Political color

A political color is an identification color that is intended to represent a certain political orientation and thus a political party (as a party color) or movement. At the international level, parties with similar ideologies often use the same colors.

Colors in Germany

In Germany the following colors are used by the major parties:

blue

The color blue is assigned to the CSU (alongside black as part of the parliamentary group with the CDU) and, since 2013, to the alternative for Germany . In 2017, the then AfD chairwoman Frauke Petry founded the blue party and thus split off from the AfD. Also in the all-German bloc / federation of expellees and disenfranchised (dark blue), the South Schleswig voter association (blue-yellow) and the Statt Party , blue was or is the basic color.

In other European countries, blue is used almost exclusively by liberal parties . a. from the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Europe . In the European Union , the Council of Europe and the United Nations , blue is used in the external presentation of the respective institutions. The European flag (Council of Europe & EU) and the symbol of the UN are blue, as it is considered the color of peace alongside white.

brown

In the Weimar Republic , the National Socialist SA used brown shirts that initially came from leftovers from the German protection forces in the colonies. The NSDAP used the nationalist black-white-red , their flag became the national flag of the German Reich .

Right-wing extremist parties in the Federal Republic of Germany such as DVU , NPD and Republicans do not use or did not use brown themselves , but red (NPD) or black-red-yellow (DVU, Republicans) , but are still associated with the color brown for historical parallels. A “brown ideology” or “brown conviction” is colloquial and casual in the present day for a National Socialist or National Socialist political attitude.

The satirical party The PARTY also plays with black-white-red symbolism.

yellow

In Europe, in contrast to other cultures, yellow was previously associated with socially marginalized and outlawed people. For example, prostitutes had to wear a yellow headscarf or women with illegitimate children had to wear yellow clothes. During the German Empire and the Weimar Republic , the color yellow was considered the “color of traitors ”. The so-called Werksgemeinschaften were discredited with this color (see Volksgemeinschaft # Im Deutschen Kaiserreich ). The yellow star was also in yellow.

As early as the 19th century, yellow or gold was established as the color of liberalism (in Germany see the strongly nationalized black-red-gold ). Since the state elections in Baden-Württemberg in 1972 , yellow has been used politically in Germany by the Free Democratic Party (Free Democrats, FDP) as the party color.

green

In Germany, too, the color green is assigned to the “green” party Bündnis 90 / Die Grünen . This is due to the association of the color green with nature and vegetation. Hardly any other party relies on its traditional color as intensively and over the long term as "The Greens".

orange

The color orange is historically largely unaffected. But it has only recently come to the fore on the political level. For example, the CDU introduced the color orange as the main color during the 2004 European elections . The color established itself, so that, for example, the flags in front of the Konrad-Adenauer-Haus in Berlin have been waving in orange for a long time. It is supposed to symbolize vacation, sun and energy and, according to its own statements, is very suitable as another key color besides black.

In addition to the CDU, the color orange is increasingly associated with the Pirate Party Germany (founded in 2006). Much of the party's logo contains this color. The Ecological Democratic Party (ÖDP) has also chosen orange as the “native” party color . The family party also uses orange as the party color. Sometimes at the municipal level or by individual representatives of political groups of the Free Voters who do not have an official color, orange is referred to as a distinguishing feature (see also Bundesverband Free Voters Germany ).

red

The color red has long been a symbol of the right to rule . It was first used as a symbol of emancipation on Jacobin hats during the French Revolution in the 19th century. Silk workers demonstrated in red at the workers' uprisings in Lyon. The red flag was first used in Germany in the revolutionary year of 1848 , but over time it was replaced by the black, red and gold flag as a strongly national emancipation symbol.

Since 1863, red was the color of the General German Workers' Association and later the traditional color of the Social Democratic Party of Germany . During the ban on the SPD, state authorities took legal action against red flags and banners. After the First World War , the SPD only used the color red internally, as the flaming communism , from which the SPD distanced itself, was associated with this color. Red banners were part of everyday life in the GDR , which was shaped by communism . Because of this, the color red was only used discreetly in the Federal Republic , also because of the National Socialist past.

1930s
1968

Currently, Die Linke (except in the logo) and the SPD prefer the color red for their external presentation. The CDU uses red for its lettering, which, according to marketing analyzes, has become a permanent trademark.

violet

As a “spiritual” color, purple has a long tradition as a Christian liturgical color .

The small party Die Violetten - for spiritual politics the color leads in the name. The party also uses volt violet in its logo. The color is traditionally often used in the international women's movement .

black

In the past, the color black had several political meanings. The black star has been a symbol of anarchism since the beginning of modern times .

Likewise, fascist movements in Italy used black and black shirts as a uniform symbol.

At the present time in Germany, the “blacks” are understood to mean the Christian Democratic Union of Germany or its sympathizers. The CSU is often shown in black in the parliamentary group together with the CDU.

The color black was not determined by the CDU itself, but assigned by political opponents. Since conservatism came from the Christian milieu and was thus associated with priests who wore the color black, the color established itself. For this reason, the CDU rarely uses black for its external image. However, the party's youth organization, the Junge Union (JU) , began building a trademark out of the color black in 2004 by launching a major campaign with the slogan “ Black is beautiful ” . The color black stands next to grief and depression for strength and power, the two qualities with which the Christian Democratic Party of Germany would like to identify.

Colors of parties of other countries

Australia

Italy

Communists and Socialists ( Rifondazione Comunista , Partito dei Comunisti Italiani ): red
Fascists (historically, Movimento Sociale-Fiamma Tricolore ): black
Catholic party: white (also red)
Forza Italia : light blue
Social Democrats ( Partito Democratico ): white, red and green
Lega Nord (Autonomous) and Federazione dei Verdi (environmentalists): green
Five star movement : yellow
Anarchists: red and black