Socialist Equality Party (Germany)

The Socialist Equality Party (German: Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei, SGP) is a minor Trotskyist political party in Germany.

Socialist Equality Party
Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei
AbbreviationSGP
LeaderChristoph Vandreier
Honorary ChairmanUlrich Rippert
Founded1971 (1971)[lower-alpha 1]
HeadquartersNeuenburger Straße 13, Berlin
NewspaperSozialistische Welt-Website
Youth wingIYSSE
Membership (2021)Decrease 280[2]
Ideology
Political positionFar-left
International affiliationICFI
Colors  Red
Bundestag
0 / 736
Bundesrat
0 / 69
Website
www.gleichheit.de

History

It was founded in 1971 as the Federation of Socialist Workers (Bund Sozialistischer Arbeiter) by West German supporters of Gerry Healy's Socialist Labour League and was renamed the Party for Social Equality, Section of the Fourth International (Partei für Soziale Gleichheit, Sektion der Vierten Internationale, PSG) in 1997.

On 18–19 February 2017, the party adopted its present name.[3]

Ideology

The party sees itself as the German section of the Fourth International in the tradition of Leon Trotsky.[4] The international umbrella group of the party is the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI).[5] It has contacts to other member parties of the ICFI in England, the US, Sri Lanka, France, Canada and Australia.

The SGP is critical of trade unions (which it views as merely a tool of the labour aristocracy), social democrats, and Stalinist organisations.[6] The party takes an anti-nationalist and anti-capitalist stance. It supports the introduction of universal basic income.[7]

The SGP is classified as a left-wing extremist organization by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) and is as such under observation.[8]

Election results

Bundestag
Year Votes % Seats
1990 826 0.0% 0
1994 1,285 0.0% 0
1998 6,226 0.0% 0
2002 did not contest
2005 15,605 0.0% 0
2009 2,957 0.0% 0
2013 4,564 0.0% 0
2017 1,291 0.0% 0
2021 1,535 0.0% 0

See also

Notes
  1. The party was founded in 1971 and changed its name in the 1990s, and again in February 2017.[1]

References
  1. "German ICFI section adopts new name". 28 February 2017.
  2. Richter, Philipp (2 September 2021). "Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei, Vierte Internationale" [Socialist Equality Party, Fourth International]. bpd.de (in German). Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung (BPD).
  3. "German ICFI section adopts new name". 28 February 2017.
  4. PSG: Fragen an die Partei für Soziale Gleichheit Archived 29 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  5. World Socialist Web Site: Wer ist das IKVI? Archived 2 April 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  6. PSG: Wahlerklärungen 2005-2008 Archived 6 April 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  7. "SGP – Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei / Vierte Internationale – Grundeinkommen ist wählbar!". www.grundeinkommen-ist-waehlbar.de. 23 August 2017. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  8. "Verfassungsschutzbericht 2017". Bundesministerium des Innern, für Bau und Heimat. Retrieved 28 January 2020.

Further reading
  • The Historical Foundations of the Partei fur Soziale Gleichheit, Mehring Books 2011, ISBN 978-1-875639-41-0 (Online)
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