Handlos first came to prominence as member of theChristian Social Union of Bavaria (CSU), serving the party in both theBundestag, where he representedDeggendorf, and theLandtag of Bavaria. Handlos, along withEkkehard Voigt, represented the right of the party within the Bavarian CSU, with both men staunch critics of the leadership ofFranz Josef Strauss. Handlos broke from the CSU in 1983 when Strauss agreed to accepting a major bank loan fromEast Germany, a move Handlos saw as accepting partition and helping to stabilise thecommunist state.[2]
As a result of the split, Handlos and Voigt joined with well-known political commentator and former CSU activistFranz Schönhuber to form their own party,Die Republikaner (REP) in 1983, with Handlos as the leader.[3] Handlos saw the party as only slightly to the right of the CSU and aimed to REP as a basis to build abundesweite (federal) version of the CSU, rather than simply concentrating on Bavaria.[4] This view was not shared by Schönhuber, who had a moreright-wing populist outlook and was inspired by the success of theFrench National Front.[4] A bitter struggle for power ensued, with the radical wing winning out and in 1985 Handlos stood down as leader of the party and resigned his membership.[4]
Handlos formed his ownFreiheitlichen Volkspartei and this group contested the 1986 Bavarian Landtag elections. However the new party gained only 0.4% of the vote, leaving Handlos on the fringes.[5]
