Democratic Left Alliance
Encyclopedia
Democratic Left Alliance is a social-democratic
political party
in Poland. Formed in 1991 as a coalition of centre-left
parties, it was formally established as a single party on 15 April 1999. It is currently the third largest opposition
party in Poland
.
(SdRP) and the Social Democratic Union, the two parties that were formed out of the remains of the Polish United Workers' Party
(PZPR).
and social-democratic parties had formed the original Democratic Left Alliance as a centre-left coalition just prior to the nation's first free elections in 1991. In 1999 the coalition became a party, but lost some members.
At the time, the coalition's membership drew mostly from the former PZPR. An alliance between the SLD and the Polish People's Party ruled Poland in the years 1993–1997. However the coalition was defeated by the right-wing
Solidarity Electoral Action
in the 1997 election
.
before the 2001 Polish election
and won it overwhelmingly at last by capturing about 5.3 million votes, 42% of the whole and won 200 of 460 seats in the Sejm and 75 of 100 in the Senate. After the elections, the coalition was joined by the Polish People's Party (PSL) in forming a government and Leszek Miller
became the Prime Minister. In March 2003 the PSL left the coalition.
).
On 6 March 2004 Leszek Miller resigned as party leader and was replaced by Krzysztof Janik. On March 26 the Sejm speaker Marek Borowski
, together with other high-ranking SLD officials, announced the creation of a new centre-left party, the Social Democratic Party of Poland. On the next day, Leszek Miller announced he would step down as Prime Minister on 2 May the day after Poland joined the European Union
. Miller proceeded to do so.
, it only received 9% of the votes, giving it 5 of 54 seats reserved for Poland in the European Parliament
, as part of the Party of European Socialists
. In the later 2009 European election
the Democratic Left Alliance-Labor Union
joint ticket received 12% of the vote and 7 MEPs were elected as part of the newly-retitled Socialists & Democrats
group.
Wojciech Olejniczak
, the former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, was elected the president of SLD on 29 May 2004, succeeded Józef Oleksy
, who resigned from the post of Polish Prime Minister due to alleged connections to the KGB
.
, SLD only won 11.3% of the vote. This gave the party 55 seats, barely a quarter of what it had had prior to the election. It had also lost all of its Senators. In late 2006 a centre-left
political alliance
called Left and Democrats
was created, comprising SLD and smaller centre-left
parties, Labor Union, the Social Democratic Party of Poland, and Democratic Party – demokraci.pl. The coalition won a disappointing 13% in the 2007 parliamentary election
and was dissolved soon after in April 2008. On 31 May 2008, Olejniczak was replaced by Grzegorz Napieralski
as SLD leader.
In 2011 national parliamentary election
SLD received 8.24% votes which gave them 27 seats in the Sejm. After elections one of the party member, Sławomir Kopyciński, decided to leave SLD and join Palikot's Movement.
Social democracy
Social democracy is a political ideology of the center-left on the political spectrum. Social democracy is officially a form of evolutionary reformist socialism. It supports class collaboration as the course to achieve socialism...
political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in Poland. Formed in 1991 as a coalition of centre-left
Centre-left
Centre-left is a political term that describes individuals, political parties or organisations such as think tanks whose ideology lies between the centre and the left on the left-right spectrum...
parties, it was formally established as a single party on 15 April 1999. It is currently the third largest opposition
Opposition (politics)
In politics, the opposition comprises one or more political parties or other organized groups that are opposed to the government , party or group in political control of a city, region, state or country...
party in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
.
Communist roots
Many SLD politicians have their roots in the communist regime. Most of the members who established the party in 1999 had previously been members of the Social Democracy of the Republic of PolandSocial Democracy of the Republic of Poland
Social Democracy of the Republic of Poland was a social-democratic political party in Poland created in 1990, shortly after the Revolutions of 1989. The party was one of two successor parties to the Polish United Workers Party, the other being the Social Democratic Union. SdRP was the leading...
(SdRP) and the Social Democratic Union, the two parties that were formed out of the remains of the Polish United Workers' Party
Polish United Workers' Party
The Polish United Workers' Party was the Communist party which governed the People's Republic of Poland from 1948 to 1989. Ideologically it was based on the theories of Marxism-Leninism.- The Party's Program and Goals :...
(PZPR).
Coalition
SdRP, SDU and some other socialistSocialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
and social-democratic parties had formed the original Democratic Left Alliance as a centre-left coalition just prior to the nation's first free elections in 1991. In 1999 the coalition became a party, but lost some members.
At the time, the coalition's membership drew mostly from the former PZPR. An alliance between the SLD and the Polish People's Party ruled Poland in the years 1993–1997. However the coalition was defeated by the right-wing
Right-wing politics
In politics, Right, right-wing and rightist generally refer to support for a hierarchical society justified on the basis of an appeal to natural law or tradition. To varying degrees, the Right rejects the egalitarian objectives of left-wing politics, claiming that the imposition of equality is...
Solidarity Electoral Action
Solidarity Electoral Action
Solidarity Electoral Action was a political party coalition in Poland. Since 1997 its official name has been Akcja Wyborcza Solidarność Prawicy or Solidarity Electoral Action of the Right...
in the 1997 election
Polish parliamentary election, 1997
The Polish parliamentary election in 1997 to the Sejm and Senate of Poland was held on the 21 September. In the Sejm elections, 47.93% of citizens cast their votes, 96.12% of which were counted as valid...
.
Electoral victory
SLD formed a coalition with Labour UnionLabour Union (Poland)
The Labour Union is a social-democratic political party in Poland. It is a member of the Party of European Socialists and Socialist International....
before the 2001 Polish election
Polish parliamentary election, 2001
Polish parliamentary election in 2001 to Sejm and Senate of Poland were held on the 23rd September. In Sejm elections, 46.29% of citizens cast their votes, 96.01% of those were counted as valid...
and won it overwhelmingly at last by capturing about 5.3 million votes, 42% of the whole and won 200 of 460 seats in the Sejm and 75 of 100 in the Senate. After the elections, the coalition was joined by the Polish People's Party (PSL) in forming a government and Leszek Miller
Leszek Miller
Leszek Cezary Miller is a Polish central-left-wing politician, leader of the Democratic Left Alliance , Prime Minister of the government of the Republic of Poland in 2001-2004.-Childhood and youth:...
became the Prime Minister. In March 2003 the PSL left the coalition.
Rywin-gate
By 2004 the support for SLD in the polls had dropped from about 30% to just below 10%, and several high ranking party members had been accused of taking part in high profile political scandals by the mainstream press (most notably the Rywin affair: Rywin-gateRywin affair
The Rywin affair was a corruption scandal in Poland, which began in late 2002 while the post communist government of the SLD was in power...
).
On 6 March 2004 Leszek Miller resigned as party leader and was replaced by Krzysztof Janik. On March 26 the Sejm speaker Marek Borowski
Marek Borowski
Marek Stefan Borowski is a Polish left-wing politician. He led the Democratic Left Alliance for a time and was Speaker of the Sejm from 2001 to 2004....
, together with other high-ranking SLD officials, announced the creation of a new centre-left party, the Social Democratic Party of Poland. On the next day, Leszek Miller announced he would step down as Prime Minister on 2 May the day after Poland joined the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
. Miller proceeded to do so.
Decline after Rywin-gate
In the 2004 European Parliament electionEuropean Parliament election, 2004 (Poland)
Elections to the European Parliament were held in Poland on 13 June 2004. 20.87% of eligible citizens voted; of these, 97.33% of the votes cast were valid. The elections resulted in a heavy defeat for the governing Alliance of the Democratic Left and Labor Union parties, although the very low...
, it only received 9% of the votes, giving it 5 of 54 seats reserved for Poland in the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
, as part of the Party of European Socialists
Party of European Socialists
The Party of European Socialists is a European political party led by Sergei Stanishev, former Prime Minister of Bulgaria. The PES comprises social-democratic national-level political parties primarily from Member state of the European Union, as well as other nations of the European continent. The...
. In the later 2009 European election
European Parliament election, 2009 (Poland)
The European Parliament election of 2009 in Poland was the election of the delegation from Poland to the European Parliament in 2009 which took place on 7 June 2009. On 13 February the Sejm accepted a proposal for an amendment to the electoral court act to allow voting for the European Parliament...
the Democratic Left Alliance-Labor Union
Democratic Left Alliance-Labor Union
Democratic Left Alliance-Labor Union is an electoral committee and a coalition of two Polish centre-left political parties: Democratic Left Alliance and Labour Union. At the national level, the alliance arose at the time of the 2001 parliamentary elections and continued through the 2004 elections...
joint ticket received 12% of the vote and 7 MEPs were elected as part of the newly-retitled Socialists & Democrats
Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats
The Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats is the social-democratic political group in the European Parliament, formed by MEPs of the Party of European Socialists and allied centre-left parties. The group dates its ancestry via various names back to the beginning of the European...
group.
Wojciech Olejniczak
Wojciech Olejniczak
Wojciech Michał Olejniczak is a Polish leftist politician and member of the European Parliament.He was the chairman of the Democratic Left Alliance from May 29, 2005, to May 31, 2008 and the vice-speaker of Sejm since October 26, 2005...
, the former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, was elected the president of SLD on 29 May 2004, succeeded Józef Oleksy
Józef Oleksy
Józef Oleksy is a post-communist Polish politician, former chairman of Democratic Left Alliance ....
, who resigned from the post of Polish Prime Minister due to alleged connections to the KGB
KGB
The KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
.
2005 - now
However the SLD could not avoid from suffering a huge defeat in the 2005 parliamentary electionPolish parliamentary election, 2005
Parliamentary elections for both houses of the Parliament of Poland were held on September 25, 2005. Thirty million voters were eligible to vote for all 460 members of the lower house, the Assembly of the Republic of Poland , and all 100 members of the upper house, the Senate of the Republic of...
, SLD only won 11.3% of the vote. This gave the party 55 seats, barely a quarter of what it had had prior to the election. It had also lost all of its Senators. In late 2006 a centre-left
Centre-left
Centre-left is a political term that describes individuals, political parties or organisations such as think tanks whose ideology lies between the centre and the left on the left-right spectrum...
political alliance
Political coalition
A political coalition or political alliance is an agreement for cooperation between different political parties on common political agenda, often for purposes of contesting an election to mutually benefit by collectively clearing election thresholds or otherwise benefiting from characteristics of...
called Left and Democrats
Left and Democrats
Left and Democrats was a centre-left political coalition in Poland which was created on September 3, 2006, before the Warsaw municipal election of 2006. The coalition's aim was to provide an alternative for both the national-conservative Law and Justice party and the liberal-conservative Civic...
was created, comprising SLD and smaller centre-left
Centre-left
Centre-left is a political term that describes individuals, political parties or organisations such as think tanks whose ideology lies between the centre and the left on the left-right spectrum...
parties, Labor Union, the Social Democratic Party of Poland, and Democratic Party – demokraci.pl. The coalition won a disappointing 13% in the 2007 parliamentary election
Polish parliamentary election, 2007
Early parliamentary elections for both houses of parliament were held in Poland on 21 October 2007 after the Sejm voted for its own dissolution on 7 September 2007. The election took place two years before the maximum tenure of four years, with the previous elections having been in September 2005...
and was dissolved soon after in April 2008. On 31 May 2008, Olejniczak was replaced by Grzegorz Napieralski
Grzegorz Napieralski
Grzegorz Bernard Napieralski is a Polish left-wing politician and the current chairman of the Democratic Left Alliance and the party's candidate in the 2010 presidential election.-Education and political career:...
as SLD leader.
In 2011 national parliamentary election
Polish parliamentary election, 2011
A parliamentary election to both the Senate and the Sejm was held in Poland on 9 October 2011. The previous election, in 2007, resulted in a Civic Platform–Polish People's Party government...
SLD received 8.24% votes which gave them 27 seats in the Sejm. After elections one of the party member, Sławomir Kopyciński, decided to leave SLD and join Palikot's Movement.
See also
- List of Democratic Left Alliance politicians
- coalition Democratic Left Alliance-Labor UnionDemocratic Left Alliance-Labor UnionDemocratic Left Alliance-Labor Union is an electoral committee and a coalition of two Polish centre-left political parties: Democratic Left Alliance and Labour Union. At the national level, the alliance arose at the time of the 2001 parliamentary elections and continued through the 2004 elections...
External links
- The Warsaw Voice Article. 24 November 2004.