Razem

Together Party
Partia Razem
Leader collective leadership
Founded 16 May 2015
Headquarters Warsaw
Ideology Social democracy[1]
Democratic socialism[2]
Political position Left-wing
European affiliation Democracy in Europe Movement 2025
Colours      Alizarin carmine
Sejm
0 / 460
Senate
0 / 100
European Parliament
0 / 51
Regional assemblies
0 / 555
Website
partiarazem.pl

Razem (Polish pronunciation: [ˈrazɛm], Together) is a left-wing political party in Poland formed in May 2015. It was one of the eight nationwide committees standing in the 2015 parliamentary election.

History

Razem was founded as a response to the unsuccessful attempt to create a left-wing political platform in Poland during the 2015 presidential election.[3] Another reason was dissatisfaction with the role of the post-communist Democratic Left Alliance as the main centre-left party.[4] Many founders were previously activists in the Young Socialists, The Greens or local initiatives, including Kraków Against Games.[5]

Razem's main political stances were formulated during the founding congress on 16–17 May 2015, when Razem's first National Board was elected, consisting of Jakub Baran, Aleksandra Cacha, Alicja Czubek, Maciej Konieczny, Magdalena Malińska, Mateusz Mirys, Katarzyna Paprota, Adrian Zandberg, and Marcelina Zawisza. However, several local structures were active even earlier, in March and April. The party was officially registered on 21 July 2015.

Razem registered lists for the 2015 parliamentary election in all electoral districts and received 3.6% of the vote in the election, below the 5% threshold to gain seats in parliament.[6][7]

In 2016 Razem instigated mass protests (called the Black Protest) against a bill that would impose a complete ban on abortion, proposed by a citizens' initiative.[8][9][10] In 2016, Foreign Policy magazine included Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk of the Razem National Board, together with Barbara Nowacka of Polish Initiative (Inicjatywa Polska), in its annual list of the 100 most influential global thinkers for their role in organising the protest.[11] In 2018, Forbes magazine included Marcelina Zawisza on its annual European Forbes 30 Under 30 list in the "Law & Policy" category for her role as a co-founder of Razem and one of the organizers of "black protest".[12]

Since 2016, Razem has also been cooperating with the Democracy in Europe Movement 2025 (DiEM25) pan-European movement, founded by Yanis Varoufakis.[13] In May 2017, Varoufakis has expressed DiEM25's support for Razem in the 2019 European Parliament election.[14]

On 6 July 2017 Razem organised a protest against Donald Trump's visit to Poland. Protesters were dressed as handmaids from Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, as a symbol of the stripping down of women's rights both in Poland and the United States.[15]

In September 2017, Razem activists filed a complaint with the National Electoral Commission on behalf of the party, alleging that the Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists had helped to fund a Law and Justice conference during the 2015 parliamentary election campaign in violation of European Parliament rules as well as Polish electoral law.[16] On 29 October, the Commission announced that it would investigate the complaint.[17][18]

Ideology

Razem activists protesting the Polish Constitutional Court crisis

The party advocates labor rights and opposes deregulation and privatisation of public services. Among its main goals are strengthening redistribution, adopting a 35-hour workweek, raising the income tax threshold to the equivalent of 12 times the minimum wage (ca. $3,200 as of 2016), establishing progressive corporate tax, and creating a healthcare programme funded directly from the state budget. It also wishes to completely remove special economic zones from Poland. The party's economic program is partially inspired by the Nordic model.[19] The party considers itself part of the anti-austerity movement.[20]

Razem activists during 2018 Parada Równości

Razem is progressive on social issues, supporting drug liberalisation, sex education in schools and LGBT rights. The party is known for staunch criticism of nationalism and supports European integration.[21] It also strictly follows gender quotas and is for liberalising Poland's abortion law.

The party opposes TTIP and CETA, as they believe they will “lead to the undermining of financial stability and rapid growth of debt”.[21]

British economist Guy Standing describes Razem as "the first authentic movement in Poland representing the precariat".[22]

Structure

Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk of the Razem National Board during the 2016 protests against a total ban on abortion

The party has no singular leadership. Instead, it is governed by five branches:[23]

  • Congress — the supreme authority of the party; elects the members of the National Executive Board, Council and Audit Commission, enacts the party program
  • National Council — the legislative body
  • National Executive Board — the executive body; members of the Board also act as public representatives of the party
  • National Audit Commission — the control body
  • National Court of Arbitration — the judicial body

This structure is mirrored on the local level, with the District Assemblies, Boards and Councils.

As of June 2017, the Board consists of eleven people: Dorota Budacz, Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk, Maciej Konieczny, Magdalena Malińska, Michał Mierzwa, Mateusz Mirys, Justyna Samolińska, Mateusz Trzeciak, Adrian Zandberg, Marcelina Zawisza and Julia Zimmermann.[24]

References

  1. ↑ "Partia Razem. Nowa partia dla prekariuszy" (in Polish). Gazeta Wyborcza. Retrieved 2015-09-26.
  2. ↑ "Razem's letter to Bernie Sanders". facebook.com. 14 April 2016.
  3. ↑ Dorota Żuberek (2015-10-14). "Apel: Chcemy wspólnego startu lewicy społecznej. "Lewicy w Sejmie teraz nie ma. Jest Anna Grodzka"" (in Polish). TokFm.
  4. ↑ Aleks Szczerbiak (2015-07-28). "Does the Polish left have a future?". openDemocracy. Retrieved 2015-10-14.
  5. ↑ Cezary Paprzycki. "Uporządkowana antysystemowość" (in Polish). pikio.pl. Retrieved 2015-10-14.
  6. ↑ "Razem to tylko "fanpejdż na fejsie"? Nie. Partia wystawi listę ogólnokrajową" (in Polish). gazeta.pl. 2015-09-14. Retrieved 2015-10-14.
  7. ↑ "Wykaz komitetów wyborczych" (in Polish). pkw.gov.pl. Retrieved 2015-10-14.
  8. ↑ Interview: The #czarnyprotest and Monday’s women strike might be a turning point in Polish politics
  9. ↑ To ona wymyśliła #CzarnyProtest. Mówili, że lajkami na Facebooku i czarnym ubraniem nie wygramy. No więc wygraliśmy!
  10. ↑ "Czarny protest. Partia Razem przeciw zaostrzeniu prawa aborcyjnego". 2016-09-24. Retrieved 2016-10-05.
  11. ↑ "Foreign Policy's Annual List of the 100 Top Global Thinkers". Foreign Policy. Retrieved 2016-12-12.
  12. ↑ "Marcelina Zawisza". Forbes. 2018-01-22. Retrieved 2018-01-22.
  13. ↑ "Razem – DiEM25" (in Polish). Partiarazem.pl. Retrieved 2017-05-30.
  14. ↑ Yanis Varoufakis über Europas Zukunft: „Wir fangen gerade erst an“ - taz.de
  15. ↑ "Handmaid-Costumed Activists Protest Trump's Visit to Poland". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2017-07-06.
  16. ↑ Olko, Dorota. ""Właśnie złożyliśmy wniosek @partiarazem o kontrolę PKW w związku z doniesieniami @gazeta_wyborcza o finansowaniu PiS z funduszy unijnych"". Twitter.com. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
  17. ↑ "PKW sprawdzi kampanijne finanse PiS. Mazurek odpiera zarzuty: to fake news". Tvn24.pl. TVN24. 29 September 2017. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
  18. ↑ ""W poniedziałek, 2.10 Państwowa Komisja Wyborcza zajmie się wnioskiem @partiarazem w sprawie sprawozdania finansowego @pisorgpl"". Twitter.com. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
  19. ↑ "Partia Razem objawieniem debaty. Zrobią z Polski drugą Szwecję, albo... Grecję" (in Polish). Money.pl. Retrieved 2015-11-07.
  20. ↑ "Razem: We need to reclaim the social minimum". Veronika Pehe. Retrieved 2016-04-04.
  21. 1 2 "Stanowiska" (in Polish). Partia Razem. Retrieved 2015-10-14.
  22. ↑ Głos prekariatu – Guy Standing at YouTube
  23. ↑ "Statut" (PDF) (in Polish). Partia Razem. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-10-13. Retrieved 2015-10-14.
  24. ↑ "Zarząd krajowy" (in Polish). Partia Razem. Retrieved 2017-01-19.
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