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Sozialistische LinksPartei
Leader	Sonja Grusch
Founded	2000 (Sozialistische LinksPartei) 2000 (Merged from Sozialistische Offensive Vorwärts)
Headquarters	Kaiserstraße 14/11 A-1070 Vienna
Political Ideology	Trotskyism
Political position	Left wing
International Affiliation	Committee for a Workers' International
European Affiliation	none
European Parliament Group	none
Colours	Red
Website	http://www.slp.at
See also	Politics of Austria Political parties Elections

The Socialist Left Party (de: Sozialistische LinksPartei, or SLP) is a Trotskyist political party in Austria. It is a member of the Committee for a Workers' International. The party originated in the 1980's, when the forerunner "Sozialistische Offensive Vorwärts" emerged from the far-left wing of the Socialist Youth of Austria. It later transformed itself during the protests against the participation of the FPÖ in the Austrian government in 2000 into the current SLP, forming itself as a party at a conference on January 30th 2000^[1]. In 2002, it ran in federal elections for the Nationalrat; however, it was unable to win a seat.

The SLP has several professed goals as part of their party plan for reform: social justice on a national and global level; a stop to the neo-liberal government's spending cuts and privatisation schemes; gender equality and equality for homosexuals; an end to Nazism, racism, and all forms of xenophobia; protection of the environment; as well as other topics relating to anti-globalisation. The party is also anti-EU.

The SLP aims to help found an alternative to social democracy and what it terms the "bureaucratic-centralist" or "Stalinist" KPÖ. As a section of the Committee for a Workers' International it has a Trotskyist analysis which rejects Stalinism as well the cultural revolution approach of Maoism. It also rejects social democracy, which it believes has become bourgeois. The SLP defines itself as a young, revolutionary pro-labour party.

In 2001, the party stood in elections in Vienna and received 100 voters, 0.01% of the vote in communal elections of 2001. However, since the SLP put itself up for votes in only one district (Zentrum), this equates to relatively 0.18% of all votes. The party campaigned also in other districts such as Margareten, where it received 139 votes, which totals to 0.68% of all votes.

In communal elections of 2005, the party campaigned again in the districts of Zentrum and Margareten. It was able to raise its votes to 124 in Zentrum (0.24% or 0.02% for all of Vienna); however, it lost in Margareten (90 votes, 0.47%). Because the SLP ran against the KPÖ in Margareten, their presence could have contributed to the narrow miss for the KPÖ in entering the communal assembly there, with their tally of 2.22%. The SLP also ran in Favoriten (0.19%) and Brigittenau (0.28%); however, neither result was enough to qualify for a seat.

Socialist Left Party have been prominent in defending abortion rights. In 2003, after writing an article criticising the methods of anti-abortionists, Human Life International (HLI), SLP member Claudia Sorger was taken to court, but won her case on July 10th 2003^[2]

• Official web site

1. ^ Mass Protest movement in Austria against right-wing, The Socialist 147, 03/03/00
2. ^ Success In Defending Women's Right To Abortion - The Socialist 310 26/07/03

v • d • e Political parties in Austria
National Council (2006):	Social Democratic Party (67)1 • People's Party (66) • Greens (21) • Freedom Party (20) • Alliance for the Future of Austria (7) • Liberal Forum (1)1 • independent (1)2
Federal Council (indirect election):	Social Democratic Party (29) • People's Party (26) • Greens (4) • Alliance for the Future of Austria (2) • Freedom Party (1)
European Parliament (2004):	Social Democratic Party (7) • People's Party (6) • Greens (2) • Hans-Peter Martin's List (1) • Liberal Forum (1)3 • Freedom Party (1)
Landtag(e) only:	Communist Party (Styria, 2005)
Minor parties:	Socialist Left Party • Christian Electoral Community • Neutral Free Austria • The Christians • Social Liberals • Enotna Lista (Unity List) (Carinthia)
1. Alexander Zach, the chairman of the Liberal Forum, was elected on the Social Democratic Party's electoral list and sits in their caucus. 2. On 7 March 2007, Ewald Stadler left the Freedom Party; he continues to sit in their caucus, however. 3. Karin Resetarits was initially elected as an MEP on the List Hans-Peter Martin, but she later broke ties with him, then joined the ALDE group, and finally joined the Liberal Forum.
Portal:Politics - List of political parties - Politics of Austria