Democratic Left Alliance-Labor Union
Encyclopedia
Democratic Left Alliance-Labor Union (Polish: Sojusz Lewicy Demokratycznej-Unia Pracy, SLD-UP) 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 to the European Parliament
. The alliance came together again for the 2009 European parliamentary elections.
The SLD-UP won a stunning victory at the 2001 parliamentary elections, gaining 41% of the vote, and formed government with the Polish People's Party. During the 2001-2005 term, there occurred a splintering of the alliance and there came into being 4 left-wing political caucuses in Polish Parliament:
The SLD-UP maintained their alliance for the European parliamentary elections
of 2004, and won 5 seats with 9.3% of the vote, a sharp decline from the national elections in 2001.
In the 2005 parliamentary elections
SDPL, Labour Union and Greens 2004 formed a joint electoral committee, under the leadership of the SDPL, and most of the PLD members joined Self-Defense of the Republic of Poland
.
Following the relatively poor performance of the SDPL-UP-Greens at the 2005 parliamentary elections (they polled 3.9% and failed to break the 5% parliamentary threshold), and the overwhelming success of right wing parties, the SDPL and UP sought to reapproach the SLD, and seek a new understanding. A new alliance was born in 2006-07, the Left and Democrats
, which consisted of the three left wing parties, SLD, SDPL and UP as well as the centrist Democratic Party
(PD). Left and Democrats contested the 2007 parliamentary elections
and polled 13.2% of the vote. SLD, SDPL and PD saw several of their representatives elected to the Sejm
, but the UP failed to elect any members. In 2008, following a rift between the constituent parties of the Left and Democrats, the alliance came to an end with PD and SDPL leaving the alliance in April. These two went on to form the Agreement for the Future, together with the Greens 2004, for the 2009 European elections
. The Labour Union, however, chose to maintain its alliance with SLD, and at the elections SLD-UP polled 12.3%, electing 7 representatives to the European Parliament.
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 parties: Democratic Left Alliance
Democratic Left Alliance
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....
and Labour Union
Labour 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....
. At the national level, the alliance arose at the time of the 2001 parliamentary elections
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 continued through the 2004 elections to 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...
. The alliance came together again for the 2009 European parliamentary elections.
The SLD-UP won a stunning victory at the 2001 parliamentary elections, gaining 41% of the vote, and formed government with the Polish People's Party. During the 2001-2005 term, there occurred a splintering of the alliance and there came into being 4 left-wing political caucuses in Polish Parliament:
- Democratic Left AllianceDemocratic Left AllianceDemocratic 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....
(SLD) - 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....
(UP) - Social Democracy of Poland (SDPL)
- People's Democratic Party (PLD)
The SLD-UP maintained their alliance for the European parliamentary elections
European 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...
of 2004, and won 5 seats with 9.3% of the vote, a sharp decline from the national elections in 2001.
In the 2005 parliamentary elections
Polish 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...
SDPL, Labour Union and Greens 2004 formed a joint electoral committee, under the leadership of the SDPL, and most of the PLD members joined Self-Defense of the Republic of Poland
Self-Defense of the Republic of Poland
Self-Defence of the Republic of Poland , abbreviated to SRP, is an agrarian political party and trade union in Poland led by Andrzej Lepper. Its platform combines left-wing populist economic policies with religious conservative social policies....
.
Following the relatively poor performance of the SDPL-UP-Greens at the 2005 parliamentary elections (they polled 3.9% and failed to break the 5% parliamentary threshold), and the overwhelming success of right wing parties, the SDPL and UP sought to reapproach the SLD, and seek a new understanding. A new alliance was born in 2006-07, the 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...
, which consisted of the three left wing parties, SLD, SDPL and UP as well as the centrist Democratic Party
Democratic Party (Poland)
The Democratic Party is a Polish centrist party. The party faced a revival in 2009, when it was joined by liberal politician Paweł Piskorski, formerly member of Civic Platform.-History:The party was established on April 15, 1939...
(PD). Left and Democrats contested the 2007 parliamentary elections
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 polled 13.2% of the vote. SLD, SDPL and PD saw several of their representatives elected to the Sejm
Sejm
The Sejm is the lower house of the Polish parliament. The Sejm is made up of 460 deputies, or Poseł in Polish . It is elected by universal ballot and is presided over by a speaker called the Marshal of the Sejm ....
, but the UP failed to elect any members. In 2008, following a rift between the constituent parties of the Left and Democrats, the alliance came to an end with PD and SDPL leaving the alliance in April. These two went on to form the Agreement for the Future, together with the Greens 2004, for the 2009 European elections
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 Labour Union, however, chose to maintain its alliance with SLD, and at the elections SLD-UP polled 12.3%, electing 7 representatives to the European Parliament.
Members of European Parliament (2004-2009)
- Adam GierekAdam GierekAdam Gierek is a Polish politician and Member of the European Parliament for the Silesian Voivodship with the Democratic Left Alliance-Labor Union, part of the Socialist Group and sits on the European Parliament's Committee on Industry, Research and Energy...
, politician, son of Edward GierekEdward GierekEdward Gierek was a Polish communist politician.He was born in Porąbka, outside of Sosnowiec. He lost his father to a mining accident in a pit at the age of four. His mother married again and emigrated to northern France, where he was raised. He joined the French Communist Party in 1931 and was...
, communist leader of Poland - 1970-1980 - Lidia Geringer d'Oedenberg, economist and journalist
- Bogusław Liberadzki, economist, ex-minister of transport
- Marek SiwiecMarek SiwiecMarek Maciej Siwiec is a Polish politician and since 2004 Member of the European Parliament for the Greater Poland Voivodship with the Democratic Left Alliance-Labor Union, part of the Socialist Group and sits on the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs. In the European elections of...
, journalist, politician, president's advisor - Andrzej SzejnaAndrzej SzejnaAndrzej Jan Szejna is a Polish politician and Member of the European Parliament for the Lesser Poland Voivodeship & Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship with the Democratic Left Alliance-Labor Union, part of the Socialist Group and is vice-chair of the European Parliament's Committee on Legal Affairs.Szejna...
, economist, politician