Chairperson Johanna Uekermann Headquarters Berlin, Germany | Founded 1946 (1946) | |
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Ideology Social democracy
Democratic socialism Mother party Social Democratic Party of Germany International affiliation International Union of Socialist Youth | ||
Young Socialists in the SPD (German: Jungsozialistinnen und Jungsozialisten in der SPD, Jusos) is the youth organization of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD).
Contents
The Jusos see themselves as a socialist, feminist and internationalist (anti-nationalist) association within the SPD. Generally more left-wing in their approach to current events than their mother party, Jusos tend to criticize leading politicians, whatever their affiliation. The chairperson of the Jusos is currently Johanna Uekermann.
In 2011, there were nearly 52,000 people listed as members of the Jusos.
Membership
Every member of the SPD who is younger than 35 is automatically a member of the Jusos. Since 1994, people under 35 have also been able to be just a member of the Jusos. Until 2011 this membership was free, but ended after a two 2-year period. Nowadays it is possible to be a member until you reach your 35th birthday. However, there is now a membership fee of 1 Euro per month.
1918-1969
The Jusos were founded between 1918 and 1920, when groups of members of the SPD between 20 and 25 years of age began to meet. In terms of numbers, the Jusos stayed insignificant, with between 3,000 and 5,000 members. They were dissolved in 1931 as a result of an internal controversy.
In 1946, after the end of the Second World War, the Jusos was refounded. In the first years, they were quite loyal to the Social Democratic Party.
Turning left in 1969
In 1969 the Jusos turned left. On their Bundeskongress (Federal Congress) they decided to become a left political federation instead of being simply the obedient youth section of the party. Since then, the Jusos have seen themselves as a socialist and feminist association within the SPD.