Odessa Social Democrats

The **Odessa Social Democrats** (**OSD**), formerly known as the **Johanian Socialist Party** (**JSP**), is a political party in the Myjohanian Union that has been described as an alliance of social democrats, democratic socialists and trade unionists. The Odessa Social Democrats sits on the left of the political spectrum. In all constituent elections since 2021, the Odessa Social Democrats has been either the co-governing party or the Official Opposition. There have been two OSD deputy prime ministers and thirteen OSD ministries.

The party traces its roots back to late ShitCraft II, when it was known as the **Social Democratic Party of the Johanian Empire**, having grown out of the trade union movement and socialist parties of the Johanian Empire. It overtook the former liberal and democratic parties and eventually became the largest underground party in Odessa. The party frequently engaged in congresses and sent delegates to the Johanian socialist and leftist gatherings at the time. Here, leftists engaged in fierce debates on the future of Johania; its potential system of governing and the role of capitalism and socialism. Despite the disagreements, all delegates in the Odessan leftist movement were united in their opposition to the Johanian monarchy. Its main party opposition, the Democratic Socialist Labour Party, later merged with other minor parties to form the Vaushist Party, was notably further to the left on ideological matters. Nonetheless, centrists and people across the political spectrum flocked to both parties prior, and during the leftist uprising against the monarchy. Following the proclamation of the Second Johanian Republic, Vaush had established himself as the revolution's most prominent idelogical leader. In response to this, socialists, orthodox Marxists, social democrats and others opposing Vaush's policies formed the Johanian Socialist Party and proclaimed themselves as the true upholder of socialist values.

During ShitCraft IV, the party was the Vaushist Party's main opposition on the left. Vaush's intepretation of socialist and Marxist theories largely shaped the policy-making of the Johanian Republic. Many in the socialist and broader left-wing movement believed that these interpretations were largely inaccurate and was considered inadequate in terms of establishing a revolutionary workers' state, withering away political bureaucracy or providing sufficient welfare. The party aided the Vaushist State during late May 2021 and participated in the May 2021 Election under the rebranded name of the Odessa Social Democrats. The goal of the rebranding was to appeal to left-wingers more broadly instead of merely socialists. The Odessa Social Democrats formed the executive government together with the leading Vaushist Party in the constituent Johanian Autonomous Republic with Clutch Powers as deputy prime minister. Federally, the Odessa Social Democrats held 31 seats in the Myjohanian Central Council and was the third largest party in the greater union.

Today, the party is arguably the largest centralized political party in the Johanian Autonomous Republic following the dissolution of the Vaushist Party and the Syndicalist Workers' Union taking its place in the Johanian parliament and the Myjohanian Central Council. Several polls have suggested that the Odessa Social Democrats may become the ruling party in Johania following the next election at the start of ShitCraft VI.

## Ideology

The Odessa Social Democrats is considered to be a centre-left, or left-wing party. It was initially formed as a means for the trade union movement to establish political representation for itself in the Johanian Empire. The OSD only gained a "socialist" commitment with the original party constitution of 2019, following the influx of socialistic ideals in the Johanian Workers' Movement. While affirming a commitment to democratic socialism, the new version of Party Constitution no longer definitely commits the party to public ownership of industry but rather towards dialectically determining the praxis in regards to what elevates the Johanian people's standards of living. In other words, the party is currently ideologically ambivalent towards the country's mode of production, but rather is commited to raising the quality of life. This has resulted in the party's current Constitution being labeled as "left-wing pragmatic", whilst the party itself argues that it remains firmly true to its socialist roots.

In more recent times, a limited number of members of the OSD have seen themselves as the standard bearers for the radical socialist tradition in contrast to the democratic socialist tradition represented by organisations such as Socialist Miners' Guild and Johnian United Workers. The group Reform, founded in 2021 by Clutch Powers, represents the centrist position in the party and supported the party leadership throughout ShitCraft V.