ABSTRACT Title of Dissertation: FROM RED TO GREEN IN ... - Isioma

Chapter One
The Left and Germany’s Long Way West
In October 1978, members of the Maoist West German Communist Party,
housing squatters, representatives of feminist and gay rights organizations, and
some skeptical environmentalists founded the Alternative Liste für Demokratie und
Umweltschutz (Alternative Ballot for Democracy and Environmental Protection-
AL). This new political organization initially stood in fundamental opposition to
the parliamentary system. Nevertheless, within three years, the AL had won a
significant presence in the West Berlin Parliament, and in 1989, the party joined
the Social Democrats in governing West Berlin. This dissertation examines the
origins, activities, and evolution of this organization. It shows that, from the late
1970s through the end of the 1980s, a significant segment of the radical West
German Left came to accept and embrace parliamentary democracy.
This change occurred through the interplay of several different factors.
First, the AL’s parliamentary participation had a moderating, integrative effect
on the party and its members. When the radical West Berlin Left decided to
harness the parliaments in service of their movement, the 5 percent minimum
vote required for representation forced disparate groups to abandon past
dogmatism and find common ground. Once the AL entered parliament, its
presence there meant that the issue of violence and its perception of democracy
were constantly under debate. Second, the rise of ecological concerns played an
important role in the AL’s evolution. Environmental issues proved key in
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