Germany's The Left party sees record gains since controversial vote
The Left Party has logged a record 81,200 members after an unprecedented wave of new members in recent weeks, the hard-left party, known as Die Linke, said on Monday.
The increase is the largest seen since the party was founded in 2009.
Since the controversial vote on January 29 in the German parliament involving a conservative measure - with unprecedented backing from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, 17,470 new members had joined the party, a party spokesman said,
Party membership has risen by 23,500 since the beginning of the year, he said.
The party leadership sees the mobilization of The Left in the election campaign as one reason for the wave of new members, but also the concern of many people about a shift to the right in Germany.
'The Left is growing and attracting more and more people who want fair politics,' said chairman Jan van Aken. People know that they can rely on the Left Party, he said.
The average age of those who have joined since the beginning of January is 28.7 years, with women making up almost 53% of the new members, party figures show. This means that the average age of all members is now 43.31 years, with women making up a good 42% of the party's membership.
Joining the party is very easy: you simply go to the website, enter your personal details and sign a declaration that you agree with the party's principles. The monthly membership fee starts at €1.50 ($1.55) for people with no income of their own or who receive social benefits, and then increases in stages. For those earning €2,500, the fee is €85 per month; for those earning more than that, it is 4% of net income.
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