New Alliance (Denmark)

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New Alliance
Ny Alliance
 
Image:Ny alliance.png
 
Leader Naser Khader
 
Founded 7 May 2007
Headquarters Nybrogade 10, 3.sal
DK-1203 København K
 
Ideology Social liberalism, compassionate conservatism
Official colors Purple
 
Website
http://www.nyalliance.dk/

New Alliance (Danish: Ny Alliance) is a Danish political party, founded on 7 May 2007. Its founding members are Naser Khader (MP), Anders Samuelsen (MEP) — both former members of the Danish Social Liberal Party — and Gitte Seeberg (MEP), a former member of the Conservative People's Party. It is the country's first new major party in the past decade.[1] In the 2007 elections, the party got 5 out of 179 seats in parliament, a major stepdown from earlier opinion polls. As of February 5, 2008, only three members of parliament remain.

Contents

[edit] Politics


New Alliance opposes the influence of the right-wing Danish People's Party on the Government, as well as the alleged left-leaning opposition strategy of the Social Liberal Party.

The party has proposed a tax reform reducing income tax to a fixed rate of 40%, a "realistic immigration policy and humane refugee policy with an emphasis on democratic integration", a pro-European Union policy while strengthening Denmark's position, an increase in foreign aid to 1% of GDP, and reforms of state schools and the national health service. It supports green energy.[2][1]

On 30 August, 2007, the party presented a more detailed programme of their political standpoints[3]. Some of the points in this programme include:[4] Longer mandatory school-attendance, with free food and homework-aid; European Marshall Plan to the Middle East; increasing foreign aid to 1% of GDP; increased focus on prevention in public health, with lower prices on healthy foods; and an exhaustive reform related to immigration and asylum politics. The full party program is available on the party's website.


Denmark

This article is part of the series:
Politics and government of
Denmark


2001 · 2005 · 2007

See also


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[edit] Ideology

New Alliance considers itself a centre party, "taking the best values of social liberalism and social conservatism".[5] The meaning of the latter is the same as compassionate conservatism in English-speaking countries (not to be mistaken with the morally right-wing social conservatism of US politics).

By using these two terms, New Alliance has positioned itself mid-way between the former parties of the three founding members. Social liberalism is, of course, the official ideology of the Social Liberal Party, whereas "social conservatism" is a term sometimes invoked by members of the Conservative Party who stress the support of welfare society, such as New Alliance co-founder Gitte Seeberg.

[edit] Criticism

In the earliest days of the party's existence, the party was accused of populism or personalism, still lacking stances on many topics and based on the popularity of Naser Khader.[6] Critics have also pointed to the fact that all major parties in Denmark advocate social liberal policies, at least economically.

A poll conducted by independent analysts for the journal A4 Weekly, issued by the Danish Confederation of Trade Unions, concluded that "opinions of the New Alliance's voters bristle in all directions" and that party supporters' attitudes were "very close to the Danish average voter on a great number of issues". Political commentator Henrik Qvortrup, former spin doctor of Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, claimed: "These are really Mr and Mrs Denmark's points of views". Another analyst, Henrik Dahl, expected the New Alliance will encounter problems when trying to formulate a detailed party programme, inevitably being unable to render all supporters satisfied.[7]

[edit] European Parliament

With the defection of MEPs Gitte Seeberg and Anders Samuelsen, the Conservatives and Det Radikale Venstre are effectively left without representatives in the European Parliament. The two MEPs will, however, stay in their factions (the Conservative EPP-ED and the Liberal ALDE respectively). The New Alliance has announced it would join the ALDE group after future EU elections.[8]

[edit] Organisation

Technically, the New Alliance is not yet a valid association nor a juristic person since a founding general meeting has not taken place and no by-law exists yet. The first convention, in which these issues will be addressed, is planned to take place on May 24, 2008.[9]

[edit] Members

Immediately after its creation, New Alliance had a surge of members. 24 hours after the announcement of the party, more than 12,000 had registered on the party website. Three days later 16,000 had registered and 8,000 of these had paid the membership fee.[10] For comparison the parent party Det Radikale Venstre had an estimated 9,500 paying members as of 2006.

[edit] Economy

The party received notable sums from the investment bank Saxo Bank (500,000 Danish kroner) and the businessman Lars Kolind (100,000 kroner). As of 22 May, the party has seven paid employees and a number of volunteers. The party has announced it will not hire additional employees until it has more funds.[11]

[edit] Electoral nomination

To comply with Danish election law, and to be able to stand for elections the New Alliance had to gather 19,185 signatures of supporters on special forms, the number being equivalent to one parliamentary seat in the Folketing. Each completed form had to be certified with the civil registry offices of municipalities before being collectively handed in to the Ministry of the Interior.

In the event of an election being called before the New Alliance had finished its nomination process, the minor party Centre Democrats offered to let the New Alliance put forward candidates on their lists.[12] The New Alliance did not take any stand on this offer, however.

On one occasion, on 12 May in Horsens, the three leading figures of the party managed to collect over 2,000 signatures in one day.[13] On 21 May the party reported they were half-way, having gathered in 10,000 signatures.[14]

The party finally completed its nomination process on 29 June by being accepted on the Ministry of the Interior's list of parties able to stand for elections to the Folketing after handing in the 21,516 required signatures.[15]

[edit] Abdicating members

On January 29, 2008, founding member Gitte Seeberg left the party in protest against the party's status as a right-wing party, which conflicted with her own desire to form a centrist party rejecting the influence of the Danish People's Party.[16] A week later, on February 5, another of the party's members of parliament, Malou Aamund, left the party and joined the government-coalition party, Venstre.[17]

[edit] Young Alliance

On February 23, 2008, a youth branch to the party was formed by 21 people under the name of Ung Alliance (English: Young Alliance).[18]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b "New Alliance could crack government", The Copenhagen Post, 2007-08-05. Retrieved on 2007-05-13. 
  2. ^ Ny Alliance (Danish). Ny Alliance. Retrieved on 2007-05-13.
  3. ^ "Ekspert: Khader var overbevisende", TV2, 2007-08-30. Retrieved on 2007-08-31. (Danish) 
  4. ^ "Det støtter Ny Alliance", TV2, 2007-08-30. Retrieved on 2007-08-31. (Danish) 
  5. ^ Worm, Nikolaj. "Ny Alliance drager på landsturné", Jyllands-Posten, 2007-05-07. Retrieved on 2007-05-13. (Danish) 
  6. ^ "Økonom: Populistisk skatteforslag fra Ny Alliance", Fyens Stiftstidende, 2007-05-09. Retrieved on 2007-05-13. (Danish) 
  7. ^ "Khaders vælgere vil i alle retninger", Ugebrevet A4, 2007-05-29. Retrieved on 2007-05-31. (Danish) 
  8. ^ Lund, Kenneth. "Ny Alliance udraderer R og K i EU-parlamentet", Politiken, 2007-05-07. Retrieved on 2007-05-13. (Danish) 
  9. ^ Landsmøde 24. maj 2008 (Danish). Retrieved on 2008-02-25.
  10. ^ Wind-Friis, Lea. "Medlemmer gider godt betale til Ny Alliance", Politiken, 2007-05-10. Retrieved on 2007-05-13. (Danish) 
  11. ^ Mortensen, Hanne Gaard. "Ny Alliance i ansættelsesstop", dk-arbejdsmarked.dk, 2007-05-22. Retrieved on 2007-05-25. (Danish) 
  12. ^ "CD tilbyder at hjælpe Ny Alliance med underskrifter", Danmarks Radio, 2007-05-11. Retrieved on 2007-05-25. (Danish) 
  13. ^ "Ny Alliance samlede 2.000 underskrifter", Danmarks Radio, 2007-05-12. Retrieved on 2007-05-25. (Danish) 
  14. ^ Gottlieb, Mikkel. "Ny Alliance halvvejs i mål", Berlingske Tidende, 2007-05-21. Retrieved on 2007-05-25. (Danish) 
  15. ^ "Ny Alliance godkendt og vælger bogstav Y", B.T., 2007-06-21. Retrieved on 2007-09-27. (Danish) 
  16. ^ "Gitte Seeberg forlader Ny Alliance", Politiken, 2008-01-29. Retrieved on 2008-01-29. (Danish) 
  17. ^ "Malou Aamund forlader Ny Alliance", Politiken, 2008-02-05. Retrieved on 2008-02-05. (Danish) 
  18. ^ "21 unge stifter Ung Alliance", Politiken, 2008-02-23. Retrieved on 2008-02-23. (Danish) 

[edit] External links