Party of Reason

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Party of Reason
Partei der Vernunft
Leader Susanne Kablitz
General Secretary Gerhard Breunig
Deputy leaders Jörg Brechlin,
Volker Schäfer
Executive director Johannes Roßmanith
Treasurer Uwe Schröder
Additional executive committee members Rainer Hoffmann, Thomas Stahl, André Liedgens
Slogan "Wir lieben Freiheit."
(We love liberty.)
Founded May 30, 2009 (2009-05-30)
Headquarters Hauptstraße 9
D-78245 Hilzingen
Membership  (2011) > 1,000[1]
Ideology Libertarianism
International affiliation Interlibertarians[2]
European affiliation European Party for Individual Liberty (EPIL)[3]
Colors blue
Bundestag
0 / 620
Regional Parliaments
0 / 1,890
European Parliament
0 / 99
Website
www.parteidervernunft.de

The Party of Reason (German: Partei der Vernunft, PDV) is a libertarian political party in Germany founded in 2009 by the journalist and author Oliver Janich.[4][5] Oliver Janich resigned as Chairman in 2013 and was replaced by Prof. Norbert Geng.[6] In November 2013 Susanne Kablitz was elected leader.[7]

The party's policies are based on the Austrian School of economics. It campaigns for a minimal state, free markets, decentralization of political power and subsidiarity, direct democracy, transparency in the political decision-making process. It rejects nationalism, racism and any kind of anti-democratic politics, whether from left or right, and censorship of the internet.[8]

In September 2013, the PDV, together with libertarian parties from Spain (Partido de la Libertad Individual), France (Parti Libéral Démocrate) and the Netherlands (Libertarische Partij) signed The Utrecht Declaration and Covenant of European Classical Liberal and Libertarian Parties, establishing the European Party for Individual Liberty (EPIL).[9][10]

Elections

Party of Reason information booth about the European Stability Mechanism (ESM), Munich, June 2012.

In 2011, the PDV participated in the local elections in Lower Saxony, winning one seat in the Flecken Harsefeld municipal council, two seats in the Samtgemeinde Harsefeld municipal council, and a further seat in the Bremervörde municipal council.[11][12][13]

Harald Ebert, member of the City council of Erding, and former member of the Free Democratic Party (FDP), joined the PDV in 2012.[14][15][16]

The party's first participation in German state elections was in North Rhine-Westphalia on May 13, 2012, but it did not secure any seats in the Landtag.[17][18]

The PDV participated in the general election for the German Bundestag in September 2013,[19] attaining ballot access in four states (Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate),[20] and winning almost 25000 second votes (0.1%).[21] The party also fielded a number of direct candidates.[22]

At its party conference in November 2013, the PDV decided to stand in the 2014 European elections. Its lead candidate is Oliver Janich.[23]

Endorsement by Ron Paul

I applaud the PDV for crafting an outstanding manifesto for liberty. It calls for the rule of law; sound money; low taxes; and a noninterventionist defense policy. These principles apply to any free society, and they are the principles that libertarians must fight for around the world.[24]

Endorsements by economics professors

Endorsements include:[25]

  • Dr. Walter Block, Professor at Loyola University, New Orleans; and Senior Fellow of the Ludwig von Mises Institute, USA: "I like the manifesto very much. I support it enthusiastically."
  • Dr. Hans-Hermann Hoppe, Professor Emeritus at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas; President of the Property and Freedom Society; and Distinguished Fellow at the Ludwig von Mises Institute, USA: "I hope the Party of Reason and my friend Ron Paul in the United States are very successful. That would be very fortunate for Germany and the mindset that prevails there."
  • Dr. Jörg Guido Hülsmann (de), Professor at the University of Angers, France; Senior Fellow of the Ludwig von Mises Institute, USA; Vice President of the Property and Freedom Society; and Advisor of the Ludwig von Mises Institute, Germany: "The manifesto of the Party of Reason is outstanding. It is bold, visionary, and radical in the best sense of the word. It provides hope to see that there are people in Germany who don't want to simply continue applying short-term patches to the problems, which ultimately pushes us ever deeper into the abyss."
  • Dr. Thorsten Polleit (de), Professor at the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management; Chief Economist of Degussa Gold Dealership; President of the Ludwig von Mises Institute, Germany: "Convincing people of good and the right ideas will lead us to peace and prosperity. I wish the Party of Reason much success and staying power in this endeavor.

References

  1. ↑ Partei der Vernunft" gegründet (German), Stimme.de, June 25, 2011.
  2. ↑ "Interlibertarians Members". Interlibertarian.altervista.org. Retrieved 2013-06-17. 
  3. ↑ "The Utrecht Declaration and Covenant of European Classical Liberal and Libertarian Parties". Retrieved 2013-10-05. 
  4. ↑ Erben der FDP? (German), Telepolis, March 13, 2012.
  5. ↑ 30. Mai im Hambacher Schloß: Partei der Vernunft wird gegründet (German), May 25, 2009.
  6. ↑ http://www.parteidervernunft.de/geng-uebernimmt-bundesvorsitz/(German)
  7. ↑ http://www.parteidervernunft.de/parteitag-03-11-2013/(German)
  8. ↑ Manifesto - Partei der Vernunft
  9. ↑ https://www.facebook.com/notes/european-party-for-individual-liberty-epil/the-utrecht-declaration-and-covenant-of-european-classical-liberal-and-libertari/1421256691422684/
  10. ↑ http://www.parteidervernunft.de/epil/
  11. ↑ Election results of the 2011 local elections in Lower Saxony – Fleckenrat Harsefeld – Samtgemeinderat Harsefeld, harsefeld.de, accessed on April 12, 2012.
  12. ↑ Election results of the 2011 local elections in Lower Saxony – Fleckenrat Harsefeld, harsefeld.de, accessed on April 12, 2012.
  13. ↑ Election results of the 2011 local elections in Lower Saxony – Stadtrat Bremervörde und Ortsräte in den einzelnen Ortsteilen, bremervoerde.de, accessed on April 18, 2012.
  14. ↑ Das große Stühlerücken im Erdinger Stadtrat (German), Merkur online, September 30, 2011.
  15. ↑ Stadtrat, Stadt Erding, accessed on June 24, 2012.
  16. ↑ Landesvorstand Bayern (German), pdv, accessed on June 24, 2012.
  17. ↑ Parteien mit Landesliste im Überblick (3)(German), WDR, accessed on April 19, 2012.
  18. ↑ Preliminary results of the 2012 North Rhine-Westphalia state election; accessed on May 13, 2012.
  19. ↑ "Die Partei der Vernunft beschließt einstimmig die Teilnahme an der Bundestagswahl 2013" (in German). Parteidervernunft.de. 
  20. ↑ "Kandidaten zur Bundestagswahl am 22. September 2013" (in German). Parteidervernunft.de. 
  21. ↑ "Endgültiges Ergebnis der Bundestagswahl 2013" (in German). www.bundeswahlleiter.de. 
  22. ↑ "Kandidaten zur Bundestagswahl am 22. September 2013" (in German). Parteidervernunft.de. 
  23. ↑ http://www.parteidervernunft.de/parteitag-03-11-2013/(German)
  24. ↑ Paul, Ron. "Ron Paul und führende Ökonomen loben das Grundsatzprogramm der Partei der Vernunft" (in German). Parteidervernunft.de. Retrieved November 13, 2012. 
  25. ↑ Ron Paul und führende Ökonomen loben das Grundsatzprogramm der Partei der Vernunft, parteidervernunft.de, accessed on November 13, 2012.

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