Liberalism in Slovakia

This article is intended to give an overview of liberalism in Slovakia.

History

Liberalism has never influenced politics in Slovakia. The neoliberal Alliance of the New Citizen (Aliancia Nového Občana, observer LI, member ELDR) campaigns on a relatively liberal platform.

From Independent Hungarian Initiative to Hungarian Civic Party

• 1989: Hungarian liberals establish the Independent Hungarian Initiative (Független Magyar Kezdeményezés)
• 1992: The party is renamed the Hungarian Civic Party (Magyar Polgári Párt)
• 1998: The party merged into the Hungarian Coalition Party (Magyar Koalíció Pártja)

From Alliance of Democrats to Democratic Union of Slovakia

• 1944: The conservative Democratic Party (Demokratická strana) was founded
• 1948: DS was replaced by the por-communist Party of Slovak Revival (Strana slovenskej obrody)
• 1989: SSO renamed itself to Democratic Party (Demokratická strana)
• 1989: Public Against Violence (Verejnosť proti násiliu) was formed
• 1991: VPN was renamed to Civic Democratic Union (Občianska demokratická únia)
• 1993: Dissidents from the Movement for a Democratic Slovakia established the Alliance of Democrats of the Slovak Republic, led by Milan Kňažko
• 1994: The party merged with a second dissident group, the Alliance for Political Realism, into the Democratic Union of Slovakia (Demokratická Únia na Slovensku)
• 1994: ODÚ and Democrats 92 merged into DS
• 1995: The party merged with the National Democratic Party into the Democratic Union (Demokratická Únia)
• 2000: Liberal Democratic Union (Liberálnodemokratická únia) split from DÚ
• 2001: Civic Conservative Party split from DÚ
• 2002: DÚ and DS merged into the Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (Slovenská demokratická a kresťanská únia)
• 2004: Free Forum (Slobodné fórum) split from SDKÚ-DS
• 2002: LDÚ was renamed to Democratic Union of Slovakia (Demokratická Únia na Slovensku)
• 2006: Democratic Party of Slovakia (Demokratická strana Slovenska) was formed
• 2007: DSS renamed itself to Democratic Party (Demokratická strana)
• 2010: The party was renamed to Change from Bottom, Democratic Union of Slovakia (Zmena zdola, Demokratická únia Slovenska)
• 2016: SF dissolved
• 2018: Together – Civic Democracy (SPOLU – občianska demokracia) led by former SDKÚ-DS member Miroslav Beblavý split from #SIEŤ
• 2018: SDKÚ-DS dissolved
• 2019: Former SDKÚ-DS MP Ondrej Matej founds Transportation (DOPRAVA) later renamed to Voice of the Right (Hlas pravice)

Alliance of the New Citizen to Freedom and Solidarity

• 2001: Liberals around Pavol Rusko established the Alliance of the New Citizen (Aliancia Nového Občana)
• 2006: Hope (NÁDEJ) split from ANO
• 2007-2009: End of the activity of ANO
• 2008: Former Minister of Economy Robert Nemcsics (ANO) founds League, Civic-Liberal Party (LIGA, občiansko-liberálna strana)
• 2009, March: Liberals around the economist Richard Sulík established the Freedom and Solidarity (Sloboda a Solidarita), which is the ideological successor of the Alliance of the New Citizen
• 2009, August: NÁDEJ dissolves
• 2013: LIGA renames itself to DIRECT DEMOCRACY, becomes an eurosceptic and separates from their liberal roots

Other parties

• 2009: European Democratic Party (EURÓPSKA DEMOKRATICKÁ STRANA) was formed
• 2016–17: Liberals founded Progressive Slovakia (Progresívne Slovensko)

See also

• History of Slovakia
• Politics of Slovakia
• List of political parties in Slovakia