- Democratic Coalition
-
Democratic Coalition
Demokratikus Koalíció
Leader Ferenc Gyurcsány Founded 22 October 2011 Split from Hungarian Socialist Party Political position Centre-left National Assembly 10 / 386European Parliament 0 / 22Website dkp.hu Politics of Hungary
Political parties
ElectionsThe Democratic Coalition (Hungarian: Demokratikus Koalíció), abbreviated to DK, is a centre-left political party in Hungary led by former Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány. Founded in 2010 as a group within the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP), the party split from the MSZP in 22 October 2011 and became a separate party. It has ten MPs in the National Assembly.
Contents
Within the Socialist Party
On 5 October 2010 Gyurcsány announced to the party executive that he is founding a platform named the Democratic Coalition within the party. He said he will organise “a broad, open social community for 1989 democrats”, and a political representation for them. The mood at the meeting was calm, but several party officials expressed disagreement with him.[1] The Democratic Coalition held its inaugural meeting at 2 p.m. in the Szent István Park in the 13th District on 22 October 2010. Meanwhile, Socialist deputy chairman András Balogh told Népszava in an interview that the party performed poorly at the elections because Gyurcsány's cabinet made mistakes while in government, abandoned left-wing values and became complacent, and because of corruption.[2] The former Prime Minister's group became the Hungarian Socialist party's seventh platform.
Platforms within the Socialist Party in May 2011 held a debate on whether the party should be developed as a cooperation between left-wing groups or a collective party welcoming non-leftist groups or politicians – a broader alternative to ruling Fidesz. The latter idea was only supported by the Democratic Coalition Platform. All seven platforms of the party agreed that the Socialists do not need a "chieftain", an “Orbán of the Left” but a team leader, István Hiller, the head of the Social Democratic Platform, told reporters during a break of the meeting. He dismissed Gyurcsány’s idea of embracing liberal and conservative trends. Gyurcsány’s model would make the party dysfunctional, he said.[3]
A new party
On 22 October 2011 Gyurcsány has announced he is leaving the Socialist Party and will set up a new parliamentary group after succeeding in persuading the necessary number of lawmakers to join him. The new Democratic Coalition party is to be a “Western, civic centre-left” formation with ten lawmakers, Gyurcsány announced on the first anniversary that its forerunner, the Democratic Coalition Platform, was set up. He said the reason why he had decided to leave the Socialists was because the party had failed in its efforts to transform itself. Socialist representatives strongly condemned Gyurcsány, who had only last week signed a pledge to stay on in the party. Gyurcsány in his speech branded the new constitution as “illegitimate”, and insisted that members and heads of the independent branches of state such as the constitutional court and the public prosecutor “exclusively serve Viktor Orbán”.[4]
The formerly-existing Democratic Party (Demokrata Párt) has changed its name for Democratic Coalition (DK) and elected Gyurcsány its leader on 6 November 2011. At a press conference, Gyurcsány also announced that the renewed party has elected Tamás Bauer, József Debreczeni, Csaba Molnár and Péter Niedermüller deputy chairmen. DK will be Hungary’s “most democratic party” with all the members electing its officials directly at the party congress, Gyurcsány said, adding that the authority of each member in the party’s 12-strong presidium and the chairman itself will be virtually the same.
The new formation, an offspring of Gyurcsány’s former Democratic Coalition Platform within the Socialist Party, has so far received over 3,800 membership applications.[5]
Democratic Coalition will not be allowed to form a new party faction until the spring after leaving the Socialist Party faction, parliament’s Constitutional and Procedural Committee decided on 7 November 2011. According the parliamentary rules, any parliamentarian that leaves or is expelled from a party faction must sit as an independent candidate for six months before joining another faction.[6]
References
- ^ Gyurcsány to form Socialist faction
- ^ Gyurcsány’s new faction forms today
- ^ Socialist platforms discuss future strategy
- ^ Gyurcsány announces departure from Socialists, formation of new “Western, civic center-left” party
- ^ New Democratic Coalition party officially elects former PM Gyurcsány as first leader
- ^ Parliamentary committee tells Gyurcsány to wait until April to form new faction
External links
- (Hungarian) Democratic Coalition official website
Political parties in HungaryRepresented in the
National Assembly (386)Fidesz – Hungarian Civic Union (227) · Hungarian Socialist Party (48) · Jobbik – Movement for a Better Hungary (46) · Christian Democratic People's Party (36) · LMP – Politics Can Be Different (15) · Independent (14)Not represented in the Parliament* Hungarian Democratic Forum (2.67 %) · Civil Movement (0.89 %) · Hungarian Communist Workers' Party (0.11 %) · Hungarian Social Democratic Party (0.08 %)
* Limit for parties to join the National Assembly in Hungary is 5 % of popular votesRepresented in the
European Parliament (22)Categories:- Political parties in Hungary
- Political parties established in 2011
- 2011 in Hungary
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
