Young Socialists in the SPD

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Young Socialists in the SPD


Chairperson	Franziska Drohsel


Mother party	Social Democratic Party of Germany
International affiliation	International Union of Socialist Youth, IUSY
European affiliation	Young European Socialists, ECOSY

Website	jusos.de

Jungsozialistinnen und Jungsozialisten in der SPD (Young Socialists in the SPD) (generally called Jusos) is the youth organization of the German Social Democratic party (SPD).

The Jusos see temselves as a socialist and feminist association within the SPD. Generally far more left-wing in their approach to current events than their mother party, Jusos tend to criticize leading politicians, whatever their affiliation. They are decidedly socialist in the traditional sense of the word: in the 1990s there were even some Marxist factions. The chairman of the Jusos is currently Franziska Drohsel.

Today nearly 70,000 people are listed as members of the Jusos, more than the entire current membership of the FDP (the third largest German Party).

1 Membership
2 History
- 2.1 1918-1969
- 2.2 Turning left in 1969
3 External links

[edit] Membership

Every member of the SPD, which is younger than 35 years, is automatically a member of the Jusos. Since 1994 there is also the possibility for people under 35 to become just a member of the Jusos. This membership is free, bur it ends after 2 times 2 years.

[edit] History

[edit] 1918-1969

The Jusos were founded between 1918 and 1920, when groups of members of the SPD between 20 and 25 years met. In terms of figures the Jusos stayed insignificantly, they had between 3,000 and 5,000 members. In the course of a internal controversy they were dissolved in 1931.

After the end of the Second World War, the Jusos were refounded in 1946. In the first years, they were quite loyal to the SPD.

[edit] Turning left in 1969

In 1969 the Jusos turned left. On their Bundeskongress they decided to become a left political federation instead of being an obedient youth of the party. Since then, the Jusos see temselves as a socialist and feminist association within the SPD.