Freedom Union (Poland)
- Politics of Poland
- Political parties
- Elections
^ a: In 24 January 2001, KLD faction split from this party to form Civic Platform.
The Freedom Union (Polish: Unia Wolności, UW) was a liberal[2] democratic political party in Poland.
History
It was founded on 20 March 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.
Timeline of Polish liberal parties after 1989 |
• Citizens' Movement for Democratic Action /ROAD (1990–1991) • Liberal Democratic Congress /KLD (1990–1994) • Democratic Union /UD (1991–1994) • Freedom Union /UW (1994–2005) • Democratic Party /PD (2005– ) • Palikot's Movement /RP (2011–2013) • Your Movement /TR (2013– ) • Modern/.N (2015– ) |
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 January 2001 some members of the FU (mostly from centre-right and KLD factions) decided to move to join the new Civic Platform (Platforma Obywatelska), which got 12.7% of the votes and 65 seats in the September 2001 general elections whilst the FU failed to cross the 5% threshold required to gain entry to the lower house of Parliament, receiving only 3.1%. Surprisingly, the FU 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 FU 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 FU member Tadeusz Mazowiecki also joined the initiative. Legally the centrist Democratic Party, founded 9 May 2005, is the successor of the FU.
Election results
Sejm
Election year | # of votes | % of vote | # of overall seats won | +/– | Government |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1997 | 1,749,518 | 13.4 (#3) | 60 / 460 | 14 | AWS-UW (1997-2000) |
Opposition (2000-2001) | |||||
2001 | 404,074 | 3.1 (#9) | 0 / 460 | 60 | Extra-parliamentary |
Senate
Election year | # of overall seats won | +/– | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1997 | 8 / 100 | |||||
2001 | 5 / 100 | 3 | ||||
As part of the Senate 2001 coalition, which won 15 seats. |
Presidential
Election year | Candidate | 1st round | 2nd round | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
# of overall votes | % of overall vote | # of overall votes | % of overall vote | ||
1995 | Jacek Kuroń | 1,646,946 | 9.2 (#3) |
Regional assemblies
Election year | % of vote | # of overall seats won | +/– |
---|---|---|---|
1998 | 10.3 (#4) | 76 / 855 | |
2002 | 2.3 (#7) | 3 / 561 | 73 |
European Parliament
Election year | # of votes | % of vote | # of overall seats won | +/– |
---|---|---|---|---|
2004 | 446,549 | 7.3 (#6) | 4 / 54 |
Former leader
- Władysław Frasyniuk – Party chairman
Members of Polish Parliament (Sejm)
- None since 2001
Former Members of Polish Senate
- Olga Teresa Krzyżanowska – caucus vice-chairperson
- Dorota Simonides
- Kazimierz Kutz
- Andrzej Jan Wielowieyski – caucus chairman
- Grażyna Staniszewska (until 13 June 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 Onyszkiewicz, mathematician and politician, vice-president of the European Parliament
- Grażyna Staniszewska, politician, senator
Other prominent members
- Jan Rokita – now Civic Platform
- Donald Tusk – now Civic Platform
- Janusz Lewandowski – now Civic Platform
- Jacek Kuroń – died 17 June 2004
See also
- Liberalism in Poland
- Liberalism
- Contributions to liberal theory
- Liberalism worldwide
- List of liberal parties
- Liberal democracy
References
- v
- t
- e
the Sejm
- United Right (191)
- Law and Justice (165)
- Sovereign Poland (18)
- Renew RP (5)
- Polish Affairs (1)
- Independent (2)*
- Civic Coalition (157)
- Civic Platform (127)
- Modern (6)
- Polish Initiative (4)
- The Greens (3)
- AGROunion (1)
- Yes! For Poland (1)
- Independents (15)**
- The Left (26)
- New Left (19)
- Left Together (7)
- Poland 2050 (33)
- Polish Coalition (32)
- Polish People's Party (28)
- Centre for Poland (3)
- Independent (1)***
- Confederation (18)
- National Movement (6)
- New Hope (8)
- Confederation of the Polish Crown (3)
- Kukiz'15 (3)
the Senate
- United Right (34)
- Law and Justice (29)
- Sovereign Poland (1)
- Independents (4)
- Civic Coalition (41)
- Civic Platform (36)
- Yes! For Poland (1)
- Independents (4)
- Third Way (Poland) (12)
- Poland 2050 (5)
- Polish People's Party (4)
- Centre for Poland (1)
- Union of European Democrats (1)
- Independent (1)
- The Left (9)
- New Left (5)
- Left Together (2)
- Polish Socialist Party (1)
- Labour Union (1)
- Independents (4)
European Parliament
- United Right (27)
- Law and Justice (25)
- United Poland (2)
- Civic Coalition (15)
- Civic Platform (14)
- The Greens (1)
- The Left (4)
- New Left (4)
- Polish People's Party (3)
and
political movements
- Polish Coalition
- Alliance of Democrats
- Silesians Together
- Agreement (political party)
- Confederation
- All-Polish Youth*
- National League
- Party of Drivers
- Union of Christian Families
- United Beyond Boundaries
- Better Poland
- Civic Initiative
- Christian Democracy of the Third Polish Republic
- Common Powiat
- Edward Gierek's Economic Revival Movement
- Farmers from the Baltic to the Tatras
- Falanga
- First Self-Governance League
- Freedom and Equality
- Kashubian Association
- Labour Party
- League of Polish Families
- National Party of Retirees and Pensioners
- National Radical Camp (1993)*
- National Revival of Poland
- New Democracy - Yes
- Bezpartyjni Samorządowcy
- Organisation of the Polish Nation - Polish League
- Peasants' Party
- Piast Faction
- Polish Left
- Polish Pirate Party
- Polish Party of Animal Protection
- Polish Communist Party
- Real Politics Union
- Right Wing of the Republic
- Self-Defence of the Republic of Poland
- Self-Defence Rebirth
- Silesian Autonomy Movement*
- Silesian Regional Party*
- Silesian Separatist Movement*
- Socialist Alternative
- Solidarity*
- Slavic Union
- There is One Poland
- Workers' Democracy
- Freedomers
- German Minority****
Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth |
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Pre-war and inter-war eras |
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Communist era |
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*: Zbigniew Ajchler
**: Piotr Adamowicz et al.,
***: Marek Biernacki
****: not currently registered as a party
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