List of political parties in Germany
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This is a list of political parties in Germany.
Germany has a multi-party system, with two large parties, three substantial smaller parties, and a number of minor parties.
The parties
The following parties currently participate in the German parliament, the Bundestag, sorted by the number of seats (refer to the following links for details):
- Christian Democratic Union (CDU) / Christian Social Union (CSU) – conservative, right of center: 29.3 %, 180 seats and 7.5 %, 46 seats
- Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) – social democrat, left of center (however adopting more of a neoliberal ideology ): 34.3 %, 222 seats
- Free Democratic Party (FDP) – liberal: 9.8 %, 69 seats
- The Left Party (formerly the Party of Democratic Socialism) – socialist: 8.7 %, 54 seats
- Alliance '90/The Greens – green: 8.1 %, 51 seats
Other parties. In addition to those parties that won representation in the Bundestag in 2002, a variety of minor parties won a cumulative total of 3.0% of the vote, down from 5.9% in 1998. 22 other parties were on the ballot in one or more states, but not qualified for representation in the Bundestag. The right-wing parties (e.g. neo-Nazi) remained fragmented and ineffectual at the national level.
Minor Parties
More than 0.1 % of the vote at the last federal elections
- National Democratic Party of Germany (Nationaldemokratische Partei Deutschlands - NPD): 1.6 %
- The Republicans (Die Republikaner - REP): 0.6 %
- Grey Panthers Party of Germany (Die grauen Panther - GRAUE): 0.4 %
- Family Party of Germany (Deutsche Familienpartei): 0.4 %
- Animal Welfare Party of Germany (Tierschutzpartei): 0.2 %
- Party of Bible-Abiding Christians (Partei bibeltreuer Christen - PBC): 0.2 %
Others
- Anarchist Pogo Party of Germany (Anarchistische Pogo-Partei Deutschlands - APPD)
- Bavaria Party (Bayernpartei)
- German Centre Party (Deutsche Zentrumspartei - ZENTRUM)
- German Communist Party (Deutsche Kommunistische Partei - DKP)
- Christian Middle Party (Christliche Mitte - CM)
- Citizens make politics (Bürger machen Politik)
- Civil Rights Movement Solidarity (Bürgerrechtsbewegung Solidarität - BüSo)
- Ecological Democratic Party (Ökologisch-Demokratische Partei - ÖDP)
- Feminist Party of Germany (Feministische Partei - DIE FRAUEN)
- Free Voters Union (Freie Wähler)
- Labour and Social Justice Party (Arbeit & soziale Gerechtigkeit – Die Wahlalternative - WASG)
- Law and Order Offensive Party (Partei rechtsstaatlicher Offensive - Offensive D)
- Marxist Leninist Party of Germany (Marxistisch-Leninistische Partei Deutschlands - MLPD)
- Die Partei - party created by editors of the satirical magazine titanic
- Socialist Equality Party (Partei für Soziale Gleichheit - PSG)
- South Schleswig Voter Federation (Südschleswigscher Wählerverband - SSW) - this is the party of the danish minority in Germany
Historical parties
Parties existing before World War II
- Bavarian People's Party (BVP) - Bavarian Regionalist (1920-1933)
- Centre Party - Christian Democrat/Conservative (1871-1947)
- Communist Party of Germany (KPD) - Communist (1919-1956)
- Communist Party Opposition (KPO)- Communist
- Conservative People's Party (KVP)
- Free Conservative Party (FKP)
- General German Workers' Association (ADAV)
- Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany (USPD) - Socialist (1917-1922)
- German Conservative Party (DKP) - Conservative (before 1918)
- German Democratic Party (DDP) - Left-Liberal (1918-1930, became the German State Party, which lasted until 1933)
- German National People's Party (DNVP) - Nationalist-Conservative (1918-1933)
- German People's Party (DVP) - National-Liberal (1918-1933)
- German Progress Party (DFP) - Left-Liberal (before 1918)
- German Racialist Freedom Party (DVFP) - anti-semitic (early Weimar period)
- German Workers' Party (DAP) - precursor to the Nazi Party (1919)
- National Liberal Party - Right Liberal ( before 1918)
- National Socialist German Workers' Party - aka the Nazi Party (NSDAP) (1919-1945)
- Progressive People's Party
- Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD, still existing)
- Social Democratic Workers' Party of Germany (SDAP)
- Socialist Workers' Party of Germany (SAP)
Defunct parties in Western Germany
- German Party (DP) - Conservative
- German Empire Party (DRP) - Far right (1949-64)
- Communist Party of Germany (KPD) - Communist (1919-1956)
- Socialist Reich Party (SRP) - National Socialist
Parties in the GDR
As a socialist state
- Christian Democratic Union (CDU)
- Liberal Democratic Party of Germany (LDPD)
- Democratic Farmers' Party of Germany (DBD)
- National Democratic Party of Germany (NDPD)
- Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED)
During transition
- Alliance 90
- Alliance for Germany
- Association of Free Democrats
- Democracy Now
- Democratic Awakening
- East German Green Party
- Free Democratic Party
- German Forum Party
- German Social Union
- Initiative for Peace and Human Rights
- New Forum
See also
- Lists of parties by name of the party, country, ideology or by membership of internationals; categories by country and ideology.
- History of Germany since 1945
- Liberalism in Germany
External links
- Political Parties (Germany) - List of German political parties since 1949