German elections.

[Andy Bowden]

Most of the results seem to be in - crisis for the Capitalist parties :D

The SPD made a spectacular come-back, from behind the CDU by 20 points a few months ago to only a few percent behind at the election. The Greens seem to have seen their vote fall by a percentage point - not nearly enough, opportunistic bastards :angry:

On a positive note, the Left Party - made up of former SED members in what was the GDR and dissident SPDers - have done well, winning 54 seats. On the other hand the neo-liberal FDP have done well increasing their vote - but not enough to enter a majority coalition with the CDU.

Overall, an extremely positive vote for the Left :)

[h&s]

Yes, it was quite a good result for the left - I think the left party got 8%.
This is a very good start for them, but the next few weeks and months are vital for their party. They must keep out of any coalition government that some are saying the SPD may want to form with them. They also need to be wary of the intentions of their leader, that Oskar guy, and the former Eastern German Communist party. They represent two paths that they should keep away from. Oskar is a careerist polititian that is not really to be trusted (he was in government when he was in the SPD a few years back). This needs to remain a workers party, and now is the perfect time to build, IMO.
The most likely thing to happen is that the SPD and the CDU form a coalition government. This will show the workers of Germany that both parties are responsible for their problems, and are not to be supported.
A true workers party could use this as a brilliant time to build, and as long as they don't lose sight of this, the Left Party could become a force to be rekoned with.

[citizen_snips]

Yeah, I'm impressed how far the Left Party's vote increased, well done them!

And I don't much like either Merkel or Schroeder so neither of them really winning outright is quite alright by me!

[Ander]

The Left Party is a relatively new party, isn't it?

I may not be impressed with Shroeder but he's better than those Conservative bastards...

[bolshevik butcher]

This does seem good for the new left party. Are they fairly radical, i dont know anyhting of their policies.

[h&s]

Originally posted by [email protected] 20 2005, 07:22 PM
The Left Party is a relatively new party, isn't it?

I may not be impressed with Shroeder but he's better than those Conservative bastards...
He is a conservative bastard.

[fernando]

Well the CDU are even more conservative bastards than that SPD dude...

But yeah...nobody wants to rule with the Linkspartei (left party) for some reason...

[HoorayForTheRedBlackandGreen]

They don't want to be associated with the East German commies, for obvious reasons.

[red saint]

I would be very wary of the Linkspartei, the PDS (former east german lot) who form the majority hve been involved in the very neo liberal Berlin city government for some time.
Oskar is a dodgy careerist as well, like George Galloway only worse in my book.

[chebol]

Actually, the Linkspartei doesn't want to rule with anyone either. They want to form an effective and active oposition to the neoliberal policies of both major parties.
There has been a lot of soulsearching in the PDS (and a lot of argument too). The Berlin business is generally regarded to have been a political mistake in several ways, but not entirely. (It's important to remember that there are three main tendencies within the old PDS as well, with different perspectives.)
What's important is how effectively the Linkspartei can convince disappointed and disgruntled Gruenen and SPD supporters in the west. Oskar may or may not be a liability. At the moment he's useful for the movement (although he does want the Links to maybe "reenter" the SPD at some point, when stronger). Keep more of an eye on Gysi, and the ex-WASG activists on the ground in the west.

For what it's worth, Schroeder has played a very clever game. He just better be careful he hasn't outfoxed himself.....

[Insomniac]

Although the Left Party does have a large proportion of the PDS/ex-SED in it's membership and institutions, the PDS is NOT a unified party in the sense of ideology.

Like all political groups, it has radical factions (whom we should support IMO) and reformist opportunits factions (whom we should work to weaken).

Ironocially, the reformist faction of the PDS, which advocates social democratic 'parliamentarianist' politics and looking 'respectable', that is not bing radical in any sense, is the faction most associated with the old SED government of the GDR.

The more radical pro-worker factions within the PDS are part of a wave of members and activists who joined with the PDS in the mid and late 90s when the PDS was the ONLY large and visible leftist party in German politics.

I would think it bad for us to go down the sectarian path of thinking in which we label ALL PDS members as old Stalinists and reformists, for whilest the PDS has old Stalinists and reformists in its ranks, it also has a lot of workers and radicals in its ranks and we need to work with them.

The same needs to be said of the ex-SPD members who make up the other main faction in the Left Party and who used to be their own Left Party, WASG.

What ALL members of RL in Germany should do is to join the Left Party and organise the radical faction of the Left Party with a programme of proletarian revolution and to see to it that the Left Party does NOT become another electoral group that only shows itself at elections, as that would put off workers who need a political group that fights for their rights and for workers control of society on a daily basis in the factories, trade unions, the streets and housing estates, in the anti fascist struggle and the anti state struggle.

Germany is so important for the workers movement for several reasons:

1.) Germany has a long history of workers struggle and has over the last 140 years or so had a strong communist movement.

2.) Germany is the largest economy and capitalist bloc in Europe, it has a huge influence on the European CEOs social club, the EU.

3.) Germany has seen many revolutions over the last two centuries, thus unlike Britain, there is NO capitalist myth in Germany about revolution being impossible or not in keeping with their 'national tradititions'.

4.) Germany's economy is in a VERY bad state, high umemployment, no sign of economic growth for the next few years, investors not putting money into Germany and low business confidence. All of this means the conditions for a capitalist decline are nearing and that class conflict will boil over soon, hopefully leading to revolution.

IMO, Germany will most probably be the first nation in Europe to go communist.

[h&s]

I would think it bad for us to go down the sectarian path of thinking in which we label ALL PDS members as old Stalinists and reformists, for whilest the PDS has old Stalinists and reformists in its ranks, it also has a lot of workers and radicals in its ranks and we need to work with them.
I agree. We just need to be wary of the influence of the leaders of the PDS.
For the Left Party to be a good one, the membership needs to unite (we can still factions though) without reformists taking over.

[RaiseYourVoice]

As a member of the Linksparte.PDS myself i guess i should post here. My party is not revolutionary but at least it is a good way to make people aware of everything that happens in capitalism. Many people didnt change from the Nazi time to today, they still close their eyes so they dont have to see oppression, just this time its not the Nazis but big companys like Coca Cola in Columbia or NIKE in china. As a member of the European Left i think the PDS has good chances to fight this system.

[red saint]

I accept the the Linkspartei is probably the best thing on offer in Germany right now.

Anyone else heard that the WASG are threatening to stand against the PDS in the Berlin elections next year unless they quit the coalition with the SPD!

Good on 'em

[h&s]

I don't think thats such a good idea. Promoting conflict between left-wing parties splits us apart, much to our disadvantage.

[red saint]

Originally posted by h&[email protected] 22 2005, 07:34 PM
I don't think thats such a good idea. Promoting conflict between left-wing parties splits us apart, much to our disadvantage.
Well the PDS better leave the coalition with the SPD then - nothing hurts the left like attacking the working class