HANOVER — Germany's Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS) held its seventh congress in the town of Cottbus, in former East Germany, on October 14-15. The party drew a balance sheet of its 10 years of existence, elected a new party chairperson and national executive, and decided the tasks of the party for the period until the next federal election in autumn 2002.
PDS chairperson Lothar Bisky and parliamentary group head Gregor Gysi announced the withdrawal from their posts in April, making a change of leadership necessary at the congress. On the proposal of the party national executive, an overwhelming majority of delegates (93.3%) elected Gabi Zimmer as PDS chairperson — the highest vote ever for a candidate for the post.
Holding the post of PDS national vice-president since 1997, Zimmer was the "designated chairwoman". She had successfully presented her moderate left political credo at the preceding 10 regional party conferences.
Zimmer, a graduate translator, was member of the former East German Socialist Unity Party (SED) before 1989 but her political career only began with the founding of the PDS. For nearly 10 years, she has chaired the PDS organisation and its parliamentary group in the state of Thuringia. Under her leadership, the party's electoral support rose from 9.7% in 1990 to 21.4% in 1999, making it the state's second most popular party after governing conservative Christian Democrats (CDU), and leaving the Social Democrats (SPD) in third place with 18.5%.
In line with the quota system set down in the PDS constitution, the congress elected one woman and two men as vice chairpersons. These are Petra Pau, vice-chair of the PDS federal parliamentary group, Dr Diether Dehm, a former left Social Democrat, Professor Peter Porsch, chair of the PDS organisation and parliamentary group in Saxonia. Porsch calls for a socialism that is "free of ideologies".
"Extreme pragmatists" Dr Dietmar Bartsch, a member of the federal parliament, and Uwe Hobler were re-elected to the posts of party secretary and treasurer.
The PDS national executive, as before, consists of 18 members including the six named above. Fifty per cent of the members are newcomers. The quota of a minimum 50% women as demanded by the constitution was met. The majority of the PDS national executive do not promote the party as a radical opposition but favour reform via forming coalitions with SPD and the Greens.
Outgoing party chairperson Bisky said in his enthusiastically applauded speech that he and Gregor Gysi intend to remain politically active in the PDS. He advised the party to keep gaining profile as a party of peace, social justice and anti-fascism, and to be the authentic defender of the interests of the people in the former East Germany. He stressed that the PDS should also fight for social, ecological and democratic change throughout Germany.
Bisky demanded that the PDS and all anti-fascist democratic forces learn the lessons of the 1920s and 1930s when Communists and Social Democrats saw each other as the main enemy and allowed the Nazis to take the upper hand. The present increase in right-wing extremist activities urgently calls for closer co-operation between all democratic forces.
Bisky reaffirmed his belief in a socialist future for Germany. The PDS must create a vision for a socialist society that answers the hopes of the people. He also promised that the PDS will stay remain an internationalist party. It is necessary that the left throughout the world unite to challenge capital-dominated globalisation. Bisky thanked the parties and movements who had lent the PDS support and solidarity in its hardest times and pledged to continue to give the same solidarity to other parties and organisations.
New party chair Zimmer described the PDS as a party of "active tolerance, practical solidarity, pluralism and civilised debate". Such a party is needed to make Germany a land of social justice, solidarity, education and culture, and a country with close links to all its neighbours in Europe.
The PDS has developed into a socialist people's party that is accepted by people from all social classes and groups, Zimmer said. The fact that it has been receiving up to 40% of the vote in parts of former East Germany is due to its character as a "people's party".
Zimmer stated that she does not see a danger of the "social-democratisation" of the PDS. She stated that the PDS is not communist and not social democratic, but a party adhering to democratic socialism. It co-operates with the SPD where there is a chance to bring real progress in the creation of jobs, securing good pensions, medical treatment and education for all. It refuses to cooperate where the result would be cuts in social services, marginalisation of people, restriction of civil rights and liberties, reduction of the state's social responsibilities, gifts to the rich and big companies, and achieving Germany's "big power ambitions".
A major resolution — "Germany needs more socialist politics" — adopted by a big majority of the delegates described the aims of the party at the municipal, regional and national levels. It stated that the PDS will consider "a centre-left option" in medium-term German politics.
In response to the alarming growth of right-wing extremist violence in Germany, the congress unanimously adopted a resolution on anti-fascist resistance. It called for the broadest possible alliances to be built and that the diversity and internal contradictions within them "be met with due consideration". Strategies must help create a social climate that ostracises all kinds of nationalism, xenophobia, racism and violence in Germany and throughout Europe.
The PDS seventh congress may prove to be a decisive point in the history of the party. For 10 years the PDS has struggled for its mere survival and to define itself. That period has come to an end. The party now sees itself as part of German society, which can be won to a socialist perspective.
This perspective may win support for the PDS from more people that still orientate to the ruling SPD and Greens. But it may also alienate left-wing voters and supporters who see the new party line as merely reformist and not a radical challenge to the neo-liberal capitalist goals of the SPD-Greens government.
A special edition of the German language magazine Disput, with all congress documents and contributions, is available at <http://www.pds-online.de>.
BY EKKEHARD JAENICKE