Liberal Democratic Congress

This article is part of a series on the
politics and government of
Poland
Timeline of Polish liberal parties after 1989
Citizens' Movement for Democratic Action /ROAD (1990-1991)
Liberal Democratic Congress /KLD (1990-1994)
Democratic Union /UD (1991-1994)
Freedom Union /UW (1994-2005)
Democratic Party /PD (2005- )
Palikot's Movement /RP (2011-2013)
Your Movement /TR (2013- )
Modern/.N (2015- )

The Liberal Democratic Congress (Polish: Kongres Liberalno-Demokratyczny, KLD) was a conservative-liberal[1] political party in Poland. The party, led by Donald Tusk, had roots in the Solidarity movement. It advocated free market economy and individual liberty (however in Catholic understanding), rejected extremism and fanaticism and favoured European integration (in the form of European Union membership), rapid privatisation of the enterprises still owned by the Polish state and decentralisation of the government.

Until 1991 was a part of the Porozumienie Centrum, whose leaders, Kaczynski brothers, are currently seen as conservative socialists. In the 1991 general elections KLD got 7.5% of the votes and 37 seats in the Sejm (total 460 seats). In 1993 KLD got 4.0% of the votes and was left without seats.

It merged on March 20, 1994 with the Democratic Union (Unia Demokratyczna) into the Freedom Union (Unia Wolności, UW). Some of the former KLD members decided in January 2001 to move to join the new Civic Platform. The KLD group within Civic Platform is now seen as moderate conservative. The liberal faction within Civic Platform is small and insignificant, represented by such politicians as Janusz Palikot and Adam Szejnfeld.

Election results

Sejm

Election year # of
votes
% of
vote
# of
overall seats won
+/–
1991 839,978 7.5
37 / 460
Increase 37
1993 550,578 4.0
0 / 460
Decrease 37

Senate

Election year # of
overall seats won
+/–
1991
6 / 100
1993
1 / 100
Decrease 5

References

  1. Jerzy Szacki (1994). Liberalism After Communism. Central European University Press. p. 182. ISBN 978-1-85866-016-5.

See also

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