Social liberalism
As a left-wing liberalism or social liberalism, a political trend today is called that connects elements liberalism and left-wing politics. The modern Left liberalism attempts to achieve both negative freedom ( freedom from something, such as defense of government intervention ) and positive freedom ( freedom to something, such as entitlement to state benefits ).
Historically, however, left liberalism is not the same as social liberalism. So in the second half of the 19th century resolute liberals like Eugen Richter have indeed criticized the reactionary policies of the conservative elites, but at the same time rejected the creation of a welfare state. Only at the beginning of the 20th century representing leading liberals such as Theodor Barth and Friedrich Naumann increased socio-political positions. Today, liberals call often as radically democratic, in which is expressed that citizens should gain much more influence on government action, such as an expansion of plebiscitary instruments.
History of left-wing liberalism in Germany
From the consideration of the political history of Germany in the 20th century, the following characteristics of left liberalism arise:
- A "social opening ", which initially led to an acceptance of state intervention in economic life and later to its own demands for its extension,
- Enter into a willingness alliances or coalitions with the Social Democrats, which manifested itself, among other things in runoff agreement at the general election in 1912 or the formation of the Weimar Coalition 1919 - guided by the conviction of the left liberals, "you directed to the whole society reform program primarily together with the to realize social democracy. "
- A high affinity for pacifist positions: the first to be regarded as "bourgeois reform movement " peace movement was - apart from religiously motivated groups - mainly supported by left-wing liberals.
A process called " social liberalism " to be designated flow can be observed in Germany since the mid -19th century. Efforts to find a liberal answer to the social question, led in 1873 to the founding of the Association for Social Policy. The Hirsch - Duncker clubs formed in 1868 are attributable to the social-liberal spectrum.
German Empire
In the German Empire (1871-1918) there was a large fragmentation of the liberal party spectrum with numerous spin-offs and start-ups. Are designated as left liberal for this time usually the groupings - often under the label liberal or progressive -. Organized " in a conscious distancing " supportive of the Bismarck and regarded as conservative National Liberal Party Renowned left-liberal politicians of this era were Eugen Richter, Theodor Barth, Franz August von Stauffenberg and Friedrich Naumann. founded by Naumann 1896 National Social club was the first to bourgeois party, a social-liberal orientation, and brought by his 1903 occurred following the liberal Association this flow in the left-liberal political spectrum better advantage, while there until then possessed " struggle for political freedoms unique priority " in relation to the social question. 1910 joined the various left-wing liberal parties with the exception of the small Democratic Association together for Progressive People's Party. since then is in German journalism and literature predominantly the term "left liberalism " to identify this flow used.
Weimar Republic
(: German State Party since 1930 DDP) viewed as a left- liberal in contrast to a designated fairly liberal German People's Party ( DVP ) for the period of the Weimar Republic (1919-1933 ), the German Democratic Party is. Among the founders DDP included the sociologist Max Weber, the lawyer and father of the Weimar Constitution Hugo Preuss and former National Social Friedrich Naumann.
Important for the development of the Weimar Left Liberalism Anton Erkelenz was, from 1923 to 1929 Chairman of the party executive of the DDP and leader of the liberal Hirsch-Duncker Trade Unions until their ban in 1933.
Another significant left-liberal personality in this period of time shall Ludwig Quidde, the Nobel Peace Prize - winner of the year 1927. It was in 1930 also involved, as the left wing of the DDP split off part of its transformation into the state party and founded the pacifist -oriented Radical Democratic Party, the however, in the critical final stages of the Republic remained meaningless.
Resistance and Exile 1933-1945
The organized left-wing liberalism has left almost no trace in the fight against the Nazi regime. To be mentioned are only individual personalities and their use, including the work of Hellmut von Gerlach in exile in Paris, which was very active there in the League for Human Rights and proportion attended the Nobel Prize Campaign for Carl von Ossietzky or the operating mainly in northern Germany Robinsohn - Strassmann group, which consisted mainly of former members of the DDP and its youth organization.
Federal Republic of Germany
With the FDP founded in 1948 for the first time succeeded in creating a party that encompassed the entire liberal spectrum. In the initial phase of the political orientation of the national associations differed in some cases considerably, with left-liberal traditions, especially in Baden- Württemberg and the city states of Hamburg and Bremen were predominant, whereas especially in North Rhine -Westphalia and Hesse showed strong National Liberal tendencies.
More of the left wing of the FDP since the mid-1960s during the time of emergency laws, the grand coalition and the extra-parliamentary opposition, as part of the student moving forces, pursued less revolutionary than reformist strategies, the FDP and / or the Young Democrats joined.
At the most politically influential was the left-wing liberalism in the Federal Republic of Germany 1969-1982, when the FDP with the SPD formed the Social Liberal coalition and with the 1971 adopted Freiburg Theses - flanked by the " polemic " Still a chance for the Liberals her then Secretary-General Karl - Hermann Flach - a " democratic and social liberalism " known.
The as a " turning point" marked change in course in 1982, which led to the end of the social-liberal coalition at the federal level and an alliance between the Liberals and the CDU / CSU, was partially supported by the left wing of the FDP. Subsequently, many liberals left the Free Democrats and contributed to the history of the FDP biggest decline in membership at.
The become known since the 2009 European elections Pirate Party could develop into more of a left-liberal than an anarchist group due to their base. Various representatives of pirates like to use the term for themselves. The National Congress of North Rhine- Westphalia decided a position paper, which states that he is " the Pirate Party Germany in the self (...) as a socially liberal party " considered on 5 April 2014.
Links Liberal parties outside Germany
For a long time the left-wing liberalism was strongly rooted in the form of radicalism, especially in France. The most important historical proponent of radicalism was the " Radical Party ", which for many decades - dominated French politics - until the middle of the 20th century. The Radical Party was the representative of the "radical" middle class, which looks back on a long tradition in France as opposed to socialist or communist tendencies.
In several European countries there are currently represented in the parliaments of liberal parties, the left of center position and usually a more right-wing Liberal Party are facing. These are, for example, the small Parti Radical de Gauche in France, which considers itself as the ideological successor of the Radical Party, the Demokraci in Poland, which had emerged from the liberal and standing in government until the mid- 1990s Unia Wolności and partly of the liberal conservative prestigious Platforma Obywatelska of Prime Minister Donald Tusk face, the 66 democrats in the Netherlands or Det radical Venstre in Denmark, which can be classified as the most left -liberal parties in Europe. For the determination of its political position Left liberalism are used, among other terms such as social, progressive, radical or new liberalism in these countries instead of the standard in Germany terminus.