Der Wandel

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Wandel
LeaderFayad Mulla
Founded7 September 2012
HeadquartersStuckgasse 9/1b, Vienna
IdeologyProgressivism[1]
Egalitarianism
Post-capitalism
Environmentalism
Pro-Europeanism
Political positionLeft-wing[2]
European affiliationDemocracy in Europe Movement 2025
Party of the European Left (partner)
Website
https://www.derwandel.at/

Wandel (English: Change) is an Austrian left-wing and progressive political party led by Fayad Mulla.[3] It is part of the pan-European coalition DiEM25.[4]

Background[edit]

The party was launched in 2012[5] as a progressive, anti-capitalist and egalitarian movement. Its positions are detailed in the "Demokratische Moderne (English: Democratic Modernity)" manifesto, which emphasizes on abolishing global capitalism and establishing a democratic economy, fair to all people.[6] Despite being anti-capitalist, the party's leader has stated that the party does not support socialism either, but rather seeks to take some elements from both socialism and capitalism in order to create a new alternative system, tentatively called "neo-socialism",[7] which shares characteristics with the socioeconomic concept of economic democracy.

Positions and proposals[edit]

The party's proposals include:[8]

  • Replacing the Federal Council with a Citizens' Council, where half of the seats will be reserved for women, and all members will be elected by lot for a one year term. The Citizens' Council would have the power to reject laws passed by the National Council and call new elections by a corresponding majority, and would have to vote whether to approve constitutional amendments.
  • An eventual shift to a 21 hour work week
  • A 1:5 wage ratio (where the lowest income an individual can make is €2000/month and the maximum is €10000/month after taxes)
  • A national citizens' dividend
  • Mandating that employees elect company leaders
  • A Green New Deal
  • Full nationalisation of services which impact social care, such as education, health, pensions, security, banking, and infrastructure
  • The creation of the United States of Europe
  • Making all media sources adhere to a non-profit model, obtaining finances only through consumers and state media funding
  • Placing less focus on GDP as a measurement, instead focusing more on elements of public well-being such as health, scientific achievements, education levels, economic output, wage rates, democratic participation, social cohesion, ecological stability, and safety
  • A national job guarantee
  • A cap on the amount of assets/wealth one individual can accumulate
  • Equal pay for equal work
  • Anti-trust action against private monopolies
  • A ban on speculation in currencies, commodities and food; a minimum holding period for shares of stock; the addition of a financial transaction tax
  • Creation of a Future and Prosperity Fund, funded by business income taxes and the financial transaction tax. All citizens would receive a permanent share in the fund, and would receive a guaranteed annual profit. The Board of the fund will be directly elected.

Electoral performance[edit]

2013 Austrian legislative election[edit]

Participating only in Vienna and Upper Austria, the party obtained 0.07% of the vote.

2014 European Parliament election[edit]

As part of the Europa anders coalition with the KPÖ, Pirate Party, and independents, they received a combined 2.14% of the vote, which was not enough to receive a seat.

2019 European Parliament election[edit]

In November 2018, the party announced an alliance with Yanis Varoufakis' DiEM25 for the European Parliament Election.[9] The party's political director Daniela Platsch was second on the joint list led by Varoufakis. The party did not win any seats.

2019 Austrian legislative election[edit]

The party ran in the snap legislative elections held in September 2019, obtaining approximately 0.5% of the vote.

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Kandidaten für die Nationalratswahl stehen fest". Der Standard (in German). 2019-08-02. Retrieved 2019-08-08.
  2. ^ "Kandidaten für NR-Wahl in Vorarlberg fix". ORF (in German). 2019-08-02. Retrieved 2019-08-08.
  3. ^ "Wer wir sind". der Wandel (in German). 2018-12-14. Retrieved 2019-02-19.
  4. ^ "Wandel am Sprung ins EU-Parlament". Wandel (in German). 2018-11-26. Retrieved 2019-02-19.
  5. ^ ""Wir wollen auf den Zettel" - derStandard.at". DER STANDARD (in Austrian German). Retrieved 2019-02-19.
  6. ^ "Democratic Modernity". der Wandel (in German). 2015-10-05. Archived from the original on 2019-02-20. Retrieved 2019-02-19.
  7. ^ Mulla, Fayad (10 September 2019). "Wandel-Spitzenkandidat Mulla: "Die Menschen sehnen sich nach einer linken Partei"". Der Standard.
  8. ^ "Zukunftsprogramm". der Wandel (in German). Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  9. ^ "European Spring". Retrieved 10 June 2019.

External links[edit]

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