Die PARTEI - Name

Name

"PARTEI" is an acronym for Partei für Arbeit, Rechtsstaat, Tierschutz, Elitenförderung und basisdemokratische Initiative (Party for Work, Rule-of-Law, Protection of Animals, Advancement of Elites, and Grassroot-Democratic Initiative). At the same time, "Partei" is German for party. Usage of the definite article ("die PARTEI") is evocative of totalitarian parties (see Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) and National Socialist German Workers Party) and is therefore a tongue-in-cheek reference to the totalitarian ambitions of the founders of "Die PARTEI". This is exploited and parodiesed in advertising in which the SED party hymn, 'The Party is always right' ("Die Partei hat immer Recht") is played.