- Source: Freedom Union (Poland)
The Freedom Union (Polish: Unia Wolności, UW) was a liberal democratic political party in Poland.
History
It was founded on 20 March 1994 out of the merger of the Democratic Union (Unia Demokratyczna, UD) and the Liberal Democratic Congress (Kongres Liberalno-Demokratyczny, KLD). Both of these parties had roots in the Solidarity trade union movement. It represented European democratic and liberal tradition, i.e., it advocated free market economy and individual liberty, rejected extremism and fanaticism, 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.
In the 1991 general elections, the KLD received 7.5% of the vote and 37 seats in the Sejm (out of 460 seats) and the UD got 12.3% of the votes and 62 seats. In 1993 the KLD got 4.0% of the votes and was left without seats; the UD got 10.6% of the votes and 74 seats. In 1997 the UW got 13.4% of the votes and 60 seats.
In January 2001 some members of the FU (mostly from centre-right and KLD factions) decided to move to join the new Civic Platform (Platforma Obywatelska), which got 12.7% of the votes and 65 seats in the September 2001 general elections whilst the FU failed to cross the 5% threshold required to gain entry to the lower house of Parliament, receiving only 3.1%. Surprisingly, the FU managed to cross the required 5% threshold in the 2004 European Parliament elections, receiving 7% of votes and 4 of 54 seats reserved for Poland in the European Parliament as part of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party, of which it was a member.
The initiative by the FU leadership to found the centre/social-liberal Democratic Party (Partia Demokratyczna – demokraci.pl) attracted a lot of attention. It was cofounded by Władysław Frasyniuk and economy minister Jerzy Hausner, joined by prime minister Marek Belka. Former FU member Tadeusz Mazowiecki also joined the initiative. Legally the centrist Democratic Party, founded 9 May 2005, is the successor of the FU.
Election results
= Sejm
== Senate
== Presidential
== Regional assemblies
== European Parliament
=Former leader
Władysław Frasyniuk – Party chairman
Members of Polish Parliament (Sejm)
None since 2001
Former Members of Polish Senate
Olga Teresa Krzyżanowska – caucus vice-chairperson
Dorota Simonides
Kazimierz Kutz
Andrzej Jan Wielowieyski – caucus chairman
Grażyna Staniszewska (until 13 June 2004, elected to the European Parliament)
Members of the European Parliament of the former Freedom Union
Bronisław Geremek, historian and politician, ex-minister of foreign affairs
Jan Kułakowski, journalist, ex-Poland-EU negotiator
Janusz Onyszkiewicz, mathematician and politician, vice-president of the European Parliament
Grażyna Staniszewska, politician, senator
Other prominent members
Jan Rokita – now Civic Platform
Donald Tusk – now Civic Platform
Janusz Lewandowski – now Civic Platform
Jacek Kuroń – died 17 June 2004
See also
Liberalism in Poland
Liberalism
Contributions to liberal theory
Liberalism worldwide
List of liberal parties
Liberal democracy
References
Kata Kunci Pencarian:
- Perang Dunia II
- Adolf Hitler
- Politik Blok Timur
- Kudeta Cekoslowakia 1948
- Pengecualian hukum di Uni Eropa
- Holokaus
- Ceko
- Jerman Timur
- Amendemen Ketiga Belas Konstitusi Amerika Serikat
- Argentina
- Freedom Union (Poland)
- Freedom Union
- Third Way (Poland)
- Democratic Union (Poland)
- Mass media in Poland
- Jan Wyrowiński
- Religion in Poland
- Grażyna Staniszewska
- Ludwika Wujec
- Poland
