New Union (Social Liberals)

New Union (Social Liberals)
Naujoji sąjunga (socialliberalai)
Leader Artūras Paulauskas
Founded 1998 (1998)
Dissolved 9 July 2011
Merged into Labour Party
Headquarters 10/1 Gedimino pr., Vilnius
Ideology Social liberalism
Political position Centre-left[1]
European affiliation European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party
International affiliation Liberal International (observer)
European Parliament group None
Colours Blue, white
Website
www.nsajunga.lt

The New Union (Social Liberals) (Lithuanian: Naujoji sąjunga (socialliberalai), NS) was a social-liberal[2][3] political party in Lithuania. The NS was a member of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party (ELDR) and an observer of the Liberal International. It was founded in 1998 and is led by Artūras Paulauskas.

History

Its policy was based on social liberalism: the principal values of which are personal freedom, social solidarity, welfare of people and justice.

In 2000 it formed a coalition government with the Liberal Union, but after disagreements between two, in 2001 a new coalition with the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP) was formed.

Its candidate Vilija Blinkevičiūtė won 16.6% of the votes in the 2004 presidential election. At that year's parliamentary election, the party ran in alliance with the Social Democratic Party (LSDP) under the label 'Coalition of Algirdas Brazauskas and Artūras Paulauskas: Working for Lithuania'. The list won 31 seats out of 141, of which the New Union won 11. After these election a coalition with the LSDP, the Labour Party and Lithuanian Popular Peasant Union (LVLS), which lasted up until summer 2006. In January 2008 the party joined new coalition, which consisted from the LSDP, the LVLS, Civic Democratic Party and Liberal and Centre Union.

At the 2008 parliamentary election, the party lost heavily, winning only 1 seat in the Seimas and only 3.64% of the national vote. As other parties that were part of coalition governments in the outgoing parliament suffered in the elections (Social Democratic Party of Lithuania, Labour Party, Liberal and Centre Union and Lithuanian Peasant Popular Union), all lost seats in the Seimas and in the new parliament a centre-right coalition under Andrius Kubilius had the most seats. It left the New Union in opposition.

The party's one member in the Seimas, Valerijus Simulik, sat with the Social Democratic Party political group. In 2011, the party merged with the Labour Party.[4] A minority faction switched to the Liberal and Centre Union.[5]

See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Dimitri Almeida (27 April 2012). The Impact of European Integration on Political Parties: Beyond the Permissive Consensus. Taylor & Francis. p. 102. ISBN 978-1-136-34039-0.
  2. ↑ Parties and Elections in Europe: The database about parliamentary elections and political parties in Europe, by Wolfram Nordsieck
  3. ↑ Dominique Auzias; Jean-Paul Labourdette; Collectif (11 June 2012). Vilnius 2012 (avec cartes et avis des lecteurs). Petit Futé. p. 22. ISBN 2-7469-6092-3.
  4. ↑ "Naujoji sąjunga prisijungė prie Darbo partijos". atn.lt (in Lithuanian). 9 July 2011. Archived from the original on 8 October 2011. Retrieved 2 August 2011.
  5. ↑ ATN.LT


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