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New Alliance (Denmark)
Encyclopedia
The Liberal Alliance is a classical liberal
political party
in Denmark
. Founded in 2007 as the New Alliance , the party was the first new major Danish political party in a decade. It currently has four members of the Folketing
, having won five at the 2007 election
.
The party was founded on 7 May 2007 by Naser Khader
MP, Anders Samuelsen
MEP
– both from the Social Liberal Party – and Gitte Seeberg
, a Conservative People's Party
MEP. In November 2007
, the party won 5 of 179 seats in Parliament
. After the election, the party position moved towards economic liberalism
and the centre-right
, with the party changing its name to Liberal Alliance on 27 August 2008. After the departure of Seeberg in 2008 and Khader in 2009, the party regrouped under Samuelsen's leadership, and won 9 seats at the 2011 election.
offices of municipalities
before being collectively handed in to the Ministry of the Interior.
In the event of an election being called before the Liberal Alliance had finished its nomination process, the minor party Centre Democrats offered to let the Liberal Alliance put forward candidates on their lists. The Liberal Alliance did not take any stand on this offer, however.
On one occasion, on 12 May in Horsens
, the three leading figures of the party managed to collect over 2,000 signatures in one day. On 21 May the party reported they were half-way, having gathered in 10,000 signatures.
The party finally completed its nomination process on 29 June by being accepted on the Ministry of the Interior's list of parties able to stand for elections to the Folketing after handing in the 21,516 required signatures.
On 30 August 2007, the party presented a more detailed programme of their political standpoints. Some of the points in this programme include: Longer mandatory school-attendance, with free food and homework-aid; European Marshall Plan
to the Middle East
; increasing foreign aid to 1% of GDP
; increased focus on prevention in public health, with lower prices on healthy foods; and an exhaustive reform related to immigration and asylum politics.
On January 29, 2008, founding member Gitte Seeberg
left the party in protest against the party's status as a right-wing party, which conflicted with her own desire to form a centrist party rejecting the influence of the Danish People's Party
. A week later, on February 5, another of the party's members of parliament
, Malou Aamund
, left the party and joined the government-coalition party, Venstre
. On June 24, 2008 Jørgen Poulsen was excluded from the parliamentary group, though not from the party itself. Reflecting its more market liberal position, on 27 August 2008, the party renamed itself the Liberal Alliance and changed its symbol from the letter Y to the letter I. On September 1, 2008 the party regained a third mandate in the parliament, as Gitte Seeberg was appointed secretary general of the Danish branch of WWF
. Her mandate was given to former deputy mayor
of Slagelse
, Villum Christensen.
On 5 January 2009, founding member and party leader Naser Khader left the party, citing that he did not believe in it any longer. At the time, Anders Samuelsen
was scheduled to take over leadership of the party later that month. The same day, Villum Christensen expressed doubt on his future in the party.
Nonetheless, the party gained significant ground in opinion poll
s from spring 2010 to 2011. The party's candidates for the 2011 parliamentary election include a number of journalists and athlete Joachim Olsen.
When Malou Aamund
resigned from the Folketing in June 2011, she was replaced by Professor Niels Høiby, who took his seat with the Liberal Alliance, taking their contingent in four.
of the Danish People's Party
on the Government, as well as the alleged left-leaning opposition strategy of the Social Liberal Party. In 2008, the party moved somewhat to the political right
, emphasising the liberal economic
components of its party programme, and changed its name from New Alliance into Liberal Alliance.
The party has proposed extensive liberal
reforms, including a tax reform
reducing income tax
to a flat rate
of 40%, a "realistic immigration policy and humane refugee policy with an emphasis on democratic integration", a pro
-European Union
policy while strengthening Denmark's position, an increase in foreign aid
to 1% of GDP
, and reforms of state schools and the Danish health system
. The party supports green energy
.
The party opposed the governing Venstre
party taking Denmark into the Euro Plus Pact
.
The Liberal Alliance is the only party in Denmark to support nuclear power
. In 2009, the party voted against subsidies for environmentalist
renovations without significant tax cuts.
Along with the Red-Green Alliance
, the Liberal Alliance was the only party whose MPs supported equalising MPs' pension age with the rest of the country's.
The party is socially progressive. Along with the centre-left
and left-wing
parties, the Liberal Alliance supports allowing same-sex
couples to have the same rights as heterosexual couples in the established Church of Denmark
. The party opposed the reintroduction of border controls in 2011, and supports dismantling them. It supports ending the ban on foreigners owning holiday homes
in Denmark. Party leader Anders Samuelsen
said in 2011 that the Venstre-led government risked losing its change to retain power by adopting several socially conservative Danish People's Party
policies.
party, "taking the best values of social liberalism
and social conservatism
". The meaning of the latter is the same as compassionate conservatism
in English-speaking countries (not to be mistaken with the morally right-wing social conservatism
of US politics).
By using these two terms, New Alliance positioned itself equidistant between the former parties of the three founding members. Social liberalism is, of course, the official ideology of the Social Liberal Party, whereas "social conservatism" is a term sometimes invoked by members of the Conservative Party
who stress the support of the welfare society
, such as Liberal Alliance co-founder Gitte Seeberg.
After Gitte Seeberg left the party, the "social conservatism" part was dropped, and the party name was changed into Liberal Alliance. However, there were still considerable ideological differences among the two remaining founders, and it was not until Naser Khader
was replaced by Anders Samuelsen
that the party could get a more classical liberal
identity.
or personalism
, still lacking stances on many topics and based on the popularity of Naser Khader
. Critics have also pointed to the fact that all major parties in Denmark advocate social liberal policies, at least economically.
A poll conducted by independent analysts for the journal A4 Weekly, issued by the Danish Confederation of Trade Unions
, concluded that "opinions of the New Alliance's voters bristle in all directions" and that party supporters' attitudes were "very close to the Danish average voter on a great number of issues". Political commentator Henrik Qvortrup, former spin doctor of Prime Minister
Anders Fogh Rasmussen
, claimed: "These are really Mr and Mrs Denmark's points of views". Another analyst, Henrik Dahl, expected the Liberal Alliance will encounter problems when trying to formulate a detailed party programme, inevitably being unable to render all supporters satisfied.
(500,000 Danish krone
r) and the businessman Lars Kolind
(100,000 kroner). As of 22 May, the party has seven paid employees and a number of volunteers. The party has announced it will not hire additional employees until it has more funds.
to the party was formed by 21 people under the name of Ung Alliance (Young Alliance). When the party changed its name to Liberal Alliance, the youth branch followed suit changing its name to Liberal Alliances Ungdom (Liberal Alliance Youth).
Gitte Seeberg
and Anders Samuelsen
, the Conservatives
and the Social Liberal Party were effectively left without representation in the European Parliament
. The two MEPs
did, however, stay in their factions (the conservative EPP-ED and the liberal ALDE
respectively). The Liberal Alliance announced that it would join the ALDE group after future EU elections
. However, the party failed to achieve representation after the 2009 elections.
Classical liberalism
Classical liberalism is the philosophy committed to the ideal of limited government, constitutionalism, rule of law, due process, and liberty of individuals including freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and free markets....
political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. Founded in 2007 as the New Alliance , the party was the first new major Danish political party in a decade. It currently has four members of the Folketing
Folketing
The Folketing , is the national parliament of Denmark. The name literally means "People's thing"—that is, the people's governing assembly. It is located in Christiansborg Palace, on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen....
, having won five at the 2007 election
Danish parliamentary election, 2007
The 66th Folketing election in Denmark was held on 13 November 2007. The election allowed prime minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen to continue for a third term in a coalition government consisting of the Liberals and the Conservative People's Party with parliamentary support from the Danish People's...
.
The party was founded on 7 May 2007 by Naser Khader
Naser Khader
Naser Khader is Danish-Syrian and a former member of the Parliament of Denmark for the Conservative Party. As a member of Parliament, he has represented both Social Liberal Party and Liberal Alliance, the latter as founding leader, until January 5, 2009...
MP, Anders Samuelsen
Anders Samuelsen
Anders Samuelsen is a Danish politician, member of the Folketing with the Liberal Alliance and former Member of the European Parliament sitting on the European Parliament's Committee on Budgets. He is a former member of Det Radikale Venstre, and was a Member of the Bureau of the Alliance of...
MEP
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
– both from the Social Liberal Party – and Gitte Seeberg
Gitte Seeberg
Gitte Seeberg is a Danish politician, lawyer, and current secretary general of the Danish branch of the WWF...
, a Conservative People's Party
Conservative People's Party (Denmark)
The Conservative People's Party , also known as Conservatives is a Danish political party.-History:The party was founded 1915 based mostly on its predecessor, Højre , but also on the Free Conservatives and a moderate faction of Venstre , the liberals.The party has participated in several coalition...
MEP. In November 2007
Danish parliamentary election, 2007
The 66th Folketing election in Denmark was held on 13 November 2007. The election allowed prime minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen to continue for a third term in a coalition government consisting of the Liberals and the Conservative People's Party with parliamentary support from the Danish People's...
, the party won 5 of 179 seats in Parliament
Folketing
The Folketing , is the national parliament of Denmark. The name literally means "People's thing"—that is, the people's governing assembly. It is located in Christiansborg Palace, on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen....
. After the election, the party position moved towards economic liberalism
Economic liberalism
Economic liberalism is the ideological belief in giving all people economic freedom, and as such granting people with more basis to control their own lives and make their own mistakes. It is an economic philosophy that supports and promotes individual liberty and choice in economic matters and...
and the centre-right
Centre-right
The centre-right or center-right is a political term commonly used to describe or denote individuals, political parties, or organizations whose views stretch from the centre to the right on the left-right spectrum, excluding far right stances. Centre-right can also describe a coalition of centrist...
, with the party changing its name to Liberal Alliance on 27 August 2008. After the departure of Seeberg in 2008 and Khader in 2009, the party regrouped under Samuelsen's leadership, and won 9 seats at the 2011 election.
Electoral nomination
To comply with Danish election law, and to be able to stand for elections the Liberal Alliance had to gather 19,185 signatures of supporters on special forms, the number being equivalent to one parliamentary seat in the Folketing. Each completed form had to be certified with the civil registryCivil registry
Civil registration is the system by which a government records the vital events of its citizens and residents. The resulting repository or database is called civil register or registry, or population registry. The primary purpose of civil registration is to create legal documents that are used to...
offices of municipalities
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
before being collectively handed in to the Ministry of the Interior.
In the event of an election being called before the Liberal Alliance had finished its nomination process, the minor party Centre Democrats offered to let the Liberal Alliance put forward candidates on their lists. The Liberal Alliance did not take any stand on this offer, however.
On one occasion, on 12 May in Horsens
Horsens
Horsens is a Danish city in east Jutland. It is the site of the council of Horsens municipality. The city's population is 53,807 and the Horsens municipality's population is 82,835 ....
, the three leading figures of the party managed to collect over 2,000 signatures in one day. On 21 May the party reported they were half-way, having gathered in 10,000 signatures.
The party finally completed its nomination process on 29 June by being accepted on the Ministry of the Interior's list of parties able to stand for elections to the Folketing after handing in the 21,516 required signatures.
On 30 August 2007, the party presented a more detailed programme of their political standpoints. Some of the points in this programme include: Longer mandatory school-attendance, with free food and homework-aid; European Marshall Plan
Marshall Plan
The Marshall Plan was the large-scale American program to aid Europe where the United States gave monetary support to help rebuild European economies after the end of World War II in order to combat the spread of Soviet communism. The plan was in operation for four years beginning in April 1948...
to the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
; increasing foreign aid to 1% of GDP
Gross domestic product
Gross domestic product refers to the market value of all final goods and services produced within a country in a given period. GDP per capita is often considered an indicator of a country's standard of living....
; increased focus on prevention in public health, with lower prices on healthy foods; and an exhaustive reform related to immigration and asylum politics.
Abdicating members
Gitte Seeberg
Gitte Seeberg is a Danish politician, lawyer, and current secretary general of the Danish branch of the WWF...
left the party in protest against the party's status as a right-wing party, which conflicted with her own desire to form a centrist party rejecting the influence of the Danish People's Party
Danish People's Party
The Danish People's Party is a political party in Denmark which is frequently described as right-wing populist by political scientists and commentators. The party is led by Pia Kjærsgaard...
. A week later, on February 5, another of the party's members of parliament
Folketing
The Folketing , is the national parliament of Denmark. The name literally means "People's thing"—that is, the people's governing assembly. It is located in Christiansborg Palace, on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen....
, Malou Aamund
Malou Aamund
Malou Aamund is a member of parliament for the party Venstre. In the parliamentary elections in November 2007, she was elected as a member of the party New Alliance, but changed parties on February 5, 2008....
, left the party and joined the government-coalition party, Venstre
Venstre (Denmark)
VenstreThe party name is officially not translated into any other language, but is in English often referred to as the Liberal Party. Similar rules apply for the name of the party's youth wing Venstres Ungdom. , full name Venstre, Danmarks Liberale Parti , is the largest political party in Denmark...
. On June 24, 2008 Jørgen Poulsen was excluded from the parliamentary group, though not from the party itself. Reflecting its more market liberal position, on 27 August 2008, the party renamed itself the Liberal Alliance and changed its symbol from the letter Y to the letter I. On September 1, 2008 the party regained a third mandate in the parliament, as Gitte Seeberg was appointed secretary general of the Danish branch of WWF
World Wide Fund for Nature
The World Wide Fund for Nature is an international non-governmental organization working on issues regarding the conservation, research and restoration of the environment, formerly named the World Wildlife Fund, which remains its official name in Canada and the United States...
. Her mandate was given to former deputy mayor
Deputy Mayor
Deputy mayor is an elective or appointive office of the second-ranking official in many local governments. Many elected deputy mayors are members of the city council who are given the title and serve as acting mayor in the mayor's absence...
of Slagelse
Slagelse
Slagelse, a town in east Denmark, is in Slagelse municipality on the island of Zealand. It is about 100 km southwest of Copenhagen. The population is 31,979 ....
, Villum Christensen.
On 5 January 2009, founding member and party leader Naser Khader left the party, citing that he did not believe in it any longer. At the time, Anders Samuelsen
Anders Samuelsen
Anders Samuelsen is a Danish politician, member of the Folketing with the Liberal Alliance and former Member of the European Parliament sitting on the European Parliament's Committee on Budgets. He is a former member of Det Radikale Venstre, and was a Member of the Bureau of the Alliance of...
was scheduled to take over leadership of the party later that month. The same day, Villum Christensen expressed doubt on his future in the party.
Nonetheless, the party gained significant ground in opinion poll
Opinion poll
An opinion poll, sometimes simply referred to as a poll is a survey of public opinion from a particular sample. Opinion polls are usually designed to represent the opinions of a population by conducting a series of questions and then extrapolating generalities in ratio or within confidence...
s from spring 2010 to 2011. The party's candidates for the 2011 parliamentary election include a number of journalists and athlete Joachim Olsen.
When Malou Aamund
Malou Aamund
Malou Aamund is a member of parliament for the party Venstre. In the parliamentary elections in November 2007, she was elected as a member of the party New Alliance, but changed parties on February 5, 2008....
resigned from the Folketing in June 2011, she was replaced by Professor Niels Høiby, who took his seat with the Liberal Alliance, taking their contingent in four.
Policies
The party originally opposed the influence of the social conservatismSocial conservatism
Social Conservatism is primarily a political, and usually morally influenced, ideology that focuses on the preservation of what are seen as traditional values. Social conservatism is a form of authoritarianism often associated with the position that the federal government should have a greater role...
of the Danish People's Party
Danish People's Party
The Danish People's Party is a political party in Denmark which is frequently described as right-wing populist by political scientists and commentators. The party is led by Pia Kjærsgaard...
on the Government, as well as the alleged left-leaning opposition strategy of the Social Liberal Party. In 2008, the party moved somewhat to the political right
Right-wing politics
In politics, Right, right-wing and rightist generally refer to support for a hierarchical society justified on the basis of an appeal to natural law or tradition. To varying degrees, the Right rejects the egalitarian objectives of left-wing politics, claiming that the imposition of equality is...
, emphasising the liberal economic
Economic liberalism
Economic liberalism is the ideological belief in giving all people economic freedom, and as such granting people with more basis to control their own lives and make their own mistakes. It is an economic philosophy that supports and promotes individual liberty and choice in economic matters and...
components of its party programme, and changed its name from New Alliance into Liberal Alliance.
The party has proposed extensive liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
reforms, including a tax reform
Tax reform
Tax reform is the process of changing the way taxes are collected or managed by the government.Tax reformers have different goals. Some seek to reduce the level of taxation of all people by the government. Some seek to make the tax system more progressive or less progressive. Some seek to simplify...
reducing income tax
Income tax
An income tax is a tax levied on the income of individuals or businesses . Various income tax systems exist, with varying degrees of tax incidence. Income taxation can be progressive, proportional, or regressive. When the tax is levied on the income of companies, it is often called a corporate...
to a flat rate
Flat tax
A flat tax is a tax system with a constant marginal tax rate. Typically the term flat tax is applied in the context of an individual or corporate income that will be taxed at one marginal rate...
of 40%, a "realistic immigration policy and humane refugee policy with an emphasis on democratic integration", a pro
Pro-European
Pro-European is a subjective term applied to a person who supports the idea of European unification and generally supports further 'deepening' of European integration, specifically in the context of political argument over the current and future status of the EU and its policies.-The Pro-European...
-European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
policy while strengthening Denmark's position, an increase in foreign aid
Aid
In international relations, aid is a voluntary transfer of resources from one country to another, given at least partly with the objective of benefiting the recipient country....
to 1% of GDP
Gross domestic product
Gross domestic product refers to the market value of all final goods and services produced within a country in a given period. GDP per capita is often considered an indicator of a country's standard of living....
, and reforms of state schools and the Danish health system
Health care in Denmark
Health care in Denmark is largely financed through local taxation with integrated funding and provision of health care at the local level.Denmark spends 9.8% of GDP on healthcare.The life expectancy in Denmark is 78.6 years....
. The party supports green energy
Sustainable energy
Sustainable energy is the provision of energy that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Sustainable energy sources include all renewable energy sources, such as hydroelectricity, solar energy, wind energy, wave power, geothermal...
.
The party opposed the governing Venstre
Venstre (Denmark)
VenstreThe party name is officially not translated into any other language, but is in English often referred to as the Liberal Party. Similar rules apply for the name of the party's youth wing Venstres Ungdom. , full name Venstre, Danmarks Liberale Parti , is the largest political party in Denmark...
party taking Denmark into the Euro Plus Pact
Euro Plus Pact
The Euro-Plus Pact, also initially called the Competitiveness Pact or later the Pact for the Euro, is a 2011 plan in which the member states of the European Union make concrete commitments to a list of political reforms which are intended to improve the fiscal strength and competitiveness of each...
.
The Liberal Alliance is the only party in Denmark to support nuclear power
Nuclear power
Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity...
. In 2009, the party voted against subsidies for environmentalist
Environmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
renovations without significant tax cuts.
Along with the Red-Green Alliance
Red-Green Alliance (Denmark)
The Red-Green Alliance is a socialist political party in Denmark.- History :The party was formed in 1989 as an electoral alliance by three left-wing parties, Left Socialists , Communist Party of Denmark and Socialist Workers Party...
, the Liberal Alliance was the only party whose MPs supported equalising MPs' pension age with the rest of the country's.
The party is socially progressive. Along with the centre-left
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...
and left-wing
Left-wing politics
In politics, Left, left-wing and leftist generally refer to support for social change to create a more egalitarian society...
parties, the Liberal Alliance supports allowing same-sex
Same-sex relationship
A same-sex relationship is a relationship between two persons of the same sex and can take many forms, from romantic and sexual, to non-romantic close relationships. The term is mainly associated with gay and lesbian people...
couples to have the same rights as heterosexual couples in the established Church of Denmark
Church of Denmark
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark, Church of Denmark or Danish National Church, is the state church and largest denomination in Denmark and Greenland...
. The party opposed the reintroduction of border controls in 2011, and supports dismantling them. It supports ending the ban on foreigners owning holiday homes
Vacation property
Vacation property is a niche in the real estate market dealing with residences used for holiday vacations . In the United Kingdom this type of property is usually termed a holiday home, in Australia, a holiday house/home, or weekender, in New Zealand, a bach or crib...
in Denmark. Party leader Anders Samuelsen
Anders Samuelsen
Anders Samuelsen is a Danish politician, member of the Folketing with the Liberal Alliance and former Member of the European Parliament sitting on the European Parliament's Committee on Budgets. He is a former member of Det Radikale Venstre, and was a Member of the Bureau of the Alliance of...
said in 2011 that the Venstre-led government risked losing its change to retain power by adopting several socially conservative Danish People's Party
Danish People's Party
The Danish People's Party is a political party in Denmark which is frequently described as right-wing populist by political scientists and commentators. The party is led by Pia Kjærsgaard...
policies.
Ideology
The original New Alliance considered itself a centristCentrism
In politics, centrism is the ideal or the practice of promoting policies that lie different from the standard political left and political right. Most commonly, this is visualized as part of the one-dimensional political spectrum of left-right politics, with centrism landing in the middle between...
party, "taking the best values of social liberalism
Social liberalism
Social liberalism is the belief that liberalism should include social justice. It differs from classical liberalism in that it believes the legitimate role of the state includes addressing economic and social issues such as unemployment, health care, and education while simultaneously expanding...
and social conservatism
Social conservatism
Social Conservatism is primarily a political, and usually morally influenced, ideology that focuses on the preservation of what are seen as traditional values. Social conservatism is a form of authoritarianism often associated with the position that the federal government should have a greater role...
". The meaning of the latter is the same as compassionate conservatism
Compassionate conservatism
Compassionate Conservatism is a political philosophy that stresses using traditionally conservative techniques and concepts in order to improve the general welfare of society. The term itself is often credited to U.S. historian and politician Doug Wead who used it as the title of a speech in 1979....
in English-speaking countries (not to be mistaken with the morally right-wing social conservatism
Social conservatism
Social Conservatism is primarily a political, and usually morally influenced, ideology that focuses on the preservation of what are seen as traditional values. Social conservatism is a form of authoritarianism often associated with the position that the federal government should have a greater role...
of US politics).
By using these two terms, New Alliance positioned itself equidistant between the former parties of the three founding members. Social liberalism is, of course, the official ideology of the Social Liberal Party, whereas "social conservatism" is a term sometimes invoked by members of the Conservative Party
Conservative People's Party (Denmark)
The Conservative People's Party , also known as Conservatives is a Danish political party.-History:The party was founded 1915 based mostly on its predecessor, Højre , but also on the Free Conservatives and a moderate faction of Venstre , the liberals.The party has participated in several coalition...
who stress the support of the welfare society
Welfare state
A welfare state is a "concept of government in which the state plays a key role in the protection and promotion of the economic and social well-being of its citizens. It is based on the principles of equality of opportunity, equitable distribution of wealth, and public responsibility for those...
, such as Liberal Alliance co-founder Gitte Seeberg.
After Gitte Seeberg left the party, the "social conservatism" part was dropped, and the party name was changed into Liberal Alliance. However, there were still considerable ideological differences among the two remaining founders, and it was not until Naser Khader
Naser Khader
Naser Khader is Danish-Syrian and a former member of the Parliament of Denmark for the Conservative Party. As a member of Parliament, he has represented both Social Liberal Party and Liberal Alliance, the latter as founding leader, until January 5, 2009...
was replaced by Anders Samuelsen
Anders Samuelsen
Anders Samuelsen is a Danish politician, member of the Folketing with the Liberal Alliance and former Member of the European Parliament sitting on the European Parliament's Committee on Budgets. He is a former member of Det Radikale Venstre, and was a Member of the Bureau of the Alliance of...
that the party could get a more classical liberal
Classical liberalism
Classical liberalism is the philosophy committed to the ideal of limited government, constitutionalism, rule of law, due process, and liberty of individuals including freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and free markets....
identity.
Criticism
In the earliest days of the party's existence, the party was accused of populismPopulism
Populism can be defined as an ideology, political philosophy, or type of discourse. Generally, a common theme compares "the people" against "the elite", and urges social and political system changes. It can also be defined as a rhetorical style employed by members of various political or social...
or personalism
Personalism
Personalism is a philosophical school of thought searching to describe the uniqueness of a human person in the world of nature, specifically in relation to animals...
, still lacking stances on many topics and based on the popularity of Naser Khader
Naser Khader
Naser Khader is Danish-Syrian and a former member of the Parliament of Denmark for the Conservative Party. As a member of Parliament, he has represented both Social Liberal Party and Liberal Alliance, the latter as founding leader, until January 5, 2009...
. Critics have also pointed to the fact that all major parties in Denmark advocate social liberal policies, at least economically.
A poll conducted by independent analysts for the journal A4 Weekly, issued by the Danish Confederation of Trade Unions
Danish Confederation of Trade Unions
LO, The Danish Confederation of Trade Unions was founded in 1898 and is an umbrella organisation for 18 Danish trade unions....
, concluded that "opinions of the New Alliance's voters bristle in all directions" and that party supporters' attitudes were "very close to the Danish average voter on a great number of issues". Political commentator Henrik Qvortrup, former spin doctor of Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Anders Fogh Rasmussen
Anders Fogh Rasmussen
Anders Fogh Rasmussen is a Danish politician, and the 12th and current Secretary General of NATO. Rasmussen served as Prime Minister of Denmark from 27 November 2001 to 5 April 2009....
, claimed: "These are really Mr and Mrs Denmark's points of views". Another analyst, Henrik Dahl, expected the Liberal Alliance will encounter problems when trying to formulate a detailed party programme, inevitably being unable to render all supporters satisfied.
Membership
Immediately after its creation, Liberal Alliance had a surge of members. 24 hours after the announcement of the party, more than 12,000 had registered on the party website. Three days later 16,000 had registered and 8,000 of these had paid the membership fee. For comparison, the Social Liberal Party had an estimated 9,500 paying members as of 2006.Funding
The party received notable sums from the investment bank Saxo BankSaxo Bank
Saxo Bank is an online Danish investment bank. It was founded as a brokerage firm in 1992, under the name Midas Fondsmæglerselskab, by Lars Seier Christensen, Kim Fournais and Marc Hauschildt. The name was changed to Saxo when the company obtained a banking license in 2001. Saxo offers trading...
(500,000 Danish krone
Danish krone
The krone is the official currency of the Kingdom of Denmark consisting of Denmark, the Faroe Islands and Greenland. It is subdivided into 100 øre...
r) and the businessman Lars Kolind
Lars Kolind
- Background and career :Lars Kolind is a Danish entrepreneur, author, adjunct professor, non-executive board member, and group chairman of Grundfos....
(100,000 kroner). As of 22 May, the party has seven paid employees and a number of volunteers. The party has announced it will not hire additional employees until it has more funds.
Liberal Alliance Youth
On23 February 2008, a youth wingYouth wing
A youth wing is a subsidiary, autonomous or independently-allied front of a larger organization that is formed in order to rally support and allegiance for that organization's campaigns from members and potential members of a younger age...
to the party was formed by 21 people under the name of Ung Alliance (Young Alliance). When the party changed its name to Liberal Alliance, the youth branch followed suit changing its name to Liberal Alliances Ungdom (Liberal Alliance Youth).
International relations
With the defection of MEPsMember of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
Gitte Seeberg
Gitte Seeberg
Gitte Seeberg is a Danish politician, lawyer, and current secretary general of the Danish branch of the WWF...
and Anders Samuelsen
Anders Samuelsen
Anders Samuelsen is a Danish politician, member of the Folketing with the Liberal Alliance and former Member of the European Parliament sitting on the European Parliament's Committee on Budgets. He is a former member of Det Radikale Venstre, and was a Member of the Bureau of the Alliance of...
, the Conservatives
Conservative People's Party (Denmark)
The Conservative People's Party , also known as Conservatives is a Danish political party.-History:The party was founded 1915 based mostly on its predecessor, Højre , but also on the Free Conservatives and a moderate faction of Venstre , the liberals.The party has participated in several coalition...
and the Social Liberal Party were effectively left without representation in 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 two MEPs
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
did, however, stay in their factions (the conservative EPP-ED and the liberal ALDE
Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
The Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe is the current liberal/centrist political group of the European Parliament...
respectively). The Liberal Alliance announced that it would join the ALDE group after future EU elections
Elections in the European Union
Elections to the Parliament of the European Union take place every five years by universal adult suffrage. 736 MEPs are elected to the European Parliament which has been directly elected since 1979. No other body is directly elected although the Council of the European Union and European Council is...
. However, the party failed to achieve representation after the 2009 elections.
Leaders
The party has had two leaders since its foundation:- Naser KhaderNaser KhaderNaser Khader is Danish-Syrian and a former member of the Parliament of Denmark for the Conservative Party. As a member of Parliament, he has represented both Social Liberal Party and Liberal Alliance, the latter as founding leader, until January 5, 2009...
(2007–2009) - Anders SamuelsenAnders SamuelsenAnders Samuelsen is a Danish politician, member of the Folketing with the Liberal Alliance and former Member of the European Parliament sitting on the European Parliament's Committee on Budgets. He is a former member of Det Radikale Venstre, and was a Member of the Bureau of the Alliance of...
(2009–present)
Parliament
Since its formation, the party has had fourteen MPs. Its nine current MPs are given in bold.- Malou AamundMalou AamundMalou Aamund is a member of parliament for the party Venstre. In the parliamentary elections in November 2007, she was elected as a member of the party New Alliance, but changed parties on February 5, 2008....
(2007–2008) - Simon Emil AmmitzbøllSimon Emil AmmitzbøllSimon Emil Ammitzbøll is a Danish politician, and member of the Parliament of Denmark.-Political history:On 10 October 2008 he and a number of followers founded the party Borgerligt Centrum ....
(2009–present) - Mette Bock (2011–present)
- Villum Christensen (2008–present)
- Thyra Frank (2011–present)
- Niels Høiby (2011)
- Naser KhaderNaser KhaderNaser Khader is Danish-Syrian and a former member of the Parliament of Denmark for the Conservative Party. As a member of Parliament, he has represented both Social Liberal Party and Liberal Alliance, the latter as founding leader, until January 5, 2009...
(2007–2009)
- Leif Mikkelsen (2011–present)
- Ole Birk Olesen (2011–present)
- Joachim Olsen (2011–present)
- Jørgen Poulsen (2007–2008)
- Merete Riisager (2011–present)
- Anders SamuelsenAnders SamuelsenAnders Samuelsen is a Danish politician, member of the Folketing with the Liberal Alliance and former Member of the European Parliament sitting on the European Parliament's Committee on Budgets. He is a former member of Det Radikale Venstre, and was a Member of the Bureau of the Alliance of...
(2007–present) - Gitte SeebergGitte SeebergGitte Seeberg is a Danish politician, lawyer, and current secretary general of the Danish branch of the WWF...
(2007–2008)
European Parliament
At its formation, two MEPs joined the party. Both resigned from the European Parliament after being elected to the Danish Parliament in November 2007.- Anders SamuelsenAnders SamuelsenAnders Samuelsen is a Danish politician, member of the Folketing with the Liberal Alliance and former Member of the European Parliament sitting on the European Parliament's Committee on Budgets. He is a former member of Det Radikale Venstre, and was a Member of the Bureau of the Alliance of...
(2007)
- Gitte SeebergGitte SeebergGitte Seeberg is a Danish politician, lawyer, and current secretary general of the Danish branch of the WWF...
(2007)
External links
- Official web site
- Popular MP to create own party, Copenhagen Post 7 May 2007.
- PM's majority down to two seats, Copenhagen Post 11 May 2007.
- "Muslim Politician Could Be Surprise Kingmaker" By Anna Reimann, SpiegelDer SpiegelDer Spiegel is a German weekly news magazine published in Hamburg. It is one of Europe's largest publications of its kind, with a weekly circulation of more than one million.-Overview:...
7 Nov 2007