Germany

Socialist Alternative Win Two Council Seats

LOCAL ELECTIONS took place in Germany’s most populous regional state North
Rhine Westphalia on September 26.

Tanja Niemeier

Socialist Alternative (SAV), the Socialist Party’s sister organisation,
initiated and headed two slates against social cuts in the cities of Aachen
and Cologne.

Achieving 2,253 votes in Cologne and 785 votes in Aachen, both lists won
one council seat in the respective local councils – Marc Treude in Aachen and
Claus Ludwig in Cologne.

There was a lot of chanting and singing going on at the well-attended
election parties in Cologne and Aachen when the final results came through
late on Sunday night.

This is a marvellous achievement and it will strengthen the voice of
working-class people and the unemployed in the council. Aachen town hall was
already half deserted when a group of 30-40 members of "Together against
social cuts" walked in and chanted: "Down with the power of the banks and big
business! Down with Hartz IV! (the common name of the law that will cut
unemployment pay).

Intense election campaign

DURING THE extremely active and intense election campaign, the two slates
were heavily involved in supporting and co-organising the local Monday
demonstrations. These have taken place across the country over the past weeks
to protest against the national government’s vicious attack on unemployment
benefits. When Joschka Fischer, the Green Party’s minister for foreign
affairs, visited Aachen, the slate co-organised a protest action which
resulted in him having to give up his speech after 30 minutes.

Precisely because of its activist, pro-working class and anti-big business
character, it is not surprising at all that both SAV supported slates were
largely ignored by the local media during the election campaign.

Despite this, dozens of new people joined the lists against social cuts and
many more helped out in the election campaign. The role of Socialist
Alternative members in the election campaign was widely appreciated and a
number of people agreed to join and pursue discussions with us.

Ruling parties suffer heavy defeat

BOTH, AACHEN and Cologne were ruled by a conservative party (CDU) led
coalitions. They lost more than 10% of the vote in both cities and even though
it is too early to be definite about it, it is most likely that both cities
will see a change in their ruling coalition. Severe local cuts had been
introduced by the local councils in the previous period, which the ruling
parties were punished for.

Given the massive attacks on living standards on a national level which are
carried out by the Social Democratic Party (SPD) led coalition, the working
class is left with hardly any alternative on the electoral plane. This has led
to an increased disgust and alienation with the political establishment and
explains why it is particularly difficult convincing working class people to
turn out and vote.

These elections saw a weakening of the big traditional pro-cuts parties and
an increased vote for smaller parties and independent lists. The PDS, the
former East German state party, slightly improved their results, largely
because of their involvement in the anti-Hartz protests.

Unfortunately, there has also been an increased share in votes for right
wing and neo-fascist organisations which once more underlines the urgency to
build a new mass workers’ party in Germany.

After having three councillors elected this year in Germany, SAV hopes to
speed up that process by arguing for a fighting programme in the meetings held
in the run-up to the November conference of "Electoral Alternative for Work
and Social Justice" that will decide whether to launch a new Left party.