Citizens in Rage (german: Bürger in Wut (BIW)) is a German
right-wing populist
Right-wing populism, also called national populism and right-wing nationalism, is a political ideology that combines right-wing politics and populist rhetoric and themes. Its rhetoric employs anti- elitist sentiments, opposition to the Establ ...
voters' association represented in the
state parliament of
Bremen. It is led by Jan Timke.
It was founded in March 2004 as a successor to the Bremen section of the
Party for a Rule of Law Offensive
The Party for a Rule of Law Offensive, Rule of Law State Offensive Party,, Party for the Promotion of the Rule of Law, Law and Order Offensive Party, or Party of Law and Order Offensive (german: Partei Rechtsstaatlicher Offensive),''Rechtsstaat'' i ...
("
Schill party"). Its focus has been on crime fighting and immigration policy.
The association participated in the
2007 Bremen parliamentary election. Bremen electoral law has a threshold that a party must surmount by winning 5% of the popular vote, either in the
city of Bremen, or in
Bremerhaven
Bremerhaven (, , Low German: ''Bremerhoben'') is a city at the seaport of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, a state of the Federal Republic of Germany.
It forms a semi-enclave in the state of Lower Saxony and is located at the mouth of the Riv ...
. Citizens in Rage contested the smaller constituency of Bremerhaven. According to the official results, the association won 2,216 votes or 4.998% – only one vote short of the threshold. Thereupon, Citizens in Rage requested a re-count. The competent court detected relevant mistakes in the elections in the constituency of Bremerhaven, and imposed an election rerun in one voting precinct. In the rerun on 6 July 2008, Citizens in Rage won 27.6% of the popular vote in the concerned precinct, which revised the Bremerhaven result of the movement up to 5.29% – enough for one seat in the state parliament.
In the
2011 Bremen state election, Citizens in Rage could report significant gains: they won 3.7% of the popular vote statewide – in contrast to 0.8% in 2007, and could defend their seat in the state legislative assembly.
Citizens in Rage see themselves as democratic conservative, although anti-establishment. Political scientists and observers classify the movement as right-wing populist, but not extremist or anti-constitutional.
Election results
Bürgerschaft of Bremen
References
External links
Official website (in German)
2004 establishments in Germany
Conservative parties in Germany
German nationalist political parties
Nationalist parties in Germany
Political parties established in 2004
Politics of Bremen (state)
Right-wing populism in Germany
Right-wing populist parties
{{Germany-party-stub