| Civic Democratic Party Občanská demokratická strana |
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| Leader | Mirek Topolánek |
| Founded | 1991 |
| Headquarters | Jánský Vršek 13, Prague |
| Ideology | Conservatism, Liberal conservatism, Economic liberalism, Euroscepticism[1] |
| International affiliation | International Democrat Union |
| European affiliation | Movement for European Reform |
| European Parliament Group | European Conservatives and Reformists |
| Official colours | Blue |
| Website | |
| http://www.ods.cz/ | |
| Politics of the Czech Republic Political parties Elections |
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The Civic Democratic Party (Czech: Občanská demokratická strana, abbreviation: ODS) is the largest right-wing political party in the Czech Republic. Party's ideology is liberal conservatism and center-right politics.
Internationally, it is aligned with the International Democratic Union, the party itself claims to have similar ideas along the lines of the British Conservative Party, Swedish Moderate Party, Polish Civic Platform and the Spanish Partido Popular.
In July 2006, the Civic Democratic Party signed an agreement with the British Conservative Party to leave the EPP-ED Group and form a new European political party called MER (Movement for European Reform) in 2009. On 22 June 2009, it was announced that ODS would join the newly-formed European Conservatives and Reformists, an anti-federalist bloc working for reform rather than abolition of the European Parliament and currently its fourth largest bloc.
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Ideology
Main ideologies of the party are: modern European Conservatism, economic liberalism, and Euroscepticism. Party's ideas are very close to those of the British Conservative Party, Swedish Moderate Party, and other European liberal-conservative parties.
The basic principles of the party's program are "low taxes, public finances and future without debts, support for families with children, addressable social system, reducing bureaucracy, better conditions for business, a safe state with the transatlantic links. No tricks and populism."
History
The party was founded in 1991, after the Civic Forum split, by Václav Klaus and it has been led by Mirek Topolánek since 2002. It was the dominant party in two coalition governments in the Czech Republic in 1992–1997, a majority administration (1992–6) and a short-lived minority government (1996–7). It also the government of the Czech Social Democratic Party in 1998–2002 under the terms of a formal written pact between the two parties, the "Opposition Agreement" (later supplemented by a further agreement, the so-called "Patent of Toleration")
In the 2002 parliamentary elections, it went from being the largest seat holder to being the second largest party in the Chamber of Deputies with 58 of 200 seats, and for the first time in its history, assumed the role of a true opposition party. The current Czech president, Václav Klaus, has been party's honorary president for his first term in the office. In the European Parliament elections in June 2004 and in Senate and regional assembly elections in November 2004 it received over 30% of the votes.
In the 2006 elections it was the largest seat holder in the Chamber of Deputies with 81 seats. It formed a government in coalition with the Christian Democrats (KDU-ČSL) and the Green Party (SZ). The party suffered heavy losses in regional and Senate elections in 2008, losing all 12 regional governorships it had previously held.
Election results
- 1992 Czech National Council: (in coalition with Christian Democratic Party 29.7 %) - 66 seats
- 1996 Chamber of Deputies: 29.6 % - 68 seats
- 1996 Senate: 29 seats (whole Senate elected, only one third in next elections)
- 1998 Chamber of Deputies: 27.8 % - 63 seats
- 1998 Senate: 9 seats
- 2000 Senate: 8 seat
- 2002 Chamber of Deputies: 25.4 % - 58 seats
- 2002 Senate: 9 seats
- 2004 Senate: 18 seats
- 2004 European Parliament: 30 % - 9 seats
- 2006 Chamber of Deputies: 35.4 % - 81 seats
- 2006 Senate: 14 seats
- 2008 Senate: 3 seats
- 2009 European Parliament: 31.45% - 9 seats
- Seats in the Chamber of Deputies
Leaders
- Václav Klaus 1991 - 2002
- Mirek Topolanek 2002 - Present
References
- ^ "Czechia". parties-and-elections.de. http://www.parties-and-elections.de/czechia.html.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Občanská demokratická strana |
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