Social democratic parties find themselves in a deep crisis, losing ground in setting the political agenda and organisational power.
Martin Winkler (martin.winkler@respekt.net), SME entrepreneur, financial restructuring consultant, and social democrat. 2009 founder (on voluntary basis) of Respekt.net, an initiative to strengthen civil society in Austria (runs the crowd-funding platform www.respekt.net, the platform for political transparency www.meineabgeordneten.at, the platform for tax transparency www.steuernzahlen.at, and the refugee assistance platform www.asylwohnung.at), was national head of the socialist youth organisation SJ in Austria and member of the party leadership of the social democratic party in Austria from 1990 to 1992.