I think I’m going to leave my party BIJ1 before the municipal elections next year, and not after. I’ve come to the conclusion that BIJ1 is not going to change for the better and it’s futile staying a little longer just to try to change some minds. They’re not marxist, don’t focus on class struggle and intersectionality, while good, shouldn’t overshadow socialism. There’s too many people in BIJ1 who has a different reason for joining because the party line’s interpretation is very broad. Because of those disagreements, they keep fighting about it. I told myself that the fights will slowly stop because the leadership is better able to solve disagreements but what does it matter if the root cause isn’t fixed. And because there’re so many different groups, the leadership is fighting between themselves as well. Add to that some people in the party who want to ban tankies, which I cannot stop on my own, because the party as a whole isn’t marxist.
I think I even regret becoming part of the party. When I joined I wasn’t a marxist-leninist yet, and I saw other orgs as irrelevant, but looking back those orgs have lively youth organisations. And that contact with likeminded people with the same age is very important. I think I wouldn’t have felt so lonely if I took that step. I can’t fully connect with my party members because of the age difference and because I only share a partial worldview with them. But I didn’t want to leave the party because of my social anxiety. I didn’t want to lose my weak connections with party members to join a party where I don’t know anybody. When I am in a group of people of the same age, it reminds me of my school years where I was bullied even if those people are nice. I was afraid I wouldn’t build connections and I would be lonely and I would be useless in the party. I didn’t want to deal with that so I stayed. And I’m pretty close to the leadership of my local branch so that makes me feel a little useful.
I would probably have been a better communist with more personal growth in a party that is closer to my ideals and which actively educates its members
I’m at least going to vote for a different party in the municipal elections called De Vonk, but for the city borough I’m maybe going to vote for BIJ1 if De Vonk doesn’t participate there. When it comes to leaving the party altogether, I hope I can build the courage to do it before then. It would be weird to vote for a party you’re not a member of.
You’re pretty much in the same situation as I was not long ago. I’m sadly a little(!) too old do join a youth org but otherwise this is my story.
I did leave the party because they are too broad, not M, def not ML and because of their stance on socialist countries, former and current, as well as palestine.
The new party I joined is ML at least in their program, practice needs time to show. But they have very clear and vocal stance on palestine and nato, socialist countries, etc. And then them being marxist means I can at least use logic to get my way instead of demagoguery.
All in all i think its the right thing to leave parties when they outlived their usefulness. In your case, they’re also actively hostile towards history since they’re banning tankies.
I would go to a meeting of the one you want ASAP and find out if leaving the old is a good idea. Dont bother leaving before you meet the new folks. You wont get a participation trophy for model behavior anyway.
There are ML parties in Germany? DKP is like the closest thing and even they split apart and are infested with trotskyism and terminal stage eurocommunism.
DKP isn’t that bad. Do you read their party newspaper, Unsere Zeit? I find it showcases their views pretty well and for the most part they are really alright. I don’t see them either as trots or eurocoms but as a sort of big tent, non-sectarian communist party. You’ll find all types of communists there, which is both good and bad, but somehow they manage to triangulate a decent line on most issues.
Well, as you’re pretty lonely and in grave danger as an ML in germany, the various groups are not all decidedly ml and being in germany is like the worst thing atm after being in the US.
The dkp at least from their program is solid. Have you read it? Its pretty good imo. Their stance on palestine is spot on for a german party and so far, they’re doing good things.
If I encounter trots or eurocomms I’ll let you know.
Do you have any first or second hand experience with them? Feel free to dm me if you’re more comfortable sharing it in private.