Association for Solidarity Perspectives (Germany)
Encyclopedia
The Association for Solidarity Perspectives is a far-left
political party
in Germany
.
The VSP was formed in October 1986 in West Germany
as the United Socialist party (German Vereinigte Sozialistische Partei), a merger of the International Marxist Group
(GIM) and the Communist Party of Germany (Marxist-Leninist). The parties combined their newspapers, was tun and Roter Morgen respectively, to launch the Sozialistische Zeitung (Socialist Newspaper, SoZ). Early after its formation, it gained recognition as a political party by the Federal Election Officer (Bundeswahlleiter). The VSP fielded a slate of candidates for the 1987 federal elections
, but the party failed to win any seats in the Bundestag
and consequently lost its electoral recognition. The party hoped to join with emerging splits from the Social Democratic Party
and the old Communist Party
, but these attempts were largely unsuccessful.
When the former ruling party of East Germany, the Socialist Unity Party
(SED), reconstituted itself as the Party of Democratic Socialism
(PDS) after German reunification
, individual members of the VSP entered the party and won official positions in the party. However, the VSP remained independent of the PDS.
In 1994, the VSP changed its name to Association for Solidarity Perspectives (Verein für solidarische Perspektiven, VsP). One faction of the Trotskyist
current in the VsP departed in 1994 and formed the Revolutionary Socialist League
(RSB). The Trotskyists who remained in the VsP formed a caucus
called the International Socialist Left
(ISL).
In the 2005 federal elections
, the VsP supported the Left Party
, the descendant of the PDS.
Far left
Far left, also known as the revolutionary left, radical left and extreme left are terms which refer to the highest degree of leftist positions among left-wing politics...
political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
The VSP was formed in October 1986 in West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
as the United Socialist party (German Vereinigte Sozialistische Partei), a merger of the International Marxist Group
International Marxist Group (Germany)
The International Marxist Group was a Trotskyist group in West Germany. The GIM served as the German section of the reunified Fourth International....
(GIM) and the Communist Party of Germany (Marxist-Leninist). The parties combined their newspapers, was tun and Roter Morgen respectively, to launch the Sozialistische Zeitung (Socialist Newspaper, SoZ). Early after its formation, it gained recognition as a political party by the Federal Election Officer (Bundeswahlleiter). The VSP fielded a slate of candidates for the 1987 federal elections
German federal election, 1987
The 11th German federal election, 1987 was conducted on 25 January 1987, to elect members to the Bundestag, the parliament of the Federal Republic of Germany.-Issues and Campaign:Johannes Rau, vice chairman of SPD, tried to become Chancellor...
, but the party failed to win any seats in the Bundestag
Bundestag
The Bundestag is a federal legislative body in Germany. In practice Germany is governed by a bicameral legislature, of which the Bundestag serves as the lower house and the Bundesrat the upper house. The Bundestag is established by the German Basic Law of 1949, as the successor to the earlier...
and consequently lost its electoral recognition. The party hoped to join with emerging splits from the Social Democratic Party
Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
and the old Communist Party
Communist Party of Germany
The Communist Party of Germany was a major political party in Germany between 1918 and 1933, and a minor party in West Germany in the postwar period until it was banned in 1956...
, but these attempts were largely unsuccessful.
When the former ruling party of East Germany, the Socialist Unity Party
Socialist Unity Party of Germany
The Socialist Unity Party of Germany was the governing party of the German Democratic Republic from its formation on 7 October 1949 until the elections of March 1990. The SED was a communist political party with a Marxist-Leninist ideology...
(SED), reconstituted itself as the Party of Democratic Socialism
Left Party (Germany)
The Party of Democratic Socialism was a democratic socialist political party active in Germany from 1989 to 2007. It was the legal successor to the Socialist Unity Party , which ruled the German Democratic Republic until 1990. From 1990 through to 2005, the PDS had been seen as the left-wing...
(PDS) after German reunification
German reunification
German reunification was the process in 1990 in which the German Democratic Republic joined the Federal Republic of Germany , and when Berlin reunited into a single city, as provided by its then Grundgesetz constitution Article 23. The start of this process is commonly referred by Germans as die...
, individual members of the VSP entered the party and won official positions in the party. However, the VSP remained independent of the PDS.
In 1994, the VSP changed its name to Association for Solidarity Perspectives (Verein für solidarische Perspektiven, VsP). One faction of the Trotskyist
Trotskyism
Trotskyism is the theory of Marxism as advocated by Leon Trotsky. Trotsky considered himself an orthodox Marxist and Bolshevik-Leninist, arguing for the establishment of a vanguard party of the working-class...
current in the VsP departed in 1994 and formed the Revolutionary Socialist League
Revolutionary Socialist League (Germany)
The Revolutionary Socialist League is a small Trotskyist group in Germany. It was formed in 1994 as a split from the Association for Solidarity Perspectives . The RSB generally considers itself to be more radical than the VsP, and unlike the VsP it is very critical of the Left Party...
(RSB). The Trotskyists who remained in the VsP formed a caucus
Caucus
A caucus is a meeting of supporters or members of a political party or movement, especially in the United States and Canada. As the use of the term has been expanded the exact definition has come to vary among political cultures.-Origin of the term:...
called the International Socialist Left
International Socialist Left (Germany)
The International Socialist Left is a Trotskyist group in Germany. The isl is an organizational descendant of the International Marxist Group . It is one of two factions that form the German section of the reunified Fourth International...
(ISL).
In the 2005 federal elections
German federal election, 2005
German federal elections took place on 18 September 2005 to elect the members of the 16th German Bundestag, the federal parliament of Germany. They became necessary after a motion of confidence in Chancellor Gerhard Schröder failed on 1 July...
, the VsP supported the Left Party
Left Party (Germany)
The Party of Democratic Socialism was a democratic socialist political party active in Germany from 1989 to 2007. It was the legal successor to the Socialist Unity Party , which ruled the German Democratic Republic until 1990. From 1990 through to 2005, the PDS had been seen as the left-wing...
, the descendant of the PDS.