Liberalism in Latvia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Liberalism
Part of a series on

Development History of liberalism Contributions to liberal theory
Ideas Political freedom Cultural liberalism Democratic capitalism Democratic education Economic liberalism Egalitarianism Free trade Individualism Laissez-faire Liberal democracy Liberal neutrality Negative / positive liberty Market economy Open society Popular sovereignty Rights (individual) Secularism Separation of church and state Harm principle Permissive society
Variants Anarcho-capitalism Classical Conservative Democratic Green Libertarianism Market National Liberal feminism Liberal internationalism Neoliberalism Ordoliberalism Paleoliberalism Radical centrism Radicalism Religious Secular Social Socialist
People Pierre Elliott Trudeau John Locke Anders Chydenius David Hume Adam Smith Adam Ferguson Immanuel Kant Thomas Jefferson Thomas Paine Milton Friedman Alexis de Tocqueville Baron de Montesquieu Jeremy Bentham Adamantios Korais Mary Wollstonecraft Thomas Malthus Giuseppe Mazzini Wilhelm von Humboldt Frederic Bastiat Thomas Babington Macaulay John Stuart Mill William Ewart Gladstone Thomas Hill Green Wilfrid Laurier Leonard Trelawny Hobhouse David Lloyd George Franklin D. Roosevelt Murray Rothbard Václav Havel Ludwig von Mises Friedrich Hayek Lester B. Pearson Isaiah Berlin Joel Feinberg John Rawls Robert Nozick
Organizations Liberal parties Liberal International International Federation of Liberal Youth (IFLRY) Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party (ALDEP) European Liberal Youth (LYMEC) Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD) Africa Liberal Network (ALN) Liberal Network for Latin America (RELIAL) Arab Alliance for Freedom and Democracy (AAFD) Alliance of Democrats
Liberalism portal Politics portal
v t e

This article gives an overview of liberalism in Latvia. It is limited to liberal parties with substantial support, mainly proved by having had a representation in parliament. The sign ⇒ denotes another party in that scheme. For inclusion in this scheme it isn't necessary so that parties labeled themselves as a liberal party.

Background

History

Liberalism in Latvia was a small but important force since 1922 in Latvia. The current regained position after the re-independence of 1990. Nowadays the Latvian Way (Latvijas Ceļš, member LI, ELDR) is a right of center market liberal party. Currently the party has merged with the Latvian First Party to form LPP/LC.

German Baltic Democratic Party

1918: Moderate German liberals in Latvia formed the German-Baltic Democratic Party (Deutsch-Baltische Demokratische Partei/Vācbaltu demokrātiskā partija)
1934: The party is banned, along with all other political parties, after a coup by Kārlis Ulmanis

German Baltic Progressive Party

1918: Radical German liberals in Latvia formed the German-Baltic Progressive Party (Deutsch-Baltische Fortschrittliche Partei/Vācbaltu progresīvā partija)
1934: The party is banned

From Democratic Party to Democratic Centre

1922: Shortly after its foundation the Democratic Party (Demokrātiskā partija) merged with the Radical Democratic Party (Radikālā Demokrātiskā partija) and the People's Party (Ļaužu partija) into the Democratic Centre (Demokrātiskais centrs). The party is led by the later presidents of Latvia, Jānis Čakste and Gustavs Zemgals.
1934: The party is banned. In exile it is continued by the Liberal Party (Liberāļu partija)

Latgalian Democratic Party

1920: Latgalian liberals formed the Latgalian Democratic Party (Latgales demokrātu partija)
1926: The party merged into the Latgalian Democratic Farmers Union (Latgales demokrātisko zemnieku savienība)

Mizrochi

1922: Liberal Jewish zionists formed the Mizrochi
1934: The party is banned

From Democratic Centre Party to Latvian Democratic Party

1992: A Democratic Centre Party (Demokrātiskā centra partija) is founded as a refoundation of the ⇒ Democratic Centre
1994: The party merged with another group into the Democratic Party "Saimnieks" (Demokrātiskā partija "Saimnieks")
1997: Many members left to join the Workers' Party and the Latvian National Reform Party
1999: The party is renamed Latvian Democratic Party (Latvijas demokrātiskā partija)

Latvia's Way

1993: Liberals from the Popular Front of Latvia formed the Latvia's Way (Latvijas Ceļš)
2006: Latvia's Way forged an alliance with the Latvia's First Party, forming the LPP/LC.
2010: LPP/LC joined hands with the People's Party to form the For a Good Latvia (Par Labu Latviju) alliance.
2011: People's Party is disbanded, so is the PLL alliance.

Liberal leaders

Demokrātiskais Centrs: Jānis Čakste