Germany: Socialist Equality Party submits candidates for the European elections
By
our reporters
6 March 2019
On Monday, the Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei (Socialist Equality Party, SGP) submitted the final supporting signatures to the Federal Returning Officer in Wiesbaden for its participation in the European elections. With 4,560 valid signatures, it has far exceeded the necessary number of 4,000, thus fulfilling all the prerequisites to appear on the ballot on May 26 with its 11 candidates throughout Germany.
The SGP’s participation in the election is part of an offensive by the International Committee of the Fourth International against the growing nationalism in Europe. Together with its sister parties in France and Britain, the SGP is fighting for a socialist response to the capitalist crisis. “Only in this way can the relapse into fascist barbarism and war be prevented,” says the SGP election statement.
“The great response we have received to our socialist perspective in collecting the signatures proves that workers are not prepared to accept the rightward shift of the establishment,” said SGP chairman Ulrich Rippert. “All over Europe, fierce class struggles are breaking out. Now, it is important to arm the working class with a socialist programme.”
The party collected a significant number of signatures during last week’s strikes and outside countless factories where workers face mass layoffs and pay cuts. It was supported by workers because it criticized the nationalist and pro-business policies of the trade unions and promoted independent action committees.
For example, workers at Ford in Cologne are faced with radical job cuts, for which the IG Metall union bears full responsibility. Corporate headquarters, which paid out $2.3 billion to…