Member survey | The Left: The Antifa party

There are many theories about what motivated roughly 60,000 people to join The Left Party in the last twelve months. Some claim that many of the new members came from the climate movement, having turned away from the Greens in disappointment. Others say it was Heidi Reichenke's "To the Barricades" speech that triggered the boom. There's probably no single reason for The Left Party's success. That would be too simple.

What is now available, however, is the evaluation of a member survey conducted by the party executive committee between April and July. 11,500 members completed the online questionnaire; just over 10 percent of the membership. Three-quarters of these are new members; for the purposes of this evaluation, this includes all those who joined after the party conference in Halle. Those who were already members of the Left Party before that are counted as existing members in the survey.

In terms of basic structural data, the new and old Left parties hardly differ. A third of the membership lives in the 14 largest German cities with over 500,000 inhabitants, and 20 percent in cities with over 100,000 inhabitants. The party is underrepresented in villages and small towns. Approximately 50 percent of the membership is employed. Ten percent are unemployed. The proportion of students and trainees is higher among the new members, while there are more retirees among the existing members. It is interesting to see in which sectors the Left Party members work. Twenty percent of the new members work in education, and a total of 17 percent of the members work in this field. Among the total working population, this figure is only around five percent. Approximately 15 percent of the new Left Party members work in the health and care sector. This figure is 11.8 percent for the party as a whole. This is slightly below the proportion of those employed in health and care among all employed persons. Industrial workers and union members are underrepresented in the Left Party's membership. Less than five percent of Left Party members work in industry and manufacturing. Among the total number of employed people, this figure is over 12 percent. 7.4 percent of Left Party members report being active in a union, although the study's authors clarify that "active" can range from mere union membership to full-time union work. Approximately 17 percent of the working population is unionized.

Theories such as the claim that many new leftists were previously active in the climate movement are not supported by the membership survey. Previous party memberships are almost nonexistent, and only 0.4 percent of new members are or were active in the climate movement. Among existing members, this figure is 1.5 percent. Only 0.2 percent of new members feel affiliated with the peace movement, compared to 2.3 percent of existing members. Interestingly, the older the members are, the more strongly they identify with the peace movement. Among those over 60, 4.2 percent feel affiliated with the peace movement. Remarkably, solidarity with Palestine is not mentioned in the membership survey.

The issue that most resonates with both new and existing members is antifascism. 2.6 percent of new members and 7.3 percent of existing members report already being active in this area, with activities ranging from autonomous groups to membership in the VVN/BdA (Association of Victims of the Nazi Regime/Federation of Antifascists). When asked about topics that interest them, 78 percent of new members indicated an interest in antifascism. Among existing members, this figure is 60 percent. Interest in antifascism is equally high regardless of members' age or profession. While members could offer a wide range of answers regarding their interests – social issues, education, and housing were frequently mentioned – they were asked to name only one topic on which they would like to become active within the party. Here, too, antifascism was the most frequently cited topic (14 percent). Eleven percent want to be active in the area of ​​social issues. All other topics were mentioned by single-digit percentages. Twenty percent of members did not name a topic.

Members were also asked whether they wanted to become active in the party. About a third would prefer to be contacted by the party. Two-thirds could imagine participating in events sporadically. Only five percent could not imagine becoming active. The responses regarding time commitment varied widely. About 15 percent wanted to be active for the party weekly, approximately 40 percent about once a month, and another 35 percent at individual events. When asked how they wanted to be active, 70 percent indicated they would like to provide support behind the scenes. Slightly fewer wanted to help at individual events or work on specific issues. Only 18 percent of members were interested in door-to-door canvassing, a major part of the federal election campaign. Interestingly, 22 percent of younger members under 30 wanted to campaign door-to-door. Among members over 50, this figure was only ten percent. Left Party chairwoman Ines Schwerdtner commented: "Those who have participated in door-to-door canvassing once always come back." Through the tireless dedication of our many comrades, politics becomes tangible and reaches those who need to have an impact: the people. This, he said, is the foundation of the party. Regarding the membership survey as a whole, Schwerdtner stated: "Many people are getting involved because they refuse to accept the dismantling of the welfare state and the rise of authoritarian forces in Germany and elsewhere. For our members, social justice and antifascism are inextricably linked."