Freedom Union (Poland)
Encyclopedia
The Freedom Union was a liberal democratic party
in Poland
. It was founded on March 20, 1994 out of the merger of the Democratic Union
(Unia Demokratyczna, UD) and the Liberal Democratic Congress
(Kongres Liberalno-Demokratyczny, KLD). Both of these parties had roots in the Solidarity trade union movement. It represented European democratic and liberal tradition, i.e. it advocated free market economy and individual liberty, rejected extremism and fanaticism, favoured European integration (in the form of European Union
membership), rapid privatisation of the enterprises still owned by the Polish state and decentralisation of the government.
In the 1991 general elections
, the KLD received 7.5% of the vote and 37 seats in the Sejm
(out of 460 seats) and the UD got 12.3% of the votes and 62 seats. In 1993 the KLD got 4.0% of the votes and was left without seats; the UD got 10.6% of the votes and 74 seats. In 1997 the UW got 13.4% of the votes and 60 seats. In 2001 it got 3.1% of the votes and was left without seats.
In January 2001 some members of the party's conservative right wing decided to move to join the new socially conservative Civic Platform
(Platforma Obywatelska), which got 12.7% of the votes 65 seats in the 2001 general elections whilst the more moderate Christian-democratic Freedom Union failed to cross the 5% threshold required to gain entry to Parliament. Surprisingly, the party managed to cross the required 5% threshold in the 2004 European Parliament elections
, receiving 7% of votes and 4 of 54 seats reserved for Poland in the European Parliament
as part of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party
, of which it was a member.
The initiative by the Freedom Union leadership to found the centre/social-liberal Democratic Party (Partia Demokratyczna - demokraci.pl) attracted a lot of attention. It was cofounded by Władysław Frasyniuk and economy minister Jerzy Hausner
, joined by prime minister Marek Belka
. Former Freedom Union member Tadeusz Mazowiecki
also joined the inititiative. Legally the centrist Democratic Party, founded May 9, 2005, is the successor of the Freedom Union.
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. It was founded on March 20, 1994 out of the merger of the Democratic Union
Democratic Union (Poland)
The Democratic Union was a Liberal Christian-democratic party in Poland. The party was founded in 1990 by Prime Minister, Christian democrat Tadeusz Mazowiecki as a merger of the Citizens' Movement for Democratic Action and the Forum of Right Democrats .The party had a market-socialist...
(Unia Demokratyczna, UD) and the Liberal Democratic Congress
Liberal Democratic Congress
The Liberal Democratic Congress was a centrist-conservative, liberal-Catholic party in Poland. The party, led by Donald Tusk, had roots in the Solidarity movement...
(Kongres Liberalno-Demokratyczny, KLD). Both of these parties had roots in the Solidarity trade union movement. It represented European democratic and liberal tradition, i.e. it advocated free market economy and individual liberty, rejected extremism and fanaticism, favoured European integration (in the form of European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
membership), rapid privatisation of the enterprises still owned by the Polish state and decentralisation of the government.
In the 1991 general elections
Polish parliamentary election, 1991
The Polish parliamentary election in 1991 to the Sejm and the Senate of Poland was held on October 27. In the Sejm elections, 27,517,280 citizens were eligible to vote, 11,887,949 of them cast their votes, 11,218,602 of those were counted as valid. In the Senate elections, 43.2% of citizens cast...
, the KLD received 7.5% of the vote and 37 seats in the Sejm
Sejm
The Sejm is the lower house of the Polish parliament. The Sejm is made up of 460 deputies, or Poseł in Polish . It is elected by universal ballot and is presided over by a speaker called the Marshal of the Sejm ....
(out of 460 seats) and the UD got 12.3% of the votes and 62 seats. In 1993 the KLD got 4.0% of the votes and was left without seats; the UD got 10.6% of the votes and 74 seats. In 1997 the UW got 13.4% of the votes and 60 seats. In 2001 it got 3.1% of the votes and was left without seats.
In January 2001 some members of the party's conservative right wing decided to move to join the new socially conservative Civic Platform
Civic Platform
Civic Platform , abbreviated to PO, is a centre-right, liberal conservative political party in Poland. It has been the major coalition partner in Poland's government since the 2007 general election, with party leader Donald Tusk as Prime Minister of Poland and Bronisław Komorowski as President...
(Platforma Obywatelska), which got 12.7% of the votes 65 seats in the 2001 general elections whilst the more moderate Christian-democratic Freedom Union failed to cross the 5% threshold required to gain entry to Parliament. Surprisingly, the party managed to cross the required 5% threshold in the 2004 European Parliament elections
European Parliament election, 2004
Elections to the European Parliament were held from 10 June 2004 to 13 June 2004 in the 25 member states of the European Union, using varying election days according to local custom...
, receiving 7% of votes and 4 of 54 seats reserved for Poland in the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
as part of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party
European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party
The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party is a European political party mainly active in the European Union, composed of 56 national-level liberal and liberal-democratic parties from across Europe...
, of which it was a member.
The initiative by the Freedom Union leadership to found the centre/social-liberal Democratic Party (Partia Demokratyczna - demokraci.pl) attracted a lot of attention. It was cofounded by Władysław Frasyniuk and economy minister Jerzy Hausner
Jerzy Hausner
Jerzy Hausner is a Polish politician and economist. He is a Member of the 4th Sejm of the Republic of Poland....
, joined by prime minister Marek Belka
Marek Belka
Marek Marian Belka is a Polish professor of Economics, a former Prime Minister and Finance Minister of Poland, former Director of the International Monetary Fund's European Department and current Head of National Bank of Poland.- Biography :...
. Former Freedom Union member Tadeusz Mazowiecki
Tadeusz Mazowiecki
Tadeusz Mazowiecki is a Polish author, journalist, philanthropist and Christian-democratic politician, formerly one of the leaders of the Solidarity movement, and the first non-communist prime minister in Central and Eastern Europe after World War II.-Biography:Mazowiecki comes from a Polish...
also joined the inititiative. Legally the centrist Democratic Party, founded May 9, 2005, is the successor of the Freedom Union.
Former Members of Polish Senate
- Olga Teresa Krzyżanowska - caucus vicechairperson
- Dorota Simonides
- Kazimierz KutzKazimierz KutzKazimierz Julian Kutz is a Polish film director, author, journalist and politician, one of the representatives of the Polish Film School and a deputy speaker of the Senate of Poland.- Biography :...
- Andrzej Jan Wielowieyski - caucus chairman
- Grażyna StaniszewskaGrazyna StaniszewskaGrażyna Ewa Staniszewska is a Polish politician and Member of the European Parliament for the Silesian Voivodeship with the Unia Wolności, part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe and sits on the European Parliament's Committee on Regional Development.Staniszewska is a substitute...
(until June 13, 2004, elected to the European Parliament)
Members of the European Parliament of the former Freedom Union
- Bronisław Geremek, historian and politician, ex-minister of foreign affairs
- Jan Kułakowski, journalist, ex Poland-EU negotiator
- Janusz OnyszkiewiczJanusz OnyszkiewiczJanusz Adam Onyszkiewicz is a Polish mathematician, alpinist, politician and was a vice-president of the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee from January 2007 until mid-2009.-Biographical note:...
, mathematician and politician, vicepresident of the European ParliamentEuropean ParliamentThe European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world... - Grażyna StaniszewskaGrazyna StaniszewskaGrażyna Ewa Staniszewska is a Polish politician and Member of the European Parliament for the Silesian Voivodeship with the Unia Wolności, part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe and sits on the European Parliament's Committee on Regional Development.Staniszewska is a substitute...
, politician, senator
Other prominent members
- Jan RokitaJan RokitaJan Rokita is a Polish conservative politician, a member of the Sejm, the lower chamber of the Polish parliament. He was chairman of the parliamentary club of Platforma Obywatelska from 2003 to 2005....
- now Civic PlatformCivic PlatformCivic Platform , abbreviated to PO, is a centre-right, liberal conservative political party in Poland. It has been the major coalition partner in Poland's government since the 2007 general election, with party leader Donald Tusk as Prime Minister of Poland and Bronisław Komorowski as President... - Donald TuskDonald TuskDonald Franciszek Tusk is a Polish politician who has been Prime Minister of Poland since 2007. He was a co-founder and is chairman of the Civic Platform party....
- now Civic PlatformCivic PlatformCivic Platform , abbreviated to PO, is a centre-right, liberal conservative political party in Poland. It has been the major coalition partner in Poland's government since the 2007 general election, with party leader Donald Tusk as Prime Minister of Poland and Bronisław Komorowski as President... - Janusz LewandowskiJanusz LewandowskiJanusz Antoni Lewandowski is a Polish politician and economist belonging to the Gdansk liberals group, and a member of the Europea n Parliament , Chairman of the Committee on Budgets...
- now Civic PlatformCivic PlatformCivic Platform , abbreviated to PO, is a centre-right, liberal conservative political party in Poland. It has been the major coalition partner in Poland's government since the 2007 general election, with party leader Donald Tusk as Prime Minister of Poland and Bronisław Komorowski as President... - Jacek KurońJacek KuronJacek Jan Kuroń was one of the democratic leaders of opposition in the People's Republic of Poland. Kuroń was a prominent Polish social and political figure; educator and historian; an activist of the Polish Scouting Association; co-founder of the Workers' Defence Committee; twice a Minister of...
- died June 17, 2004
See also
- Liberalism in PolandLiberalism in PolandThis article gives an overview of liberalism in Poland. It is limited to liberal parties with substantial support, mainly proved by having had a representation in parliament. The sign ⇒ denotes another party in that scheme...
- LiberalismLiberalismLiberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
- Contributions to liberal theoryContributions to liberal theoryIndividual contributors to classical liberalism and political liberalism are associated with philosophers of the Enlightenment. Liberalism as a specifically named ideology begins in the late 18th century as a movement towards self-government and away from aristocracy...
- Liberalism worldwideLiberalism worldwideThis article gives information on liberalism in diverse countries around the world. It is an overview of parties that adhere more or less to the ideas of political liberalism and is therefore a list of liberal parties around the world....
- List of liberal parties
- Liberal democracyLiberal democracyLiberal democracy, also known as constitutional democracy, is a common form of representative democracy. According to the principles of liberal democracy, elections should be free and fair, and the political process should be competitive...