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| Parties in Germany are given a prominent position in that they are incorporated into the German constitution. Article 21 of the Law on Political Parties states: "Political parties contribute to the forming of a public will of the people". To this end, the German constitution recognizes political parties as no longer being associations with a purely community base like they were back in the 18th and 19th centuries when they developed. The constitution now recognizes them as being quasi-constitutional bodies. The importance attached to political parties also becomes clear when reading the German Law on Political Parties:
§ 1 Constitutional position and duties of political parties (1) Political parties are a component of the free democratic basic order required under the Constitution. Due to their free and continuous participation in the formation of the political will of the people, they perform a public function which is incumbent on them under the Basic Law and which they undertake to fulfill to the best of their ability. (2) The parties shall participate in the formation of the political will of the people in all fields of public life, in particular by exerting influence on the shaping of public opinion; inspiring and furthering political education; promoting active public participation in political life; training capable people to assume public responsibilities; participating in federal, Land and local government elections by nominating candidates; exerting influence on political developments in parliament and government; incorporating their defined political aims into the national decision-making process; and ensuring continuous, vital links between the people and the instruments of state (...).
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Subjects: Human
Rights I Democracy I Parties
I Examples I
Europe
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Globalisation
I United Nations
I Sustainability
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