.gif)
Socialist Left Party (Austria)
Encyclopedia
The Socialist Left Party (de
: Sozialistische LinksPartei, or SLP) is a Trotskyist political party
in Austria
. It is a member of the Committee for a Workers' International
. The party originated in the 1980's, when the forerunner "Sozialistische Offensive Vorwärts" emerged from the far-left wing of the Socialist Youth of Austria. It later transformed itself during the protests against the participation of the FPÖ
in the Austrian government in 2000 into the current SLP, forming itself as a party at a conference on January 30th 2000. In 2002, it ran in federal elections for the Nationalrat
; however, it was unable to win a seat.
The SLP has several professed goals as part of their party plan for reform: social justice on a national and global level; a stop to the neo-liberal government's spending cuts and privatisation schemes; gender equality and equality for homosexuals; an end to Nazism
, racism
, and all forms of xenophobia
; protection of the environment
; as well as other topics relating to anti-globalisation. The party is also anti-EU on the basis of it serving only the interests of the ruling class. They however are in favour of a 'workers' EU' run in the interests of working people.
The SLP aims to help found an alternative to social democracy
and what it terms the "bureaucratic-centralist" or "Stalinist" KPÖ
. As a section of the Committee for a Workers' International it has a Trotskyist
analysis which rejects Stalinism
as well the cultural revolution
approach of Maoism
. It also rejects social democracy
, which it believes has become bourgeois. The SLP defines itself as a young, revolutionary pro-labour party.
In 2001, the party stood in elections in Vienna
and received 100 voters, 0.01% of the vote in communal elections of 2001. However, since the SLP put itself up for votes in only one district (Zentrum), this equates to relatively 0.18% of all votes. The party campaigned also in other districts such as Margareten
, where it received 139 votes, which totals to 0.68% of all votes.
In communal elections of 2005, the party campaigned again in the districts of Zentrum and Margareten. It was able to raise its votes to 124 in Zentrum (0.24% or 0.02% for all of Vienna); however, it lost in Margareten (90 votes, 0.47%). Because the SLP ran against the KPÖ in Margareten, their presence could have contributed to the narrow miss for the KPÖ in entering the communal assembly there, with their tally of 2.22%. The SLP also ran in Favoriten
(0.19%) and Brigittenau
(0.28%); however, neither result was enough to qualify for a seat.
group Human Life International
(HLI), SLP member Claudia Sorger was taken to court, but won her case on July 10th 2003
SLP members have also been prominent in a campaign at the Hellas Kagran football club against Martin Graf
, a senior figure in the far-right FPÖ
party, who was accused of using the training facilities for a party election rally. Lucia and Margarita Döller were suspended from playing for the club by an ally of Graf senior in the club for allegedly 'bringing the club into disrepute'. This included their participation in a demonstration against Graf being made the 3rd deputy speaker of Austrian parliament.
In addition, members of the AC Mauer U-18s, most prominently Sebastian Kugler, wore t-shirts protesting against this decision whilst warming up for a match against Hellas Kagran U-18s and were subsequently served with four-match suspensions by the Viennese Football Association. In a strange twist, the players were charged according to its rules regarding "racism and other prejudices", whilst the players facing disciplinary measures insist they were campaigning against a racist.
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
: Sozialistische LinksPartei, or SLP) is a Trotskyist 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 Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. It is a member of the Committee for a Workers' International
Committee for a Workers' International
The Committee for a Workers' International is an international association of Trotskyist parties. Members include the Socialist Party of England and Wales, the Socialist Party , the Socialist Party the Democratic Socialist Movement in South Africa and Nigeria and groups using the name Socialist...
. The party originated in the 1980's, when the forerunner "Sozialistische Offensive Vorwärts" emerged from the far-left wing of the Socialist Youth of Austria. It later transformed itself during the protests against the participation of the FPÖ
FPO
FPO may refer to:*Fleet Post Office, a "city" designation in military mail *Field post office, a term for military post offices in military mail systems *For position only, a designation for placeholder graphics...
in the Austrian government in 2000 into the current SLP, forming itself as a party at a conference on January 30th 2000. In 2002, it ran in federal elections for the Nationalrat
National Council of Austria
The National Council is one of the two houses of the Austrian parliament. According to the constitution, the National Council and the complementary Federal Council are peers...
; however, it was unable to win a seat.
The SLP has several professed goals as part of their party plan for reform: social justice on a national and global level; a stop to the neo-liberal government's spending cuts and privatisation schemes; gender equality and equality for homosexuals; an end to Nazism
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
, racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
, and all forms of xenophobia
Xenophobia
Xenophobia is defined as "an unreasonable fear of foreigners or strangers or of that which is foreign or strange". It comes from the Greek words ξένος , meaning "stranger," "foreigner" and φόβος , meaning "fear."...
; protection of the environment
Natural environment
The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....
; as well as other topics relating to anti-globalisation. The party is also anti-EU on the basis of it serving only the interests of the ruling class. They however are in favour of a 'workers' EU' run in the interests of working people.
The SLP aims to help found an alternative to social democracy
Social democracy
Social democracy is a political ideology of the center-left on the political spectrum. Social democracy is officially a form of evolutionary reformist socialism. It supports class collaboration as the course to achieve socialism...
and what it terms the "bureaucratic-centralist" or "Stalinist" KPÖ
KPO
Meanings of KPO:* Knowledge process outsourcing.* KPÖ , Communist Party of Austria.* Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands , Communist Party Opposition....
. As a section of the Committee for a Workers' International it has a 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...
analysis which rejects Stalinism
Stalinism
Stalinism refers to the ideology that Joseph Stalin conceived and implemented in the Soviet Union, and is generally considered a branch of Marxist–Leninist ideology but considered by some historians to be a significant deviation from this philosophy...
as well the cultural revolution
Cultural Revolution
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, commonly known as the Cultural Revolution , was a socio-political movement that took place in the People's Republic of China from 1966 through 1976...
approach of Maoism
Maoism
Maoism, also known as the Mao Zedong Thought , is claimed by Maoists as an anti-Revisionist form of Marxist communist theory, derived from the teachings of the Chinese political leader Mao Zedong . Developed during the 1950s and 1960s, it was widely applied as the political and military guiding...
. It also rejects social democracy
Social democracy
Social democracy is a political ideology of the center-left on the political spectrum. Social democracy is officially a form of evolutionary reformist socialism. It supports class collaboration as the course to achieve socialism...
, which it believes has become bourgeois. The SLP defines itself as a young, revolutionary pro-labour party.
In 2001, the party stood in elections in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
and received 100 voters, 0.01% of the vote in communal elections of 2001. However, since the SLP put itself up for votes in only one district (Zentrum), this equates to relatively 0.18% of all votes. The party campaigned also in other districts such as Margareten
Margareten
Margareten is the fifth district of Vienna . It is near the center of Vienna and was established as a district in 1850, but borders changed later. Margareten is a heavily populated urban area with many workers and residential homes.- Description :...
, where it received 139 votes, which totals to 0.68% of all votes.
In communal elections of 2005, the party campaigned again in the districts of Zentrum and Margareten. It was able to raise its votes to 124 in Zentrum (0.24% or 0.02% for all of Vienna); however, it lost in Margareten (90 votes, 0.47%). Because the SLP ran against the KPÖ in Margareten, their presence could have contributed to the narrow miss for the KPÖ in entering the communal assembly there, with their tally of 2.22%. The SLP also ran in Favoriten
Favoriten
Favoriten, the 10th district of Vienna, Austria , is located south of the central districts. It is south of Innere Stadt, Wieden and Margareten...
(0.19%) and Brigittenau
Brigittenau
Brigittenau is the 20th District of Vienna . It is located north of the central districts, north of Leopoldstadt on the same island area between the Danube and the Danube Canal...
(0.28%); however, neither result was enough to qualify for a seat.
Campaigns
Socialist Left Party activists have been prominent in defending abortion rights. In 2003, after writing an article criticizing the methods of pro-lifePro-life
Opposition to the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-life, or anti-abortion, movement, a social and political movement opposing elective abortion on moral grounds and supporting its legal prohibition or restriction...
group Human Life International
Human Life International
Human Life International is an American-based Roman Catholic activist pro-life organization. Founded in 1981 by Father Paul Marx , HLI is located in Front Royal, Virginia. Human Life International describes itself as "the largest international pro-life organization in the world", noting that it has...
(HLI), SLP member Claudia Sorger was taken to court, but won her case on July 10th 2003
SLP members have also been prominent in a campaign at the Hellas Kagran football club against Martin Graf
Martin Graf
Martin Graf is an Austrian politician. He is member of the Freedom Party of Austria and currently third president of the Austrian Parliament.- Biography :...
, a senior figure in the far-right FPÖ
FPO
FPO may refer to:*Fleet Post Office, a "city" designation in military mail *Field post office, a term for military post offices in military mail systems *For position only, a designation for placeholder graphics...
party, who was accused of using the training facilities for a party election rally. Lucia and Margarita Döller were suspended from playing for the club by an ally of Graf senior in the club for allegedly 'bringing the club into disrepute'. This included their participation in a demonstration against Graf being made the 3rd deputy speaker of Austrian parliament.
In addition, members of the AC Mauer U-18s, most prominently Sebastian Kugler, wore t-shirts protesting against this decision whilst warming up for a match against Hellas Kagran U-18s and were subsequently served with four-match suspensions by the Viennese Football Association. In a strange twist, the players were charged according to its rules regarding "racism and other prejudices", whilst the players facing disciplinary measures insist they were campaigning against a racist.