Virtual party structure
As virtual local clubs, virtual regional associations, internet regional associations or “17. Landesverband ”is the name given to projects of various parties to operate structures maintained over the Internet and thus to involve people who cannot or do not want to participate in material party structures. In the late 1990s in particular, the techniques required for such experiments became available to the general public. Basically, the virtual party divisions anticipated approaches that are now known as "Web 2.0". This includes communication and interaction between the members and visitors themselves via the Internet "at eye level". At that time, party communication took place primarily via magazines, newsletters and the general media, to which functionaries and members of parliament had access. The ordinary member was usually only able to speak at meetings and party congresses, at which functionaries usually receive privileged speaking time and the individual contribution is often lost:
"What is emerging here with the departure from the territorial principle and full membership is downright revolutionary with regard to the conventional party organization."
VOV of the SPD
history
The “virtual local association” of the SPD was considered a pioneer of digital party organizations. On the initiative of the then SPD member of the Bundestag Jörg Tauss , who launched an appeal on June 16, 1995, the VOV was founded as an association of people who belonged to the Social Democratic Party of Germany ( SPD ) or were close to it and (also) wanted to work together via the Internet . Membership was open to everyone who professes the basic values and principles of the SPD. In 2012 the local association stopped its activities.
Party legal position
In agreement with the SPD, the working group was named "Virtual Local Association of the SPD - VOV"; However, the working group was not a local association in the sense of the statutes of the SPD and was therefore not eligible to apply at party congresses .
Nevertheless, the VOV saw itself as part of the party work; the organizational basis were the principles for the work of the project groups in the SPD.
communication
The members of the VOV communicated directly with the help of internal mailing lists and publicly in newsgroups . The political discussions focused on computer-aided communication and the development of the information society, but did not exclude other topics. In particular, the possibilities of electronic media for political work have been researched / tested, u. a. through the VOV's internal democratic self-organization with votes and elections . The development of concepts and positions for the development of the information society with its social and economic issues was another focus of the work. The acquired know-how was used for public relations work and made available to the various branches of the SPD.
This working group was chaired by Sascha Boerger and Maritta Strasser .
LV17 of the PDS
history
The Internet regional association was initiated in 2001 by Pia Maier (Member of the Bundestag) and other PDS members, some of whom also participated in the Internet project dol2day . The then party chairman Lothar Bisky soon appeared as patron of the project . Arne List (PDS Kiel), Gert Selig (constituency employee of the then Bundestag Vice President Petra Bläss ), Jutta Vieth (PDS NRW) and Helge Meves, who was considered the "engine" of LV17 from the beginning and later one of the founders of the WASG, quickly became spokesmen . The LV17 had about twelve members who were not registered with any district association of the PDS, but directly with the federal executive committee. After Meves lost an appeal against the LV17 board elections at the PDS Federal Arbitration Commission at the end of 2003 and there were no members to continue the LV17, the regional association 17 was dissolved by the PDS federal board in 2004.
Party legal position
During its existence, LV 17 referred to itself as a “state association in the process of being established”, statuary settled with the status of the federal working groups of the PDS. On this unclear basis, the LV17 also sent delegates to the federal party congress and the federal party council for a short time.
communication
The LV 17 communicated via mobile telephony, an anonymous mailing list, a weekly board chat in different implementations as well as a largely public discussion forum on the associated website.
FDP LV Net
history
The foundation goes back to Alexander Graf Lambsdorff , who suggested it in 2000 and is now honorary chairman of LV Net. His first deputy, Maja Pfister , was chairwoman from 2005 to 2010. This office was taken over by Manuel Höferlin in 2010 (from 2009 to 2013 and member of the Bundestag since 2017), who today leads and represents the FDP LV Net as its chairman.
Party legal position
The Internet national association is a national association within the meaning of the statute, albeit with limited rights. The party states on its official website that it has 17 regional associations. The members of the executive committee are automatically delegates for the federal party congress. In addition, the chairman is automatically a member of the FDP federal executive committee.
Although the federal party congress supported the national party congress by a majority, the right to propose to the federal party congress did not meet the quorum required for proposing amendments to the statutes. This means that the LVNET does not yet have its own right of application, but it is to be expected that this right, which has already been welcomed by a majority, will also be resolved with the necessary quorum at the next federal party conference.
communication
The FDP LV Net has a website at the URL lvnet.fdp.de. Communication takes place via the liberal online platform my.fdp.de. There the FDP LV Net has its own protected area in which the members can discuss and hold virtual party conferences. A “data treasurer” is responsible for securing member data. The statutes of the FDP LV Net provide for a distinction between voting members and supporting members who are authorized to discuss. This distinction has not yet been implemented, so that the LV Net currently only consists of voting members.
Other concepts
CDU
The CDU Hessen has had a "virtual network" since June 2016, which is open to members of the CDU Hessen who do not live in Hessen, with a structure similar to that of a classic district association and with similar rights and obligations.
The virtual platform Wahlkreis 300 previously existed . This was already exposed to plagiarism allegations in its beta phase and for this reason was infiltrated by members of the political community dol2day . The platform is now deactivated. However, since August 2007 there has been www.cdu-politik.de, a blog / forum operated by basic members of the CDU.
WASG
Without anchoring it in statuary, the young WASG party ran an extensive intranet with discussion offers soon after it was founded, through which working groups and proposals for party conferences were developed and coordinated. The partly complete or partisan public offer was gradually expanded.
NPD
The NPD does not engage in any such activities. However, the non-party Störtebeker network has a similar function for the right-wing extremist scene.
Public acceptance of the Internet party structures
The Internet outlines did not gain permanent media coverage. In the early days in particular, they were mentioned in the general press, in specialist magazines on the Internet and computers, in party-affiliated publications and in the emerging Internet magazines and, from 2002, in “blogs”.
The concept of a special Internet structure was met with criticism in some cases.
Playground
Some critics see internet state associations as playgrounds for people who cannot assert themselves in normal party situations due to personal weaknesses. They are pushing into virtual platforms, where access is easy and competition is smaller, but where more qualified people do not find any material incentive to crowd out errands. This criticism was primarily directed at the PDS regional internet association.
Unfavorable / outdated construct
Other critics consider the idea of a special Internet structure as an exception to the territorial structure to be an unfavorable or outdated construct. On the one hand, email lists, groupware systems, blogs, etc. have now established themselves in the traditional party structures. The classic party media are partly accompanied by an online edition or a forum / blog. This calls into question the special meaning of an exclusively virtual special structure. The unclear assignment of tasks somewhere between the “test center for new work equipment”, “competence center online topics” and “digital flagship” frustrates the members of the online branches and makes it difficult for party officials to constructively integrate the internet branches into party work. These platforms are particularly unattractive for members with career ambitions if - as with the PDS - they make access to traditional party structures with "real" offices and mandates more difficult.
Further developments
The Linkspartei.PDS has meanwhile given up its virtual platform again. Of the platforms originally founded, the LV-Net of the FDP is currently still active. The virtual divisions have partially succeeded in modernizing party communication. For a real influence within the parties "the formalization within proven structures seems to be inevitable".
Web links
Single receipts
- ↑ a b c d e f Claus Leggewie / Christoph Bieber : Interactive Democracy. Political online communication and digital political processes , in: From Politics and Contemporary History (B 41-42 / 2001)
- ↑ Helge Meves: The network belongs to those who use it . In: Trend. Online newspaper for everyday anger . No. 10/2001, October 2001.
- ^ Sozialisten.de: By-elections for the speakers' council of the 17th regional association iG not in accordance with the statutes ( 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. , November 1, 2003.
- ^ Pitt Von Bebenburg: CDU in Hessen: Virtual Association of the CDU . In: fr-online.de . June 19, 2016 ( fr.de [accessed September 19, 2016]).
- ↑ Campaign Page - Virtual Network: Virtual Network - START. In: www.virnet.de. Retrieved September 19, 2016 .
- ↑ Spiegel Online: Who sows wrong, reaps trouble , May 2, 2002.
