Party of Humanists
Party of Humanists Partei der Humanisten | |
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Abbreviation | PdH |
Chairperson | Lasse Schäfer |
General Secretary | Dominic Ressel |
Founded | 4 October 2014 |
Headquarters | Beilsteiner Str. 21, 12681 Berlin |
Membership (2022) | ![]() |
Ideology | Secular humanism Secular liberalism Social liberalism[1] Civil libertarianism Progressivism |
Political position | Centre-left[1] |
Colours |
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Bundestag | 0 / 630
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State Parliaments | 0 / 1,821
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European Parliament | 0 / 96
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Website | |
pdh | |
The Party of Humanists (German: Partei der Humanisten) is a minor political party in Germany that first participated in the 2017 federal election.[2] It is considered left-of-centre and supports socially liberal and secular policies, such as a federal European state, openness towards technologies such as stem cell research and strict separation between state and religion.[3] The party contested the 2017 and 2021 federal elections, the 2019 European elections and numerous state elections from 2018 onwards. It also contested the 2024 European elections.[4]
History
[edit]In spring 2012, the Facebook group "Initiative Humanismus" created the "Manifesto of the Initiative Humanismus", which was to serve as the basis for a humanist party. The Party of Humanists was founded on the basis of this document on 4 October 2014 in Berlin.[5][6] The provisional executive committee consisted of eight spokespersons for various subject areas.[7]
At the first ordinary federal party conference in March 2015, David Helmus was elected as the party's first chairman.[8] Beka Kobaidze served as secretary general, while Ioana Hauke took over as treasurer. According to the chairman, the party had around 75 members in September of the same year.[9]
The Berlin regional association was founded on 2 April 2016.[10] A few months later, the regional associations of Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia and Baden-Württemberg were founded.[11][12] Shortly afterwards, in February of the following year, the Bavarian state association was also founded.[13]
On 21 March 2017, the Party held a joint press conference along with the Pirate Party Germany, the Liberal Democrats, the New Liberals, the Transhuman Party Germany, and the youth organization of The Left to announce a "socialliberale proclamation" and better cooperation among the participating organizations.[14][15][16][17][18]
In the 2017 German federal election, the Humanist Party took part in an election for the first time, although it was initially only electable in North Rhine-Westphalia. For this purpose, various teams were set up within the party, which now has around 600 members, for internal party organisation.[19] In the election, the party received 5.991 second votes.[20] After the federal election, the party received an influx of new members. As a result, state associations were founded in Hamburg and Lower Saxony in the same year, as well as state associations in Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Rhineland-Palatinate, Bremen and Schleswig-Holstein in 2018.[21][22]
In January 2019, Steven Pinker was accepted onto the advisory board of the Humanist Party. One month later, in February 2019, Michael Shermer, founder of the American Skeptics Society, also became a member of the advisory board.[23][24]
The Humanist Party was registered for the European elections on 15 March 2019, in which it took part with its lead candidate Robin Thiedmann. It achieved 0.2% of 62,604 votes, but missed out on a place in the European Parliament.[25] In 2021, the last four state associations, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Thuringia and Saarland were founded.[26][27] Shortly after the founding of the Brandenburg state association, the party celebrated its new size of 1800 members.[28] In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the first digital federal party conference was held on 29 January and 20 February 2022.
In April 2023, 19-year-old Lasse Schäfer was elected as the new national chairman. This makes him the youngest party chairman in Germany.[29]
Party platform
[edit]The underlying ideology is evolutionary humanism.[30] The core themes of the Humanist Party are science and education, the right of self-determination of the individual, and secularization.[31] For example, the party supports the liberal and self-responsible use of drugs,[32] supports legal voluntary euthanasia[33][34] and is against circumcision of children.[35] The party also supports the implementation of universal basic income.[31] The party is considered left of the political centre.[1]
Currently, the Party of Humanists is the only party in Germany that specifically targets non-religious people, freethinkers, and atheists as voters.[36]
Programme
[edit]Health and science
[edit]- Compulsory health insurance should only cover evidence based medicine, not pseudomedicine such as homeopathy
- Legalization of active euthanasia under specific circumstances
- Legalization of all drugs, but only for adults and with more prevention measures such as education, drug-checking, regulated production and sale[37]
- Openness towards new technology and impartial assessment of the harms benefits, e. g. with respect to genome editing[38] and stem cell research
- Reduction of antibiotic use in livestock farming in order to avoid emerging resistances
- Funding for in-vitro-meat research
EU and military
[edit]- Founding of a united European Federal Republic. Today's national states shall be converted into strong sovereign regions.[39]
- Rejection of a compulsory military service year for young adults
- Establishing a united European military
Economy
[edit]- Simplification of the tax system by eliminating exemptions as well as cutback on unnecessary subsidies
- Deregulation of shop opening hours on Sundays
- Trialing and implementation of universal basic income
Climate
[edit]- Stopping the nuclear energy phase-out in Germany and utilization of new reactor types to combat climate change
Social topics
[edit]- Legalization of surrogate motherhood
- Legalization of sex work, modeling after New Zealand
- Legalization of abortion regardless of gestation age, modeling after Canadian abortion laws
Freedom of speech and the Internet
[edit]- Repeal of upload-filters and protection of net-neutrality
Religion
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5f/%22Kein_Kalifat_Plakat%22_der_PdH_zur_Europawahl_2024.jpg/220px-%22Kein_Kalifat_Plakat%22_der_PdH_zur_Europawahl_2024.jpg)
- Complete separation of church and state
- Introduction of unified ethics education instead of compulsory religious education in schools[40]
- Removing references to god from the constitution and other laws
- Prohibition of medically not-indicated religious circumcision in children unable to consent
Leadership
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6f/Lasse_Sch%C3%A4fer_in_L%C3%BCbeck_%28cropped%29.png/220px-Lasse_Sch%C3%A4fer_in_L%C3%BCbeck_%28cropped%29.png)
The current federal executive committee of the Party of Humanists consists of eleven members:[41]
- Lasse Schäfer (Party Leader)
- Dominic Ressel (General Secretary)
- Stephan Wiedenmann (Treasurer)
- Axel Börold
- Ole Teschke
- Sascha Klughardt
- Andreas Stirner
- Josephine Keller
- Felicitas Klings
- Jochen Sieck
- Maximilian Pindl
- Ricardo Reitz
Federal state parties
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Partei der Humanisten". web.de (in German). 2024. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
Die Partei der Humanisten ist im politischen Links- und Sozialliberalen Spektrum anzusiedeln.
- ^ "Partei der Humanisten". Zdf.de. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
- ^ "Partei der Humanisten". web.de (in German). 2024. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
- ^ "Partei der Humanisten" (in German). Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
- ^ ""Partei der Humanisten" gegründet". Hpd.de. 7 October 2014. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
- ^ "Pressemitteilung zur Gründung – Partei der Humanisten". Parteiderhumanisten.de. 8 October 2014. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
- ^ "Partei der Humanisten gegründet" (in German). Humanistischer Pressedienst. 7 October 2014. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
- ^ "Gremien der Partei der Humanisten gewählt" (in German). Humanistischer Pressedienst. 17 March 2015. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
- ^ "In allen anderen Parteien wären wir noch die Jugendorganisation" (in German). Humanistischer Pressedienst. September 2015. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
- ^ "Landesverband der Partei der Humanisten gegründet" (in German). Humanistischer Pressedienst. 4 April 2016. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
- ^ "Landesverband in Hessen gegründet" (in German). Humanistischer Pressedienst. 28 September 2016. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
- ^ "Partei der Humanisten gründet Landesverband in Nordrhein-Westfalen" (in German). Humanistischer Pressedienst. 23 November 2016. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
- ^ "Partei der Humanisten Bayern wählter neuen Landesvorstand" (in German). Humanistischer Pressedienst. 24 April 2018. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
- ^ ""Sozialliberale Offensive" in Berlin vorgestellt". Hpd.de. 22 March 2017. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
- ^ "Die Humanisten starten bundesweite sozialliberale Offensive – Partei der Humanisten". Parteiderhumanisten.de. 21 March 2017. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
- ^ "die Sozialliberalen". Die-sozialliberalen.de. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
- ^ "Gemeinsame Erklärung: Sechs Parteien und Organisationen starten bundesweite sozialliberale Offensive › Piratenpartei Deutschland". Piratenpartei.de. 21 March 2017. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
- ^ "Live Pressekonferenz » Neue Liberale". Neueliberale.org. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
- ^ "Zwischenbilanz humanistischer Politik" (in German). Humanistischer Pressedienst. 23 November 2017. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
- ^ "Bundestagswahl 2017, Ergebnisse, Nordrhein-Westfalen" (in German). Die Bundeswahlleiterin. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
- ^ "Partei der Humanisten gründet Landesverband in Rheinland-Pfalz" (in German). Humanistischer Pressedienst. 17 April 2018. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
- ^ "Partei der Humanisten gründet Landesverband Schleswig-Holstein" (in German). SHZ. 21 October 2018. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
- ^ "Facebook post" (in German). Partei der Humanisten. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
- ^ "Beirat" (in German). Retrieved 15 June 2022.
- ^ "Europawahl 2019: Vorläufiges amtliches Ergebnis" (in German). Die Bundeswahlleiterin. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
- ^ "Thüringen startklar machen!" (in German). Partei der Humanisten. 3 June 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
- ^ "Hier kommt das Saarland (endlich)" (in German). Partei der Humanisten. 24 November 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
- ^ "Wir feiern 1800 Mitglieder" (in German). Partei der Humanisten. 9 April 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
- ^ "19-jähriger Kölner ist jüngster Parteivorsitzender Deutschlands". Partei der Humanisten. 21 April 2023. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
- ^ "Mission Statement".
- ^ a b Bildung, Bundeszentrale für politische. "Partei der Humanisten - bpb". Bpb.de.
- ^ "Humanistischer Pressedienst - Legalize and Humanize it!". Hpd.de (in German). 13 July 2016. Retrieved 8 August 2017.
- ^ Siegler, bitzinger GmbH - Tobias. "DGHS - Deutsche Gesellschaft für Humanes Sterben - Partei der Humanisten". Dghs.de.
- ^ "Sterbehilfe – Das Recht auf das eigene Leben". Hpd.de. 5 November 2015. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
- ^ "Weltweiter Tag der genitalen Selbstbestimmung". Parteiderhumanisten.de. 6 May 2015. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
- ^ "Partei der Humanisten - "Politiker stellen sich gerne neben Religionsführer"". Deutschlandfunk.de. 8 March 2017. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
- ^ "Psychoaktive Substanzen (Themenabschnitt)". Partei der Humanisten (in German). 13 April 2020. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
- ^ "Gentechnik (Themenabschnitt)". Partei der Humanisten (in German). 11 April 2020. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
- ^ "Bundesrepublik Europa (Positionspapier)". Partei der Humanisten (in German). 13 April 2020. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
- ^ "Ethikunterricht (Themenabschnitt)". Partei der Humanisten (in German). 3 June 2022. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
- ^ "Partei der Humanisten - Team". diehumanisten.de (in German). Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- ^ @pdh_bw (22 November 2021). "Register" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "Landesverband der Partei der Humanisten gegründet". Hpd.de. 4 April 2016. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
- ^ "Partei der Humanisten". 11 August 2023.
- ^ "Partei der Humanisten gründet Hamburger Landesverband". Parteiderhumanisten.de. 1 October 2017. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
- ^ "Landesverband in Hessen gegründet". Hpd.de. 28 September 2016. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
- ^ "Partei der Humanisten". 11 August 2023.
- ^ "Hier kommt das Saarland (endlich)". Partei der Humanisten (in German). 24 November 2021. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
External links
[edit]- Offizielle Website der Partei der Humanisten (Official website of the Party German)
- Leitbild der Partei der Humanisten (Mission Statement of the Party German, English, Esperanto)
- Grundsatzprogramm der Partei der Humanisten (Principle program of the Party German)
- Liberal parties in Germany
- 2014 establishments in Germany
- Political parties established in 2014
- Euthanasia in Germany
- Centre-left parties
- Centre-left parties in Europe
- Humanist Party
- Irreligion in Germany
- Pro-European political parties in Germany
- Progressive parties
- Secular humanism
- Secularism in Germany
- Social liberal parties
- Universal basic income in Germany
- Political parties supporting universal basic income