Political Party Crisis

Germany's main political parties are running out of steam. This became evident by mid-August, at the very latest, when the country's "grand coalition" partners asked for an additional 20 million euros ($27 million) from state coffers.

The idea was quickly shelved amid heated opposition. But the discussion exposed deeply rooted problems in the country's main political parties. For years, contributions have been falling, alongside membership rolls.

Competition from social movements

Political scientists chalk up the woes of Germany's political parties in part to social changes that are going on throughout western Europe.

For instance, the parties have met with competition from new social movements, said Oskar Niedermayer, spokesman for the Party Research Working Group at the German Political Science Association.

"Anyone who wanted to be politically active in the 1950s had to be in a political party," said Niedermayer. "Today he could go to Attac, for example."

Attac is an international network of activists working for the democratic control of financial institutions; they protest about, and are active on, issues from globalization to public services.

Young people, in particular, prefer to take their political engagement in a form that is short-term and project-oriented, Niedermayer said.

In addition, labor unions and churches -- the classic recruiting grounds for party membership -- are also suffering membership losses and can no longer be counted on to produce new members, Niedermayer said.

"Leisure time is also different today," he said. "People no longer need to look to the parties for ideas and for information."

Complex decision-making process

According to Klaus Detterbeck, a party researcher in at the Magdeburg University, the party system itself is undergoing a fundamental change -- one that ultimately alienates members.

The parties' planks are mostly developed by professional politicians, in the parliamentary parties or in party committees, said Detterbeck, adding that "the general membership is rarely brought into the decision-making process."

This development is unlikely to change, because of the highly complex decision-making processes involved in setting party policy, according to Detterbeck.

"It is unimaginable that an average citizen can come up with ideas about energy policy in his free time," Detterbeck said.

Unfortunately, he added, this means the parties have lost their appeal for the average voter as the policies become more difficult to understand.

Niedermayer pointed out that, despite the apparently grim outlook, not all parties are actually losing membership. Small parties with a more unified membership don't seem to have many problems. It is mostly the big parties -- the ones trying to answer to the diverse needs of various interest groups -- that are suffering, he said.

Germany's SPD the worst hit

Germany's Social Democratic Party (SPD) is the worst affected, Niedermayer said, adding that the problem isn't a new one. Economic transition, the dwindling working class and new social and labor-market reforms have hit the SPD much harder than other parties, Niedermayer said.

In addition, the SPD has faced challenges from parties further left on the political spectrum -- first by the Green party and more recently by the newly formed Left Party, which is a result of a merger between a group of disgruntled former SPD members and the PDS, the successor to the East German Communist Party.

"In the long-term, the SPD has to live with the Left Party," said Niedermayer.

Though the Left Party has drawn several new voters since it was founded this year, the expert warned of overestimating its appeal. He, however, said the party would probably continue to be represented in parliament, in eastern German states and also in some western ones, where it is traditionally weaker.

Detterbeck said the situation was comparable to those in some other European countries.

"In Scandinavia, too, parties have established themselves left of the Social Democrats," he said. "They are partly relatively populist, but that's enough to stay in parliament."

"No golden age in the future"

The fact remains that all parties have trouble finding fresh blood.

Niedermayer pointed out that many were offering incentives, dismantling barriers and creating new chances to counter membership drain. For instance, some are initiating party elections where all members have a say, lowering restrictions for party membership and trying to entice new members through projects or Web sites.

"That all works a bit, but it's not going to draw hundreds of thousands of new members," Niedermayer said. "I'm not predicting a golden age for the future. The parties have to do everything they can to keep their membership rolls steady."

"Parties not unimportant"

Despite the bleak outlook, neither of the political scientists predicted the end of political parties.

"Without parties, the German political system is unimaginable," Niedermayer said. "They will always have a place in Germany. People have been talking about a crisis in German political parties for decades, but they are still there."

Detterbeck agreed: "There is a change in how parties act. But they are not unimportant."