Czech Social Democratic Party

Czech Social Democratic Party
Česká strana sociálně demokratická
Leader Bohuslav Sobotka
Founded 1878 (1878)
Headquarters Hybernská 7, Prague
Think tank Masaryk Democratic Academy[1]
Youth wing Young Social Democrats
Women's wing Social Democratic Women
Religious wing Christian Social Platform
Membership  (2015) 21,501[2]
Ideology Social democracy[3]
Keynesianism[4]
Political position Centre-left[3]
European affiliation Party of European Socialists
International affiliation Socialist International,
Progressive Alliance
European Parliament group Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats
Colours      Orange
Slogan Freedom, Justice, Solidarity
Chamber of Deputies
50 / 200
Senate
25 / 81
European Parliament
4 / 21
Regional councils
125 / 675
Local councils
3,806 / 62,300
Website
www.cssd.cz

The Czech Social Democratic Party (Czech: Česká strana sociálně demokratická, ČSSD) is a social-democratic[3][5][6] political party in the Czech Republic. It holds 50 seats in the Chamber of Deputies, making it the largest party. ČSSD leads the governing Cabinet of the Czech Republic since 2013.

History

The Social Democratic Czechoslavonic party in Austria (Czech: Sociálně Demokratická strana Českoslovanská v Rakousku) was founded on 7 April 1878 in Austria-Hungary representing the Kingdom of Bohemia in the Austrian parliament. Its role in the political life of the empire was one of the factors that lead to the creation of independent Czechoslovak Republic. After the collapse of Austria-Hungary, the party became one of the leading parties of the first Czechoslovak Republic. Its membership became split over whether to join the Comintern, which in 1921 resulted in fracturing of the party, with large part of its memberhip forming Communist Party of Czechoslovakia

During the occupation of Czechoslovakia by Nazi Germany, the party was officially abolished, but its members organised resistance movements illegally within the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia and abroad. After the re-establishment of the Czechoslovak Republic in 1945, the party returned to its pre-existing structure and became a member of the National Front. In 1948, after the Communist Party assumed the parliamentary majority, the Czech Social Democratic Party was incorporated into Communist Party. Under the reformist environment in 1968, there were talks about allowing the recreation of a Social Democratic party, but Soviet intervention put an end to such ideas. It was only after the Velvet Revolution in 1989, when the party was recreated. Since the dissolution of Czechoslovakia, ČSSD has been one of the major political parties in the Czech Republic, always being one of the two parties with largest number of seats in the Chamber of Deputies.

After the 1998 parliamentary election, the party won the most seats, but failed to form a coalition government. As a result, the party formed a minority government under party leader Miloš Zeman. With only 74 seats out of 200, the government had the confidence and supply from the Civic Democratic Party (ODS), under the so-called Opposition Agreement.

The party won the elections of 2002 with 70 of 200 representatives in the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic. Its chairman Vladimír Špidla became the prime minister heading a coalition with two small centre-right parties, the Christian and Democratic Union (KDU–ČSL) and the Freedom Union – Democratic Union (US-DEU) until his resignation in 2004.

The chairman of the party in years 2006-2010 was Jiří Paroubek. His predecessor was Stanislav Gross from 26 June 2004 to 26 April 2005. Gross resigned after a scandal which arose due to his inability to explain the source of financial resources used to pay for his home. Gross's predecessor Vladimír Špidla was forced to resign in 2004 after the ČSSD lost in the 2004 European Parliamentary elections.

In the June 2 and 3, 2006 elections, the party won 32.3% of the vote and 74 out of 200 seats. The election at first caused a stalemate since the centre-right parties (with Green Party) and centre-left parties each had 100 seats. The stalemate was broken when two ČSSD deputies, Miloš Melčák and Michal Pohanka abstained during a vote of confidence, allowing a coalition of the Civic Democrats (ODS), the KDU-ČSL, and the Green Party to form a government. Hence the ČSSD went into opposition.

Following the 2010 legislative elections, the ČSSD gained 22.08% of the vote and became the largest party with 56 seats, but having failed to form a governing coalition, remained in opposition to a coalition of the ODS, conservative TOP 09 and conservative-liberal Public Affairs parties.

The Party remained the largest Party even after 2013 legislative election and formed a governing coalition with populist ANO 2011 and centrist Christian and Democratic Union – Czechoslovak People's Party parties. The Chairman of ČSSD Bohuslav Sobotka has become the new Prime Minister of the Czech Republic.

Policy positions

In economic matters, the ČSSD party platform is typical of Western European social democratic parties. It supports a mixed economy, a strong welfare state, and progressive taxation.

In foreign policy it supports European integration, including joining the eurozone, and is critical of US foreign policy, especially when in opposition—though it does not oppose membership of the Czech Republic in NATO.

Overview

Czech lands as part of Austria-Hungary:

Czechoslovakia:

Czech Republic:

Election results

National Assembly of the Czechoslovak Republic

Election Votes Share of votes in % Seats obtained Place
1920
1 590 520
25.7
74
1st
1925
632 403
8.9
29
4th
1929
963 462
13
39
2nd
1935
1 032 773
12.6
38
3rd
1946
855 771
12
37
5th

Czech National Council/Chamber of Deputies

Date Votes Seats Position
# % # ± Size
1990 296,165 4.1
0 / 200
 Steady 6th
1992 422,736 6.5
16 / 200
 Increase 16 3rd Opposition
1996 1,602,250 26.4
61 / 200
 Increase 45 2nd Opposition
1998 1,928,660 32.3
74 / 200
 Increase 13 1st Minority
2002 1,440,279 30.2
70 / 200
 Decrease 4 1st Coalition
2006 1,728,827 32.3
74 / 200
 Increase 4 2nd Opposition 2006–2009;
Coalition 2009–2010
2010 1,155,267 22.1
56 / 200
 Decrease 18 1st Opposition
2013 1,016,829 20.5
50 / 200
 Decrease 6 1st Coalition

Results by regions

Region 1990 1992 1996 1998 2002 2006 2010 2013
Prague 4,65 5,14 18,68 23,44 25,85 23,29 15,17 14,09
Central Bohemian 4,83 6,82 25,40 32,70 31,58 30,74 20,52 18,44
South Bohemian 3,94 8,03 24,95 31,11 30,33 30,47 20,55 20,73
West Bohemian 5,89 8,78 25,71 32,73
Plzeň 30,34 31,69 22,01 21,65
Karlovy Vary
29,31 32,73 23,29 21,34
North Bohemian 6,92 7,97 28,74 34,71
Ústí nad Labem 29,18 35,46 24,93 20,77
Liberec 27,05 29,31 19,40 16,89
East Bohemian 5,26 7,20 24,78 29,94 16,89
Hradec Králové 27,48 30,14 19,87 18,57
Pardubice 29,45 32,95 21,95 20,53
Vysočina 31,97 35,35 23,43 23,01
South Moravian 1,51 4,56 24,96 31,81 29,90 32,95 23,35 22,94
North Moravian 2,87 4,56 34,21 38,98
Olomouc 31,92 35,44 24,47 22,22
Zlín 29,06 33,28 21,93 19,39
Moravian-Silesian 36,13 40,54 29,13 26,38
Czech republic 4,11 6,53 26,44 32,31 30,20 32,32 22,08 20,45

Senate

1996 whole Senate elected (81 seats), in next elections only one third of seats to be contested

Election First round Second round Seats
Votes % Places* Votes % Places*
1996559,30420.3 2nd733,71331.82nd25
1998208,845 21.7 3rd 121,70022.7 3rd 3
2000 151,943 17.7 3rd 53,503 9.5 5th 1
2002 122,397 18.4 2nd 224,386 27.3 2nd 7
2004 90,446 12.5 4th 24,923 5.2 4th 0
2006 204,573 19.2 2nd 120,127 20.9 2nd 6
2008 347,759 33.2 1st 459,829 55.9 1st 23
2010 290,090 25.3 1st 299,526 44.0 1st 12
2012 199,957 22.7 1st 207,064 40.3 1st 13
2014 226,239 22.0 1st 165,629 35.0 1st 10
2016 128,875 14.6 2nd 55,622 13.1 3rd 2

Presidential

Election Candidate First round result Second round result
Votes %Votes Result Votes %Votes Result
2013 Jiří Dienstbier Jr. 829,297 16.12 4th —

European Parliament

Election Votes Share of votes in % Seats obtained Place
2004
204,903
8.78
2
5th
2009
528,132Increase
22.39Increase
7Increase
2ndIncrease
2014
214,800Decrease
14.17Decrease
4Decrease
3rdDecrease

Regional election

Election
 Votes Share of votes in % Councillors
2000
344,441
14.67
112
2004
297,083
14.03
105
2008 1,044,719 35.86 280
2012 621,961 23.58 205
2016 386,150 15.25 125

Local election

Election
 Share of votes in % Councillors
1994
8.7
1,628
1998
17.54
4,259
2002
15.57
4,664
2006
16.61
4,331
2010
19.68
4,584
2014
12.65
3,773

Chairmen of the Czech Social Democratic Party

Czechoslavonic Social Democratic Workers' Party

Czechoslovak Social Democratic Workers' Party

Czechoslovak Social Democracy

Czechoslovak Social Democracy in exile

Czechoslovak Social Democracy

Czech Social Democratic Party

Current Representatives

ČSSD has following members of the government (2013–2017):

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Masarykova demokratická akademie". CSSD.cz. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  2. ↑ Martínek, Jan. "Stranám utíkají i vymírají členové po tisících". Retrieved 12 April 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 Parties and Elections in Europe: The database about parliamentary elections and political parties in Europe, by Wolfram Nordsieck Archived 19 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine.
  4. ↑ "Long-term party program" (PDF).
  5. ↑ Paul G. Lewis (2000). Political Parties in Post-Communist Eastern Europe. Routledge. pp. 51–. ISBN 978-0-415-20182-7. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
  6. ↑ Dimitri Almeida (27 April 2012). The Impact of European Integration on Political Parties: Beyond the Permissive Consensus. CRC Press. pp. 71–. ISBN 978-1-136-34039-0. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  7. ↑ Kowalski, Werner. Geschichte der sozialistischen Arbeiter-Internationale: 1923 – 1938, Berlin: Dt. Verl. d. Wissenschaften, 1985. p. 327.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Czech Social Democratic Party.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 12/4/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.