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Czech Social Democratic Party
Česká strana sociálně demokratická
Leader	Jiří Paroubek
Founded	1878
Headquarters	Hybernská 7, Prague
Political ideology	Social democracy Democratic Socialism Fiscal: Keynesianism, 1
International affiliation	Socialist International
European affiliation	Party of European Socialists
European Parliament group	PES
Colour(s)	Orange
Website	www.cssd.cz

The Czech Social Democratic Party (Czech: Česká strana sociálně demokratická or ČSSD) is the Social Democratic political party in the Czech Republic.

The party won the elections of 2002 with 70 of 200 representatives in the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic. Its chairman Vladimír Špidla became the prime minister heading a coalition with two smaller parties, the Christian Democratic Union - Czechoslovak People's Party and the Freedom Union-Democratic Union until his resignation in 2004.

The current chairman of the party is Jiří Paroubek since 2006. His predecessor was Stanislav Gross from 26 June 2004 to 26 April 2005. Gross resigned after a scandal which arose due to his inability to explain the source of financial resources used to pay for his home. Gross's predecessor Vladimír Špidla was forced to resign in 2004 after the ČSSD lost in European Parliamentary elections.

In the June 2 and 3, 2006 elections, the party won 32.3% of the vote and 74 out of 200 seats. The election at first caused a stalemate since the right-wing parties (with Green Party) and left-wing parties each had 100 seats. The stalemate was broken when two ČSSD deputies, Miloš Melčák and Michal Pohanka abstained during a vote of confidence, allowing a coalition of the Civic Democrats (ODS), the Christian Democrats (KDU-ČSL), and the Green Party (SZ) to form a government. Hence the ČSSD is now in opposition.

History

Overview

Czech lands as part of Austria-Hungary:

• 1878–1893 The Czechoslavonic Social Democratic Party in Austria (Sociálně-demokratická strana českoslovanská v Rakousku) - part of Social Democratic Party of Austria
• 1894–1918 The Czechoslavonic Social Democratic Workers' Party (Českoslovanská sociálně demokratická stranu dělnická) - independent party

Czechoslovakia:

• 1918–1938 The Czechoslovak Social Democratic Worker's Party (Československá sociálně demokratická strana dělnická) - merged with Slovak Social Democrats
• 1938–1941 The National Labor Party (Národní strana práce) - united left party of Social Democrats and part of Czech National Social Party
• 1945–1948 Czechoslovak Social Democracy (Československá sociální demokracie)
• 1948–1989 - merged with the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, concurrently existed as an exile party with its headquarters in London
• 1990–1993 Czechoslovak Social Democracy (Československá sociální demokracie)

Czech Republic:

• since 1993 Czech Social Democratic Party (Česká strana sociálně demokratická)

Election results

• 1920 National Assembly: 25.7% - 74 seats
• 1925 National Assembly: 8.9% - 29 seats
• 1929 National Assembly: 13% - 39 seats
• 1935 National Assembly: 12.6% - 38 seats
• 1946 National Assembly: 12.1% (15.6%) - 37 seats

Since 1990

• 1990 Czech National Council: 4.1% - no seat
• 1992 Czech National Council: 6.5% - 16 seats
• 1996 Chamber of Deputies: 26.4% - 61 seats
• 1996 Senate: 25 seats (whole Senate elected, only one third in next elections)
• 1998 Chamber of Deputies: 32.1% - 74 seats
• 1998 Senate: 3 seats
• 2000 Senate: 1 seat
• 2002 Chamber of Deputies: 30.2% - 70 seats
• 2002 Senate: 7 seats
• 2004 Senate: no seat
• 2004 European Parliament: 8.8% - 2 seats
• 2006 Chamber of Deputies: 32.3% - 74 seats
• 2006 Senate: 6 seats
• 2008 Senate: 23 seats

Chairmen of the Czech Social Democratic Party

Czechoslavonic Social Democratic Workers' Party

• Antonín Němec (1904-1915)
• Bohumír Šmeral (1916-1917)

Czechoslovak Social Democratic Worker's Party

• Antonín Němec (1917-1925)
• Antonín Hampl (1925-1938)

Czechoslovak Social Democracy

• Zdeněk Fierlinger (1945-1947)
• Bohumil Laušman (1947-1948)

Czechoslovak Social Democracy in exile

• Blažej Vilím (1948)
• Václav Majer (1948-1972)
• Vilém Bernard (1972-1989)
• Karel Hrubý

Czechoslovak Social Democracy

• Jiří Horák (1989 - 1993)

Czech Social Democratic Party

• Miloš Zeman (28 February 1993 - April 2001)
• Vladimír Špidla (April 2001 - 26 June 2004)
• Stanislav Gross (26 June 2004 - 26 April 2005)
  • Bohuslav Sobotka (temporary) (2005 - 2006)
• Jiří Paroubek (2006 - Present)

See also

• Politics of the Czech Republic
• List of political parties in the Czech Republic
• Elections in the Czech Republic
• Bohumil Laušman
• Czech Social Democratic National Forum

Rererences

1. ^ http://www.volbycr.cz/download/Dlouhodoby-program.pdf Long-term party program

External links

• Party basic data in English
• ČSSD official website

v • d • e Political parties in the Czech Republic Bracketed numbers indicate numbers of seats in the respective chambers. Chamber of Deputies 2006 (200 seats) Coalition Civic Democratic Party (79) 1 · Christian and Democratic Union (13) · Green Party (4) 2 · Former Social Democratic Deputies (3) · Former Civic Democratic Deputies (2) Opposition Social Democratic Party (71) 3 · Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia (26) · Former Green Deputies (2) Senate 2008 (81 seats) Italics indicate very small parties each providing one senator who is not a party member. Main parties Civic Democratic Party (36) 4 · Social Democratic Party (29) · Christian and Democratic Union (7) · Communist Party (3) Caucus of Open Democracy (6) Green Party · Freedom Union - Democratic Union · SNK European Democrats · Party for the Open Society · United Democrats - Union of Independents · Independent Mayors for Region European Parliament 2004 (24 seats) Civic Democratic Party (9) · Communist Party (6) · SNK Union of Independents (3) · Social Democratic Party (2) · Christian and Democratic Union (2) · Independents' Movement (2) 5 Sources: Czech Statistical Office · senat.cz (Senate) 1 Previously 81, before two members crossed the floor.  2 Previously 6, before two members crossed the floor.  3 Previously 74, before three members crossed the floor.  4 Including one senator elected as an independent.  5 Split between Independent Democrats and Politika 21.  Politics of the Czech Republic · Politics portal · List of political parties by country

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• This page was last modified on 24 December 2008, at 18:24.

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