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| native_name = Komitet Wyborczy Mniejszość Niemiecka |
| native_name = Komitet Wyborczy Mniejszość Niemiecka |
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| native_name_lang = pl |
| native_name_lang = pl |
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| logo = |
| logo = Logo KWW Mniejszości Niemieckiej.png |
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| colorcode = {{party color|German Minority Electoral Committee}} |
| colorcode = {{party color|German Minority Electoral Committee}} |
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| leader = [[Ryszard Galla]] |
| leader = [[Ryszard Galla]] |
Revision as of 19:26, 2 October 2023
German Minority Electoral Committee Komitet Wyborczy Mniejszość Niemiecka | |
---|---|
File:Logo KWW Mniejszości Niemieckiej.png | |
Leader | Ryszard Galla |
Founded | 1990 |
Headquarters | 6 Konopnickiej Street, 45-004, Opole 3 Wczasowa Street, 47-400, Racibórz |
Ideology | |
Colours | Blue |
Sejm (Opole seats) | 1 / 12 |
Sejm | 1 / 460 |
Voivodeship Sejmik of Opole Voivodeship | 5 / 30 |
Website | |
mniejszoscniemiecka | |
The German Minority Electoral Committee (Polish: Komitet Wyborczy Mniejszość Niemiecka, German: Wahlkomitee der Deutschen Minderheit) is an electoral committee in Poland which represents the German minority. Since 2008, its representative has been Ryszard Galla.
It is not a registered political party, but an organization by which Poland's political system gives political representation to national minorities. Candidates of the German minority are proposed by the Social-Cultural Association of Germans in Opolitian Silesia (Towarzystwo Społeczno-Kulturalne Niemców na Śląsku Opolskim) and the Social-Cultural Association of Germans in Silesian Voivodeship (Towarzystwo Społeczno-Kulturalne Niemców Województwa Śląskiego).[3]
Programme
German Minority supports Polish integration with the European Union and the development of the region of Silesia, and argues for laws supportive of minority groups (in particular, the German minority in Poland). The party describes itself as based on Christian values, writing: "The community of the German Minority is made up of people with Christian roots, so our activities are based on Christian values. Through its activity based on Christian democratic values, the German minority seeks to bring about a strengthening of such fundamental values as freedom, solidarity and justice."[2]
German Minority puts heavy emphasis on solidarity and corporatism in its program, stressing the importance of fostering a community in contrast to individualism. The party stresses that while everyone has the right to coexist, one "is also obliged to be in solidarity" and that "there is no freedom without justice". As such, the party believes that Poland has an obligation to uphold equal rights for all, particularly caring for the needs of weak and small social groups. According to German Minority, the solidarity of the German community in Silesia can be preserved through cultivating and upholding its tradition, especially the Silesian German language. In addition, the party calls for a great decentralisation of Poland and empowerment of the local governments, especially in the regards to finances; German Minority calls for local authorities to be given a bigger share of revenue from corporate tax and VAT.[2]
In regards to economy, the party calls for building a system of equal opportunities, especially for the "weakest individuals in society". To this end, German Minority wants free, state-financed kindergarten and greater financial support for family welfare institutions such as social welfare centres, family counselling centres and the church. The party believes that "the region is the right place to create health policy" and advocates for a heavily decentralised healthcare system that would focus on "equalisation of opportunities for regional operators". The party also calls for a high increase of salaries for teacher and healthcare workers, and believes that public facilities need to be modernised in order to be more accessible for the disabled and seniors. German Minority also calls for free public transporation.[2]
In 2019, the party outlined six political issues as particularly important for the German Minority:[4]
- Preservation of the traditions, identity and culture of Silesian Germans and guaranteeing legal and financial mechanisms for the cultivation of this heritage;
- Increasing the quality of German language teaching in Polish schools, including German as a national minority language, and supporting and developing mechanisms to support bilingual education;
- Support for young people, family values, and entrepreneurship.
- Additional priveleges and development of self-government, transferring as much power as possible to the local authorities and self-governments;
- Cultivation of sustainable and balanced development Silesia in regards to the rest of Poland, especially in matters of infrastructure and health care;
- Equal treatment of women and men.
National elections
As an organisation representing a national minority, it is not required to pass the election threshold of 5% as standard political parties in Poland are.
Election | Votes | % of Poland | % of Opole | Seats (Opole) | Change |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1991 | 132,059 | 1.2 | 7 / 10
|
7 | |
1993 | 60,770 | 0.4 | 19.0[a] | 3 / 10
|
4 |
1997 | 51,027 | 0.4 | 17.0[b] | 2 / 10
|
1 |
2001 | 47,230 | 0.4 | 13.6 | 2 / 13
|
|
2005 | 34,469 | 0.3 | 12.9 | 2 / 13
|
|
2007 | 32,462 | 0.2 | 8.8 | 1 / 13
|
1 |
2011 | 28,014 | 0.2 | 8.8 | 1 / 12
|
|
2015 | 27,530 | 0.2 | 8.1 | 1 / 12
|
|
2019 | 32,094 | 0.2 | 7.9 | 1 / 12
|
In 1993 there were two lists, one in the Opole Voivodeship, one in the Katowice Voivodeship. The Opole list also won one seat in the Senate.
At the 2007 Parliamentary elections the candidate list to the Sejm (Polish parliament) got 8.81% of the votes in Opole Voivodeship, and only one seat in the Sejm, Ryszard Galla (8,193 votes). He had already won a seat in 2005 and had announced the rise from 2 to 3 seats as an electoral goal early in September, thanks to the personal votes of local mayors who were supposed to reinforce the list.[5][6] The second former Sejm deputy, Henryk Kroll (7,897 votes), lost his seat and announced his resignation from the chairmanship of the Social-Cultural Association of Germans in Silesian Opole, whose delegates are due to elect a new president early 2008. The 3 candidate list for the Senate of Poland didn't succeed in winning a single seat. According to the bilingual weekly Schlesisches Wochenblatt, votes won by the German Minority list could have benefited the Civic Platform (PO), for whom 6,000 to 8,000 ethnic Germans would have voted.[7]
In 2011 the list got 8.76% of valid votes in the Opole constituency, and more than 20% in 3 powiat (Krapkowice County, Opole County and Strzelce County) out of 12. Ryszard Galla was reelected as the sole MP from the German Minority with 11,794 personal votes.[8][9]
Regional elections
Local elections to the Opole Regional Assembly:
Year | Votes | % | Seats |
---|---|---|---|
1998 | 67,921 | 21,15 (#2) | 13 / 45
|
2002 | 54,385 | 18.61 (#2) | 7 / 30
|
2006 | 49,131 | 17.30 (#3) | 7 / 30
|
2010 | 53,670 | 17.77 (#2) | 6 / 30
|
2014 | 41,889 | 14.90 (#3) | 7 / 30
|
2018 | 52,431 | 14.64 (#3) | 5 / 30
|
Notes
- ^ Opole Voivodeship according to the 1975-1998 borders
- ^ Opole Voivodeship according to the 1975-1998 borders
References
- ^ Nordsieck, Wolfram (2019). "Poland". Parties and Elections in Europe. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
- ^ a b c d e "Program Wyborczy KWW Mniejszość Niemiecka w wyborach parlamentarnych 2015" (PDF). Mniejszość Niemiecka. 2015. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
- ^ "Home". dfkschlesien.vdg.pl.
- ^ "Program Wyborczy KWW Mniejszość Niemiecka 2019: Opolskie ma Znaczenie". Mniejszość Niemiecka. 2019. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
- ^ Kampf um drei Sejm-Mandate[permanent dead link], Schlesisches Wochenblatt 12/09/2007
- ^ Engelbert Miś, 21 Kandidaten für den Sejm, 3 für den Senat[permanent dead link], Schlesisches Wochenblatt 19/09/2007
- ^ Nur Ryszard Galla bleibt im Sejm[permanent dead link], Schlesisches Wochenblatt 24/10/2007
- ^ Election results »Poland»Sejm constituency no. 21, National Electoral Commission
- ^ Komitet Wyborczy Wyborców Mniejszość Niemiecka, National Electoral Commission
Bibliography
- Rabagliati, Alastair (2001). A Minority Vote. Participation of the German and Belarusian Minorities within the Polish Political System 1989–1999. Kraków: Zakład Wydawniczy NOMOS. ISBN 83-88508-18-0.
External links
- Official website (in Polish)