Rechte
Nidwaldeser Rechte | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Abbreviation | Rechte |
| Leader | Charlotte Mann |
| Parliamentary leader | Thomas von der Leyen |
| Founded | 25 July 1834 |
| Headquarters | Kurfürstendamm 224, Cologne, Nidwalden |
| Youth wing | Young Rechte |
| Membership | 29,500 (2017) |
| Ideology | Ludwigism, reformism, social democracy (factions), statism, liberal conservatism |
| Political position | centre-right |
| Colours | Blue |
| Slogan | Ludwgisists United |
| Nidwaldeser Parlament | 87 / 169
|
| County Councils | 167 / 425
|
| Website | |
| www | |
The Rechte (literally "right") or Nidwaldeser Rechte (English: Nidwaldester Right) is a centre-right ludwigist political party of Nidwalden. It is the second oldest and major party in Nidwalden as well as the leading party in the Mann Cabinet. The current leader is the Prime Minister Charlotte Mann.
The party is traditionally linked to one of its most important leaders, Ludwig Mann and the doctrine born from his administrations, Ludwigism, which the party has combined over the years with different degrees. The Rechte governed during most of the nineteenth century with a strong opposition of the conservative Nationalist Party. During most of its administrations, the party has been linked to the monarchy of Nidwalden and educated elites, to which the party is believed to have founded a "progressive spirit" own of Nidwalden. Over the years, it has implemented several progressive and innovative reforms in the Church of Nidwalden, the labour and social areas that set the bases for the long democratic heritage of Nidwalden. In 1915 the party proposed Christen Holsteinborg for the position of Prime Minister, which later that same year, turned into the first democratically elected woman in Nidwalden. Most of these progressive alignments caused, between the 1930s and 1970s, a major breakthrough inside the party and the depart of several members, key figures and voters to the recently founded and leftist Social Democratic. During most of this period, Ludwigists were the theoretical impulsors of Social Democracy in Nidwalden. Although having been on the right of the Nidwaldeser political spectrum, since the 1980s, the party has undergone several processes of moderation and which turned into a liberal party in several issues regarding LGBT rights, economic positions and its general conservative positions. It is regarded as the most centre party of the right wing parties of the Lorecian Community.
Since its beginnings and with brief leadership of more right factions, the Rechte has been advocated to the protection of the Nidwaldeser welfare state and Nidwaldeser state owned enterprises, the promotion of social and economic equality and the vision of the state as a link between the different social areas. Between 1990s and the 2000s, the party has distanced itself from positions now taken by the Social Democratic Party and has proposed larger semi-privatisations.
History
Origins and evolution
The Rechte appears in 1834 after the merge of socially liberal parties to form an opposition to the recently created Nationalist Party. The creation of the party was encouraged by the Prime Minister Wollert Von Hahn (1830-1835), who found a solid base for his ideas in the initial proclamation of the Rechte. Since then, the Rechte has played a role defending the industrialisation of the Grand Duchy and representing the interests of the urban population.
Like in the Nationalist Party, the Rechte has been led during most of its history by important political families like the Manns and the Baunsgaards among some. Over its administrations, the party has taken Nidwalden through some of its most important social and economical transformation; after the elections of 1903 that concluded with Ludwig Mann elected for the first time in the position of Prime Minister, the Rechte has been in charge of the secularisation of the Nidwaldester society and the improvements in labour and social areas developing what was going to be later known as Ludwigism, these reforms supposed the origin of the Nidwaldester welfare state. During the early years of the 20th century, the Rechte has also been in charge of being a party seeker of the general political consensus in order to maintain welfare and democracy at the highest levels, in February of 1920 the Prime Minister Helle Johansen signed the most extensive settlement on Nidwaldester politics, the Sankt Moritz Agreement, that supposed the protection of the welfare state by all the political parties of Nidwalden.
Kristensen-Hartling Era (1935-1951)
The ludwgist era of the Rechte ended in 1935 when the liberal-conservative faction of the party (led by Vilhelm Kristensen) was elected as the candidate of the party for the elctions of the same year, which he won. Vilhelm concluded the ludwigist era and implemented several reforms that moved the Rechte to the right which caused the formation of a coalition with the Nationalists between 1935 and 1951. This move was significantly important for the creation of the Social Democrat Party and the migration of ludwgisits from the Rechte leaving it as a small right party. The Kristensen-Hartling Era was interrupted by two Nationalist governments, with which the Rechte formed coalitions to prevent the Social Democrats to reach the executive, marking the end of the social democracy inside the party. Politologists in Nidwalden express that this era of liberal-conservatives policies of the Rechte lasted farther than the last Hartling government as the party formed a coalition with the Die Demokraten party in 1983 and later again with the Nationalists.
Charlotte Mann and Ludwigists United
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It took 18 terms (between Nationalists, Democrats and Social Democrats) for the Rechte to win the elections again with the leadership of Charlotte Mann, member of the historic family of the party that has four different members that occupied the Prime Minister office. In 1990 the Nationalist Party was defeated by the social democrat candidate Helmut Talvi with one of its worst results, the elections caused to the Nationalist Party one of its biggest crisis that took it to almost disappear. In the elections, the Rechte survived as opposition with the Democrats and Charlotte Mann and her group were selected to be part of the few deputies from the Rechte in the Parliament, Charlotte appeared for the public audience with the link she formed with the government in several social issues like the recognition of same-sex unions (during Talvi's administration) and same-sex marriages (Fitzgerald's administration) and the approval of social democrat budgets to face the financial crisis inherited from the Democrat and Nationalist administrations.
Charlotte Mann rapidly gained the attention of young members of the Social Democrat party and of the society with strong Ludwigist speeches in the Parliament and interviews. In the internal elections of 2006, Charlotte was elected as the candidate from the Rechte with an overwhelming adherence that washed the liberal and conservative image of the party. Charlotte Mann was finally elected Prime Minister in 2018.
Positions
Economic policy
The Rechte was the creator and biggest impulsor of the Nidwaldester welfare state. Since its conception, the party has been advocated to maintain a strong position in defending the lower classes, enlarging the middle classes and increasing the average lifestyle, however, this increased during Ludwigist times after the first Ludwig Mann administration. The fiscal policy of the party, under the leadership of Charlotte Mann and during the ludwigist times, is in favour of the large spending in social welfare. Rechte administrations have had employment, social security and welfare as core issues as well as a strong investment in public education, public safety and health care. The party has also contributed since its beginnings to the creation of several state owned companies like NidEnergie, Nidwalden Wasser and the county banks among some.
In 1921, under the Johansen administration, the Rechte created the Salary Councils, an instance between workers and enterprises with the state as mediator where minimum wages are fixed for each economic sector. But besides these instances (that happen every year since 1921), the Rechte has implemented the national minimum wage and has shown a strong opposition (together with the Social Democrats) during Democratic and Nationalists administrations when the minimum wages were intended to be removed.
Social policy
The party's social policy is founded in protecting the less favoured sectors of the society. With this framework, the Rechte promoted women's and LGBT rights and inclusion in society. With the Rechte in the government, Nidwalden undertook several secularist reforms like the implementation of civil marriage (1837), the state taking over the run of cemeteries (1861), divorce (1907) and the ban of religious instruction in public education (1909). In 1915 the party proposed the first woman candidature which ended with Christen Holsteinborg as the first Nidwaldester and Astyrian woman democratically elected as Prime Minister. The Rechte voted in favour of the legalisation of abortion in 1985 and formed a coalition with the Social Democrats to approve the recognition of same-sex unions and same-sex marriages in 1990 and 1995 respectively.
Lorecian Community
In opposition to the Democratic party, the Rechte maintains a strong favourable position towards the Lorecian Community and the regional integration. During the Social Democratic administration of Talvi, the party showed its support with the signature of the Bruningen Accord and has worked along with the leftist party for deeper integration of Nidwalden with its neighbouring countries. The Rechte has stated several times the commitment of its leaders in having a pacifist and active position during regional conflicts, Charlotte Mann has denounced human rights violations in Belka during the ongoing conflict.