Page - 273 - in Otto Bauer (1881–1938) - Thinker and Politician

state, democracy, socialism 273 Democrats toparticipate ingovernment,namelywhenIgnazSeipelofferedto formacoalition.Theydeclined. Withregardto their rejectionof theoffer, it is important toremember that thepositionof thesdap leadership in 1931 resulted froma1927–30discussion about Social-Democratic participation in coalitions. The discussion came to the foreat the 1927partycongress,where twocontendingpositionsemerged. Bauer’sgroupwasagainstcoalitionwork,whileRenner’s factionsupported it. At thetime,Bauerdiscussedthreedifferentsituationsunderwhichcoalitions wereformed:working-classdominance,balanceofclasspower,andbourgeois dominance.Hecategoricallyrejectedcoalitions inthelastcase.Theweakness of theworkers’party,heargued,wouldleadtoinefficientactiononthepartof Social-Democraticministers,andthemasseswouldultimatelyloseconfidence in their leaders.46Moreover, he claimed that coalitionworkwasonlybenefi- cial for theworkingclass inasituationwhen itwas in theascendancy.47Sub- sequentlyprotestingagainstacoalitionatthecongress,heofferedthedubious argument that therewas little point in sharingpowerwithbourgeois parties since electoral support for Social Democracy was on the rise. This, accord- ing to him, gave the socialists hope for their own government in the near future. Bauer’s optimismwas completely unfounded. Renner, OskarHelmer andHeinrichSchneidmadl accused theparty leaderof spreading illusions as tothepowerandsignificanceoftheparty.ContrarytoBauer’sconvictions, the partywassoweakfrom1927–30onwardthatthebourgeoisblocceasedtocon- siderSocialDemocracyapolitical factorintheAustrianstate.After1931,Bauer madeanefforttoobscurethisstateofaffairsfromtheworkingclass.Hevindic- ated the exclusionof SocialDemocracy from thepolitical arenaby claiming that coalitionwork only served to buttress the foundations of the capitalist state.48 46 SeeBauer1928,p.335andBauer1930,p. 193. 47 Ibid. 48 In 1930, Bauer wrote: ‘under favourable conditions, the participation of Social Demo- crats in government canbebeneficial, evennecessary. It canprotect theworking class againstthreatsandbetoitsadvantage.Itcansignificantlystrengthentheresistanceofthe democraticstateagainstthepressuresofthecapitalistplutocracy.However, leavingaside revolutionary periods such as 1918–20, it cannot abolish the bourgeois character of the state’ (our translation).Original: ‘DieTeilnahmederSozialdemokratieanderRegierung kannunter günstigenVoraussetzungennützlich, notwendig sein. SiekanndieArbeiter- klassevorGefahrenbewahrenundkannderArbeiterklassemanchenVorteilbringen.Sie kanndieWiderstandskraftderdemokratischenStaatsgewaltgegendenDruckderkapit- alistischenPlutokratiewesentlichstärken.Abersiekann–vonrevolutionärenZeiten,wie