Party platform

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A party program (also basic program ) is a political writing and contains the basic demands , goals and values ​​of a political party .

Form and functions

A party program is usually drawn up by an internal party policy committee and decided by a party congress . It constitutes the identity of a party, whereby it integrates different strivings internally and creates a demarcation from other political groups externally. A party program has a fundamental character and is therefore formulated in a relatively abstract way. As a rule, such a font is designed in such a way that it is valid for a long time. Answers to current political questions are therefore rarely given in a party platform.

A party program differs from an electoral program that is designed for the medium term for the duration of a legislative period and contains goals that are to be implemented within this period. The party program also differs from the party statutes (or party statutes ), in which the formal organization of the group is set out.

A variant of the party programs are so-called action programs , which have specific demands in different political areas and how election programs are designed in the medium term. Such publications have become less common recently and are being replaced by so-called position papers, which formulate concrete views and plans for action in a particular political sector. In their maximum form, they apply as a complete economic program , women's program , cultural program , agricultural program , etc. They can, however, also have a more limited scope and e.g. B. take a position on local politics, EU politics or the integration of foreigners.

Up until the second half of the 20th century, party programs were of essential ideological importance for the supporters of a party and had an extremely encouraging character. Today, however, a party is identified and elected to a greater extent by the electorate through its representatives and current politics. The representatives of a party, however, are required to orient themselves to the party program and to convey its contents through their actions and statements. Compliance with ideological guidelines is often problematic when decisions are to be made with regard to daily political reality that are difficult to reconcile with the general guidelines. Strong and constant deviations from the contents of the party program may be considered an indication of behavior that is harmful to the party and lead to exclusion from the party . If the real political conditions and the demands on political practice change over a longer period of time, a corresponding change or “course correction” in the basic program becomes apparent.

Traditionally, the name of the program shows where it was decided, making them distinctive. Increasingly, especially in Austria, the party programs (as well as the action and election programs as well as the position papers) are given names that refer to the content or the aim of the writing. The designation should convey the highest possible ideological value or express a special goal. So z. For example, the name Manifesto suggests that this particular program represents an ideological milestone. Names such as The Future is Green (Bündnis 90 / Die Grünen) or Austria Politically Renewing (FPÖ) are intended to convey that what is expressed will actually occur if the relevant policy is followed. Thus the names of the party programs also have advertising character.

Programs of German parties

Programs of Austrian Parties in the Second Republic

(The list contains the basic programmatic writings of all those parties that were ever represented in the Austrian parliament after the Second World War. Multiple years in a program mean that it is available in different versions.)

  • Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ)
    • Programmatic resolutions of the Hainfeld party congress 1888/89 (1892)
    • Program of the Social Democratic Workers' Party in Austria (1901)
    • Program of the Social Democratic Workers' Party in Austria (1926)
    • Action program of the Socialist Party of Austria (1947)
    • The party program (1958)
    • The party program of the SPÖ (1978)
    • Social Democratic Party Policy (1998)
  • Austrian People's Party (ÖVP)
    • Programmatic guiding principles (1945)
    • Everything for Austria (1952)
    • What we want (Innsbruck program) (1958)
    • Klagenfurt Manifesto (1965)
    • Salzburg Program (1972)
    • Policy Program (1995)
  • Association of Independents (VdU) (predecessor party of the FPÖ)
    • Association program (1949)
    • Social Manifesto (1950)
    • Ausseer Program (1954)
  • Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ)
    • Short program (1955/1956)
    • Guidelines for Liberal Politics in Austria (1957/1958)
    • Salzburg Confession (1964)
    • Bad Ischler program (1968/1970)
    • Freedom Manifesto on Social Policy (1973)
    • Renew Austria politically (Salzburg Program) (1985)
    • Program of the Freedom Party of Austria (1997/2005)
  • Liberal Forum (LIF)
    • The Program (1993)
    • Basic Program of the Liberal Forum (2009)
  • Alliance Future Austria (BZÖ)
    • Policy Program (2005/2006)
    • Program of the Alliance for the Future of Austria (2010)
  • Communist Party of Austria (KPÖ)
    • Programmatic Guidelines (1946)
    • The Road to Gaining and Securing Austria's Independence (1954)
    • Austria's Way to Socialism (1958)
    • Political-ideological principles (1974)
    • Socialism in Austria's colors (1982)
    • Basics of a reorientation (1994)
    • Claims program (2007)

Further

literature

The following works contain the texts of Austrian party programs:

  • Klaus Berchtold (ed.): Austrian party programs 1868–1966 . Oldenbourg, Munich 1967 (including an extensive part on party history).
  • Albert Kadan , Anton Pelinka : The basic programs of the Austrian parties. Documentation and analysis . Verlag Niederösterreichisches Pressehaus, Sankt Pölten 1979, ISBN 3-85326-485-9 .
  • Christoph Kotanko (Ed.): The agony of choice . The parties' programs in comparison. Czernin, Vienna 1999, ISBN 3-7076-0002-5 .

Web links

Wiktionary: party program  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Basic program of the Alternative for Germany, decided at the 5th Federal Party Congress in Stuttgart (.pdf)
  2. ↑ Heppenheim proclamation of the Free Democratic Party  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (.pdf)@1@ 2Template: Toter Link / www.thomas-dehler-stiftung.de  
  3. ↑ Berlin program of the Free Democratic Party  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (.pdf)@1@ 2Template: Toter Link / www.thomas-dehler-stiftung.de  
  4. ↑ Freiburg theses on the social policy of the Free Democratic Party  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (.pdf)@1@ 2Template: Toter Link / www.thomas-dehler-stiftung.de  
  5. ↑ Kiel Theses of the Free Democratic Party  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (.pdf)@1@ 2Template: Toter Link / www.thomas-dehler-stiftung.de  
  6. ↑ The Liberal Manifesto of the Free Democratic Party  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (.pdf)@1@ 2Template: Toter Link / www.thomas-dehler-stiftung.de  
  7. ^ Program of the Free Democratic Party “Wiesbaden Principles. For the liberal civil society ”  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (.pdf)@1@ 2Template: Toter Link / www.thomas-dehler-stiftung.de  
  8. ↑ "Responsibility for Freedom - Karlsruhe Theses of Freedom for an Open Civil Society" (.pdf)
  9. ^ Program of the Free Democratic Party “Responsibility for Freedom. Karlsruhe theses of freedom of the FDP for an open civil society. ”  ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (.pdf)@1@ 2Template: Toter Link / www.thomas-dehler-stiftung.de  
  10. ^ Current basic programs of the FDP