United Left (East Germany)
![]() | This article does not cite any sources. (February 2007) |
United Left Vereinigte Linke | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Founded | 2 October 1989 |
Dissolved | ~1992 |
Membership (1989) | 1,500 |
Ideology | Communism Socialism Trotskyism Christian socialism |
Colors | Red |
|
The United Left (German: Vereinigte Linke) was an alliance of several leftist opposition groupings in the German Democratic Republic. Among them were Christian Socialists, Trotskyists, adherents of the Titoistic system of self-management and some Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) members, who were critical of their party's policy.
History[]
Founded on October 2, 1989, only a few weeks before the fall of the Berlin Wall, the United Left demanded a reformation of socialism with the stated goal of creating a free and democratic GDR. At the end of the year 1989 the party had 1500 members with focal points in Berlin and Halle. In contrast to other East German opposition groups, the United Left received less support from Western governments and political parties. Organisational issues and internal tensions between the various ideological factions meant that the United Left only achieved limited political success during its existence.
At the first free elections in the GDR in March 1990, the United Left started together with " " ("The Carnations"), a Marxist party. The electoral alliance with the name " " gained 0.18% of the votes and one seat in the Volkskammer. The United Left fell apart in the years after German reunification, but some members were elected to the Bundestag through a party-list of the PDS or The Greens.
Election results[]
GDR Parliament (Volkskammer)[]
Election year | # of votes | % of votes | # of seats won | +/− | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1990 | 20,342 | 0.2 | 1 / 400
|
References[]
- 1989 disestablishments in East Germany
- Defunct left-wing political party alliances
- Defunct political party alliances in Germany
- Defunct socialist parties in Germany
- Democracy movements
- Democratic socialist parties in Europe
- Organizations of the Revolutions of 1989
- Peaceful Revolution
- Political opposition organizations
- Political parties established in 1989
- Political parties in East Germany
- United fronts