New Union (Social Liberals)

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

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.

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, and in 2001 a new coalition with the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP) and later on in 2004 a coalition with the LSDP and the Labour Party, which lasted until 2008.

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.

At the 2008 parliamentary election, the party lost heavily, winning only 1 seat in the Seimas and only 3.64% of the national vote. Due to the Labour Party (DP) also losing heavily, the coalition between the NS, DP, and LSDP collapsed and was replaced by a centre-right coalition under Andrius Kubilius, leaving the New Union in opposition.

The party's one member in the Seimas, Valerijus Simulik, sat with the Social Democratic Party. In 2011, the party merged with the centrist Labour Party.[4] A minority faction switched to the Liberal and Centre Union (LiCS).[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. Retrieved 2 August 2011.
  5. ↑ ATN.LT

External links