Socialist Unity Party). The study focuses on previously undocumented disputes about economic and social policy in the Honecker era, shedding new light on the stability and instability of the East German state.