Liberal Party (Moldova)

Liberal Party
Partidul Liberal
President Mihai Ghimpu
Secretary-General Ion Apostol
Founder Anatol Şalaru
First-vicepresidents Dorin Chirtoacă
Anatol Şalaru
Parliamentary group leader Mihai Ghimpu
Founded 5 September 1993
Headquarters Chişinău
Membership  (2014) 20,000[1]
Ideology Conservative liberalism
Pro-Europeanism
Political position Centre-right
European affiliation Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (observer)
International affiliation None
Colours Light blue, Yellow
Parliament
13 / 101
District Presidents
0 / 32
Website
pl.md
Politics of Moldova
Political parties
Elections

The Liberal Party (Romanian: Partidul Liberal, PL) is a conservative-liberal[2][3] political party in Moldova.

The president of the party is Mihai Ghimpu. His nephew Dorin Chirtoacă is the current Mayor of Chișinău and vice-president of the Party.

History

The party was established under the name Party of Reform (Partidul Reformei) in 1993 by Anatol Şalaru.[4] In 1997 Mihai Ghimpu was elected chairman. Until April 2005, the party had a Christian democratic electoral platform.[5] Competing in the 1994, 1998 and 2001 parliamentary elections, the Party of Reform failed to enter parliament, as its results of 2.36%, 0.54% and 0.67%, respectively, failed to meet the electoral threshold of 5%.

Electoral Success

At the second party congress, held on 24 April 2005, party members adopted the new name Liberal Party (Partidul Liberal),[4] along with a new logo and programme, which presented a liberal political platform. Mihai Ghimpu was elected president of the party. The party competed in the April 2009 parliamentary election, obtaining 13.13% of the vote and of 15 seats in parliament. At the parliamentary election of 2009 in July, the popular vote rose to 14.68%, again winning 15 seats.

As a consequence of the second parliamentary election of 2009, the party signed a coalition agreement with the Liberal Democratic Party (PLDM), the Democratic Party (PDM) and Our Moldova Alliance (AMN), constituting the Alliance for European Integration.[6] The party was included in the First Filat Cabinet. At the 2010 parliamentary election, the party obtained 9.96% of the vote and 12 seats in parliament.[4] The party remained in the Second Filat Cabinet. The European Action Movement (MAE) merged into the party in March 2011.[7]

Under the leadership of Ghimpu, the party has altered its former Christian democratic orientation. On 25 January 2009, a Conference for the constitution of a Women's wing for the Liberal Party the "Liberal Women's Organisation" was held. The party also formed a youth wing the "Young Liberals". The party has joined the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) as an observer member.

Internal split

In February 2013 the party suffered an internal split. On 12 April 2013 the Liberal Party Reform Council was launched, with Ion Hadârcă as leader.[8] The members of this Council were called "Liberal Reformers" by the media. The internal split became permanent when a separate Liberal Reformist Party (PLR) joined the Pro-European Coalition, formed after the dissolution of the Alliance for European Integration, remaining on in the Leancă Cabinet after the Liberal Party left the government.

At the 2014 parliamentary election, the Liberal Party received 9.7% of the vote, winning 13 seats.

Electoral results

Parliament

Election year # of total votes % of overall vote # of seats +/–
1994 41,980 2.36
0 / 101
1998 8,844 0.54
0 / 101
 Steady
2001 10,686[lower-alpha 1] 0.67[lower-alpha 1]
0 / 101
 Steady
2005 Did not participate
2009 (April) 201,879 13.13
15 / 101
 Increase 15
2009 (July) 232,108 14.68
15 / 101
 Steady
2010 171,445 9.96
12 / 101
 Decrease 3
2014 154,507 9.67
13 / 101
 Increase 1
  1. 1 2 Result of the electoral alliance "Faith and Justice".

In the 2007 local elections the party gained 18.31% in Chişinău municipality and 11 seats on the Chişinău Municipal Council. Its vice-president, Dorin Chirtoacă, became Mayor.

Notable members

Mihai Ghimpu and Dorin Chirtoacă
Anatol Şalaru

Gallery

References

  1. ↑ "Partidul Liberal (PL)". Retrieved 30 November 2014.
  2. ↑ Wolfram Nordsieck. "Parties and Elections in Europe". Retrieved 25 February 2015.
  3. ↑ "Moldova". Retrieved 25 February 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 Tom Lansford (8 April 2014). Political Handbook of the World 2014. SAGE Publications. p. 949. ISBN 978-1-4833-3327-4.
  5. ↑ "Partidul Liberal (PL) / partide.md". Retrieved 25 February 2015.
  6. ↑ Julian Bernauer; Daniel Bochsler; Rogers Brubaker; Magdalena Dembinska, Fulya Memisoglu, Karolina Prasad, Antoine Roger, Edina Szöcsik, Hanna Vasilevich, Doris Wydra, Christina Isabel Zuber (3 March 2014). New Nation-States and National Minorities. ECPR Press. p. 48. ISBN 978-1-907301-86-5. Cite uses deprecated parameter |coauthors= (help)
  7. ↑ "Congresul V extraordinar al Mişcării Acţiunea Europeană / partide.md". Retrieved 25 February 2015.
  8. ↑ Wolfram Nordsieck. "Parties and Elections in Europe". Retrieved 25 February 2015.

External links

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