Party of Humanists


The Party of Humanists is a minor political party in Germany that first participated in the 2017 federal election. It is considered left-of-centre and supports socially liberal and secular policies, such as a federal European state, openness towards technologies such as stem cell research and strict separation between state and religion. The party contested the 2017 and 2021 federal elections, the 2019 European elections and numerous state elections from 2018 onwards. It also contested the 2024 European Parliament election in Germany.

History

In spring 2012, the Facebook group "Initiative Humanismus" created the "Manifesto of the Initiative Humanismus", which was to serve as the basis for a humanist party. The Party of Humanists was founded on the basis of this document on 4 October 2014 in Berlin. The provisional executive committee consisted of eight spokespersons for various subject areas.
At the first ordinary federal party conference in March 2015, David Helmus was elected as the party's first chairman. Beka Kobaidze served as secretary general, while Ioana Hauke took over as treasurer. According to the chairman, the party had around 75 members in September of the same year.
The Berlin regional association was founded on 2 April 2016. A few months later, the regional associations of Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia and Baden-Württemberg were founded. Shortly afterwards, in February of the following year, the Bavarian state association was also founded.
On 21 March 2017, the Party held a joint press conference along with the Pirate Party Germany, the Liberal Democrats, the New Liberals, the Transhuman Party Germany, and the youth organization of The Left to announce a "social-liberal proclamation" and better cooperation among the participating organizations.
In the 2017 German federal election, the Humanist Party took part in an election for the first time, although it was initially only electable in North Rhine-Westphalia. For this purpose, various teams were set up within the party, which now has around 600 members, for internal party organisation. In the election, the party received 5.991 second votes.
After the federal election, the party received an influx of new members. As a result, state associations were founded in Hamburg and Lower Saxony in the same year, as well as state associations in Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Rhineland-Palatinate, Bremen and Schleswig-Holstein in 2018.
In January 2019, Steven Pinker was accepted onto the advisory board of the Humanist Party. One month later, in February 2019, Michael Shermer, founder of the American Skeptics Society, also became a member of the advisory board.
The Humanist Party was registered for the European elections on 15 March 2019, in which it took part with its lead candidate Robin Thiedmann. It achieved 0.2% of 62,604 votes, but missed out on a place in the European Parliament.
In 2021, the last four state associations, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Thuringia and Saarland were founded. Shortly after the founding of the Brandenburg state association, the party celebrated its new size of 1800 members. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the first digital federal party conference was held on 29 January and 20 February 2022.
In April 2023, 19-year-old Lasse Schäfer was elected as the new national chairman. This makes him the youngest party chairman in Germany.

Party platform

The underlying ideology is evolutionary humanism. The core themes of the Humanist Party are science and education, the right of self-determination of the individual, and secularization. For example, the party supports the liberal and self-responsible use of drugs, supports legal voluntary euthanasia and is against circumcision of children. The party also supports the implementation of universal basic income. The party is considered left of the political centre.
Currently, the Party of Humanists is the only party in Germany that specifically targets non-religious people, freethinkers, and atheists as voters.

Programme

Health and science

Since 15 July 2024, the party's leadership has consisted of:
  • Felicitas Klings
  • Sascha Klughardt
  • Narek Avetisyan

    Federal executive board

The party's federal executive board is made up of:
  • Ole Teschke
  • Dominic Vice
  • Josephine Keller
  • Andreas Stirner
  • Daniel Keye
  • Dr. Jochen Sieck
  • Manuel Cran
  • Ricardo Reitz

    Federal state parties

Federal state partyDate of FoundingChairmanLast state election participationLast country-wide election participation
Baden-Württemberg3 December 2016Steven Schmitt2021 Baden-Württemberg state election2021 German federal election
Bavaria11 February 2017Frederic Forkel2018 Bavarian state election2021 German federal election
Berlin2 April 2017Barend Wolf2021 Berlin state election2021 German federal election
Brandenburg13 March 2021Tim Ewert-2021 German federal election
Bremen9 June 2018Julia Kreitz2019 Bremen state election2021 German federal election
Hamburg1 October 2017Michael Brandt2020 Hamburg state election2021 German federal election
Hesse25 September 2016Dennis Wörner2018 Hessian state election2021 German federal election
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern24 May 2021Tom Kühnel2021 Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state election2021 German federal election
Lower Saxony25 November 2017Rainer Rößler-2021 German federal election
North Rhine-Westphalia22 October 2016Leonard Niesik-2021 German federal election
Rhineland-Palatinate15 April 2018Tristan Marsell-2021 German federal election
Saarland20 November 2021Fabian Grünewald-2019 European Parliament election
Saxony7 January 2018Jonas Lehn2019 Saxony state election2021 German federal election
Saxony-Anhalt31 March 2018Konstantin Zisiadis2021 Saxony-Anhalt state election2021 German federal election
Schleswig-Holstein20 October 2018Marvin Weidemeier2022 Schleswig-Holstein state election2021 German federal election
Thuringia29 May 2021Anthony Ramstedt-2021 German federal election

Election results

Federal parliament (''Bundestag'')

European Parliament