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The South Schleswig Voters’ Association a minority-, regional- or lifestyle party?

The South Schleswig Voters’ Association a minority-, regional- or lifestyle party?. Martin Klatt, PhD. Associate Professor of Contemporary History Dept. of Border Region Studies Sønderborg. Danish-German border until 1864. A short history.

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The South Schleswig Voters’ Association a minority-, regional- or lifestyle party?

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  1. The South Schleswig Voters’ Associationa minority-, regional- or lifestyle party? Martin Klatt, PhD. Associate Professor of Contemporary History Dept. of Border Region Studies Sønderborg

  2. Danish-German border until 1864

  3. A short history • 1867: SchleswigannexedintoPrussia – NortSchleswigVoters’ Association represents the Danish majority in North Schleswigpolitically in the Reichstag and the Prussian Diet • 1920: today’s border drawnaftertwoplebiscites – twosymmetricalminoritiesremain • German minority: Schleswigian Party/NSDAP-N • Danish Minority: Schleswigian Association

  4. After 1945: a newplebiscite? • Aim: secession/reunificationwithDenmark • National conflict • British occupationadministrationaccepts a partyasidefromtheminority‘sculturalassociation in 1948 • Secession must not benamed in theprogram

  5. Election posters, 1948

  6. ”Heimat” – movement under the Danish flag in South Schleswig Election posters SSW, 1950

  7. Success? • ”Landtag” elections 1947 – 33 % in South Schleswig, but a majority of the local population (East German refugees) • Local differences: strong in the cities, weak in rural areas • Sincethen: votesdeclined

  8. Political settlement in 1955 • Case: 5% thresholdclause in German elections (representation in Federal and State parliamensrequire min. 5% of the votes) • German Constitutional Court: no decisive vote • Political solution: Danish-German negotiations on a minority settlement in 1955 result in an exemption of the 5% thresholdclause

  9. Minoritypolitical participation • 2-string: • Political party (SSW and SP) • Municipal, county, state and national/federal level (ifsuccessful) • Culturalorganization (SSF and BdN) • Lobbying at national and European level • Difference: • SP suborganisation of BdN • SSW parallel organisation to SSF

  10. A Regional Party – new agenda? • SSW’s program: ”Heimat” and Scandinavia • Decline of votesstopped in the 1970’s, sincethenexpansion • New program in 1981: environmentalissues, adapting to societal trends • SSW – nordiclifestyle party attractingleft wing liberals

  11. ”Fromagainsteachothertowitheachother” • A new, multicultural narrative: • Minoritiesarean enrichmenttoourregion • Minority and majorityprofitfromeachother

  12. Minorities as regionauts • Common policymaking on minority issues • ’Regionalist’ political agenda in election campaigns since the 1950’s • Seemingly successful for SSW since the 1970’s • Seemingly successful for SP in the 2009 municipal elections

  13. SSW and ”bigpolitics” • SSW plays the regional and the ”Scandinavian” card • Bundestag? • 2005: SSW agreed not to join, but to support SPD-Green government in SH – failedanyhow • Electioncampaign in all of Schleswig-Holstein, not only South Schleswig, at the 2012 Landtag elections

  14. SSW in power • Nov. 2010: SSW’scandidatewins the directelection as Lord Mayor in Flensburg, South Schleswig’slargest city • June 2012: SSW joins a coalitiongovernment with the Social Democrats and the Green Party in Schleswig-Holstein

  15. Everything fine? • Manyvoicesagainst SSW joining a government • Abuse of exemption from 5 % threshold • Contradicts the status of minority party • Leadingmembers of the Young Conservatives (”Junge Union”) filed a complaint at the Schleswig-Holstein constitutionalcourt • FreeDemocratic Party (right liberals) alsoarguethatonly max. oneseat in the Landtag shouldbeexempted from the 5%-threshold • The ”ethniccard” is used (”Dänenampel”) • But so far the governmentworkssmoothly

  16. SSW – a left-wing liberal party? • Two major program points dominatein retoric: • Support for the minority (financialissues) • Regional policy • Electionresults • Geographicalshiftsouth – but coreremains South Schleswig • Solidarity by the minority – but alsovoters from outside the coreminority

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