A year ago, a small Berlin-based left group, dominated by ex-members of the German "Mandelite" (orthodox Trotskyist - like the ex-IMG/Socialist Resistance in the UK) organisation took the initiative in calling for the building of a new left-wing party in Germany, separate from the Left Party, which is social democratic with a nostalgic Stalinist wing.
One of the originators of the idea, Michael Pruetz, is now on a tour around Germany to promote the idea and win more people to it.
The model seems to be the New Anticapitalist Party in France, which so far, at least, has not been as successful as predicted and seems to have reduced itself to an appendage of the French "Socialist" (social democratic) party. Only a few of the 26 Trotskyist groups in Germany have joined the discussion, but also an unexpectedly high number of "homeless" left-wing individuals. The basis may be too small to create a new party; it may turn out to be only a closer coordination of left-wing groups - but that could be better than nothing.
Some have emphasised theoretical/programmatic discussions, while others have argued that unity can only develop through common political activity.
Some want a clearly revolutionary (Trotskyist) organisation, while others want to include anyone left beside the Left Party, whether they are autonomist, guevarist, anarchist or even Stalinist. Some want to include the German Communist Party (DKP), though the DKP censors any Marxist critique from their website and is not interesting in the discussion. They are similar to the Greek and Portuguese CPs; they are undergoing a process of restalinisation. 50 percent of the party works with the ultra-Stalinist "Communist initiative" led by 95 year old Stalinist professor Kurt Gossweiler, who was an activist in the ruling party of Stalinist East Germany. Gossweiler has revived the Maoist idea that the USSR under Stalin was socialist, but that it ceased to be after Kruschev's "coup" at the 20th party congress in 1956. These people believe that pure Stalinist politic can resurrect communism as a world force!
So there is a realignment going on the Stalinist left, as well as the Trotskyist left. Which will succeed? Possibly neither But I think the initiative for a new revolutionary party is right, and responds to a real need, but that it will not work unless the basis is much broader. But "broad" should be not include Stalinists!
looks like that things didnt work out
hi sacha,
unfortunately u never did put this on the front side, as promised.
anyway, 2 month after i did send u this, it unfortunately looks like (but i suspected it) that things may not work out with a new anticapitalist organisation (NAO) in germany. the promotion tour which i mentioned in the article,was a failure. no more groups or individuals who joined the debate since then; no real new or innovating articles on the NAO-website anymore.
i dont know, if i shall give up any hope, but things dont look good for a new socialist formation- although the "left party" is in an heavy, even excistential crisis. but rev. groups dont benefit from that.
and if even the new anticapitalist party in france -who at least had the LCR-cadre as a stock, which was no very small group in france- seems on the way to failure, it dont wonder me, that in germany -where marxists, at least trotskytes, alwas have been very small in number- this cant come out of the blue.