Liberal Party (Greece)

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This article is about the historical Liberal Party party dissolved in 1961. For the contemporary Liberal Party, see Liberal Party (Greece, modern).

Party of Liberals Κόμμα Φιλελευθέρων
Founder	Eleftherios Venizelos
Founded	1910
Dissolved	1961
Preceded by	New Party
Succeeded by	Centre Union
Ideology	Liberalism, Venizelism, Greek nationalism,^[1] Megali Idea Republicanism, Democracy Civic nationalism
Political position	Centre
Politics of Greece Political parties Elections

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The Liberal Party (Greek: Κόμμα Φιλελευθέρων, IPA: [ˈkoma file̞le̞fˈthe̞ron], literally "Party of Liberals") was one of the major Greek political parties of the early 20th century. It is most famous as the party of Eleftherios Venizelos. Other prominent politicians associated with it include Nikolaos Plastiras, Alexandros Papanastasiou and Georgios Papandreou (founder of the eponymous political dynasty).

The party was defined by its opposition to the monarchy, which became most dramatic during the National Schism, and its aggressive pursuit of the Megali Idea. Generally, it was supported by the middle class, wealthy members of the Greek diaspora and the people of the New Lands (Νέες Χώρες), those regions annexed to Greece through military conquest during the Balkan Wars and World War I.

History

Founded as the Xipoliton ("barefoot") party in Crete (then an autonomous region of the Ottoman Empire), its early leaders were Kostis Mitsotakis (grandfather of Konstantinos Mitsotakis) and Eleftherios Venizelos. After the annexation of Crete by Greece, Venizelos moved to Athens and turned the party into a national one, under the Fileleftheron (liberal) name in 1910. For the following 25 years, the fate of the party would be tied to that of Venizelos. The party was legally disbanded after the failed coup attempt led by Nikolaos Plastiras of 1935, although the organization remained active.

During World War II, a Greek government in exile was formed in Cairo, Egypt, with the assistance of the British. The government was formed almost entirely of prominent Liberals, including Georgios Papandreou and Sophoklis Venizelos, even as King George remained the official head of state. The party was reformed after the war, until it merged into Center Union (Enosi Kentrou) in 1961, under the leadership of Georgios Papandreou.

In 1980, Eleftherios Venizelos' grandson Nikitas founded a new party under the same name that claims to be the continuation of the original party, see Liberal Party (Greece, modern).

Electoral results

Results, 1910–1958 (year links to election page)
Year	Type of Election	Votes	%	Mandates
November 1910	Parliament			307
May 1915	Parliament	335,949	48.9	187
1920	Parliament	375,803	50.23	118
1923	Parliament			250
1926	Parliament	304,727	31.70	108
1928	Parliament		46.9	178
1932	Parliament	398,779	34.04	98
1932	Senate		39.46	16
1933	Parliament		33.3	80
1936	Parliament		37.3	126
1946	Parliament	159,525	14.39	48
1950	Parliament		17.24	56
1951	Parliament		19.04	57
1958	Parliament		20.67	36

Prominent members

(Name, highest office as a party member, year)

Eleftherios Venizelos, leader, Prime Minister (1910)
Georgios Kafantaris, Prime Minister (1924)
Andreas Michalakopoulos, Prime Minister (1924)
Sophoklis Venizelos, Prime Minister (1944)
Georgios Papandreou, Prime Minister (1946)
Konstantinos Mitsotakis, MP (1946)

Leaders

Eleftherios Venizelos, 1910–1936
Themistoklis Sophoulis, 1936–1948
Sophoklis Venizelos, 1948–1961

References

↑ Roudometof, Victor (2002), Collective Memory, National Identity, and Ethnic Conflict: Greece, Bulgaria, and the Macedonian Question, Praeger Publishers, p. 98

v t e Liberalism in Greece

Ideology	Modern Greek Enlightenment Liberal nationalism Liberal democracy Free trade Venizelism Megali Idea

Organizations	Liberal Club National and Social Liberation National Organization of Crete

Political Parties	Modernist Party Liberal Party National Unionist Party Liberal Democratic Union National Progressive Center Union Progressive Party Centre Union Centre Union – New Forces Union of the Democratic Centre Party of New Liberals Democratic Renewal The Liberals Liberal Alliance Democratic Alliance Recreate Greece Drasi

People	Theophilos Kairis Adamantios Korais Dionysios Solomos Alexandros Mavrokordatos Charilaos Trikoupis Ioannis Psycharis Eleftherios Venizelos Pavlos Kountouriotis Themistoklis Sofoulis Georgios Kafantaris Georgios Papandreou Sofoklis Venizelos Panagiotis Kanellopoulos Georgios Mavros Konstantinos Stephanopoulos Stefanos Manos Konstantinos Mitsotakis

Historical events	Greek War of Independence First National Assembly at Epidaurus 3 September 1843 Revolution Theriso revolt Goudi coup Movement of National Defence National Schism 11 September 1922 Revolution

Policies	Democratic education Modernization

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