Marxist–Leninist Party of Germany

The Marxist–Leninist Party of Germany (German: Marxistisch–Leninistische Partei Deutschlands, MLPD) is a communist political party in Germany. It was founded in 1982 by members of the Communist Workers Union of Germany (Kommunistischer Arbeiterbund Deutschlands; KABD) and is one of the minor parties in Germany.

Marxist-Leninist Party of Germany
Marxistisch-Leninistische Partei Deutschlands
LeaderGabi Fechtner
Founded1982 (1982)
HeadquartersGelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia
NewspaperRote Fahne Magazin
Youth wingREBELL
Membership (2018)2,800[1]
IdeologyCommunism
Marxism–Leninism
Political positionFar-left
European affiliationICOR Europe
International affiliationICMLPO (defunct)
ICOR
ColoursRed and yellow
Party flag
Website
www.mlpd.de/english

The MLPD advocates for the establishment of a seizure of power through the proletariat, overthrowing current capitalist relations of production and replacing them with a new social order of socialist orientation. It sees this as a transitional stage to the creation of a classless, communist society. In doing so, it refers to the theory and practice of Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, Vladimir Lenin. It rejects the terms "Stalinism" and "Maoism" as anti-communist fighting terms that divide the Marxist–Leninist movement. Whilst criticizing particular aspects of the political works of Stalin[2] and Mao,[3] MLPD openly defends those works,[4] standing in contrast to most left-wing groups in Germany.

It participates in the International Conference of Marxist–Leninist Parties and Organizations (ICMLPO) and the International Coordination of Revolutionary Parties and Organizations (ICOR). Representatives from the party have attended congresses of other communist parties around the world.[5]

Political profile

Real Socialism
MLPD banner at a 2013 demonstration

The MLPD calls its political orientation "Echter Sozialismus" ("Real Socialism"). The party says that the augmentation "Echt" ("Real") has the tactical purpose "to distinguish itself from the various distortions of modern revisionism and reformism",[6] like Trotskyism, which the MLPD calls a "petty-bourgeois divergence from Marxism".[7] In this way the party distinguishes itself from other left parties, like the German Communist Party, The Left or the Socialist Equality Party.[8][9]

Additionally, MLPD describes the current governments People's Republic of China and North Korea as "bureaucratic-capitalist" countries.[10]

Environmental policy and the vision of the future of real socialism

On the day of the party's meeting in 2012, the decision was taken to make environmental work the second most important line of action. The MLPD believes that the earth is in a 'rapid and extended transition from the environmental crisis to a global environmental disaster', which threatens the very foundations of human life. Therefore, the 'threatening destruction of the unity of man and nature' has become a 'central issue of class struggle'. In order to continue to make maximum profits, systematic environmental destruction through capitalist production has become a general necessity. The party sees a way out of socialism and communism to be built through an international revolution, without which humanity is doomed to collapse. The party calls for a change in the basic guidelines of production, thinking, working and living, as well as scientific activity. The constant growth of production and profit, the orientation of the media, education, public opinion towards the profit economy and the systematic rejection of the "unity of nature and man" and mass consumption and consumption of resources "without regard to losses" must be overcome. This "total social paradigm shift" is immediately necessary to "save the unity of man and nature," but a radical change in the way production and consumption, thinking and the work process first demand a change in power relations. By abolishing the relationship between goods, the future dictatorship of the proletariat could focus on satisfying human needs in harmony with nature. A constant "class struggle for change in the way of thinking in socialist society" is a basic prerequisite.[11]

History

The MLPD promotes Marxism–Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought. Only part of the MLPD's membership originates from the 1960s students' movement. Willi Dickhut, the party's founder, had been expelled from the Communist Party of Germany in 1966 for criticizing the change of social conditions in the Soviet Union. His book on the restoration of capitalism in the Soviet Union was published in 1971 and is a fundamental part of the MLPD's ideology. The MLPD describes the political and economic changes in most of the Eastern European countries after the 20th Party Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union as treason to socialism. From 1976, when the economic changes provided by Deng Xiaoping were taking place, the MLPD's predecessor organizations criticized those changes as China's restoration of capitalism.[12]

In the 1998 federal elections, the party gained only 0.01 percent of the votes. In 2002, the MLPD did not participate in the federal elections and called on people to boycott. The MLPD participated in the 2005 federal elections, generally positioning itself in campaigns as a radical alternative to the Left Party. The MLPD won 0.1 percent of the total votes cast. This marked a tenfold increase compared to the result of 1998, despite the competition with the Left Party. Its strongest showing was in the states of Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia, where it garnered 0.4 percent of the vote.[13] MLPD also participated in 2009 federal elections and has announced its participation in the 2013 federal elections.

Still some trade unions in Germany have a policy of expelling members of the MLPD. An example of this is when the former chairman of the party, Stefan Engel, was forced to leave the IG Metall and became a member of Ver.di, which does not take a stance against the MLPD.

For the 2017 federal election the MLPD formed the Internationalistischen Bündnis (Internationalist Alliance) coalition. The coalition is made up of different local electoral groups, migrant organizations (such as ATIF, ADHK and the German section of the Communist party of Iran) and labor union groups.[14]

Although the party has seen little success in national or state elections, the party has managed to gain a number of local councils seats. However these party are contested under a different local label and not with an explicit communist program. However these parties are all members of the MLPD-led electoral coalition Internationalist Alliance.[15]

Election results

Federal Parliament (Bundestag)
Year First Vote Second Vote % of Second Vote
1987 596 13,422 0.0%
1994 4,932 10,038 0.0%
1998 7,208 4,731 0.0%
2005 16,480 45,238 0.1%
2009 17,512 29,261 0.1%
2013 12,904 24,219 0.1%
2017 35,835 29,928 0.1%
2021 22,754 17,994 0.0%

European Parliament
Year Votes %
1989 10,134 0.0%
2014 18,198 0.1%
2019 18,340 0.05%

Local Elections of Alliances with MLPD Participation
City Election Year Seats % Label
Albstadt 2018
1 / 32
 3,4% zukunftsorientiert unabhängig gemeinsam (ZUG)
Bergkamen 2020
3 / 44
 5,9% Bergauf Bergkamen
Eisenach 2019
1 / 36
 2,2% Eisenacher Aufbruch
Esslingen am Neckar 2019
2 / 40
 3,9% Fortschrittlich – Überparteilich – Rege (FÜR)
Gelsenkirchen 2020
1 / 66
 1,2 % Alternativ – Unabhängig – Fortschrittlich (AUF)
Neukirchen-Vluyn 2020
2 / 38
 5,3 % Neukirchen-Vluyn AUF geht's

Well-known former members of the MLPD

References
  1. "Verfassungsschutzbericht 2018" [Office for the Protection of the Constitution] (in German). Bundesministerium des Innern. p. 150.
  2. "Klassiker Des Marxismus-Leninismus: Josef Stalin" [Marxism-Leninism Classics: Joseph Stalin] (in German). Archived from the original on 22 February 2014.
  3. "Mao Tsetung" (in German). Archived from the original on 22 February 2014.
  4. "Socialist Equality Party receives over 15,000 votes in German elections". World Socialist Web Site. 21 September 2005. Retrieved 19 August 2013.
  5. "Indian communists confidently chart way forward". Green Left. 12 November 1997. Retrieved 19 August 2013.
  6. Fremdwörter- & Begriffserklärung zur Reihe Revolutionärer Weg 1–26 [Explanation of foreign words and terms for the Revolutionary Way series 1-26] (in German). Essen: Verlag Neuer Weg. 1998. ISBN 978-3-88021-274-9.
  7. "Trotzkismus: Kleinbürgerlicher Karrierismus in Ideologie und Politik - Über Leo Trotzki und den Trotzkismus" [Trotskyism: Petty-bourgeois careerism in ideology and politics - On Leon Trotsky and Trotskyism]. MLPD-website (in German). 9 October 2011.
  8. "20. party conference of the DKP" (in German).
  9. "Linkspartei" [The Left] (in German). Archived from the original on 13 March 2017. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  10. "Wikipedia – Vandalismus oder moderner Antikommunismus?" [Wikipedia - Vandalism or Modern Anti-Communism?] (in German). 23 October 2014. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  11. "Was ist mit Paradigmenwechsel gemeint?" [What is meant by paradigm shift?]. MLPD-website (in German).
  12. "China's Leadership Is Drifting in the Right Deviationist Wind!". MLPD-website. Archived from the original on 23 August 2021.
  13. "wahlgrafik". Deutsche Welle. Archived from the original on 6 October 2006.
  14. "Manifest – ENG – InterBündnis" (in German). Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  15. "Trägerorganisationen – InterBündnis" (in German). Retrieved 26 April 2020.
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