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Liberal parties by country

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This article gives information on liberalism worldwide. It is an overview of parties that adhere to some form of liberalism and is therefore a list of liberal parties around the world.

Introduction

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What constitutes a liberal party is highly debatable. In the list below, it is defined as a political party that adheres to the basic principles of political liberalism. This is a broad political current, including left-wing, centrist and right-wing elements. All liberal parties emphasise individual rights, but they differ in their opinion on an active role for the state. This list includes parties of different character, ranging from classical liberalism to social liberalism, conservative liberalism to national liberalism.

Several conservative and/or Christian-democratic parties, such as the British Conservative Party, Germany's Christian Democratic Union and Spain's People's Party, are also considered to be neoliberal leaning or have strong liberal conservative and/or classical liberal factions, whereas some conservative parties, such as Poland's Law and Justice and Hungary's Fidesz, while favour more state intervention also support free market/free market solutions. Conversely, some social-democratic parties, such as the British Labour Party and the Italian Democratic Party, include liberal elements. Social liberalism and social conservatism are not mutually exclusive either, in fact some parties espouse socially liberal economic policies, while maintaining more socially conservative or traditionalist views on society: examples of this include Finland's Centre Party (see also Nordic agrarian parties) and Ireland's Fianna Fáil, both members of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party (ALDE Party). In the United States, the two major political forces, the Republican Party and the Democratic Party, are to some extent, liberal (see Liberalism in the United States and Modern liberalism in the United States).

Many liberal parties are members of the Liberal International and/or one of its regional partners, such as the ALDE Party in Europe, the Liberal Network for Latin America and the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats. Generally, membership in these international organizations is an indication that that party is indeed liberal. However, other international organisations, such as the International Democrat Union and the Centrist Democrat International, and regional organisations, such as the European People's Party, the Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists, the European Democratic Party and the Christian Democrat Organization of America, also have liberal or liberal leaning parties as significant proportions of their membership.

Not all the parties using the "Liberal" or "Freedom" labels are actually liberal. Moreover, some parties, such as the Freedom Party of Austria, were originally liberal, but have since tilted toward a populist direction and abandoned most of the tenets of liberalism. Finally, some parties, such as the United States Republican Party, Australia's Liberal Party or Norway's Progress Party are liberal mainly from an economic point of view rather than a social point of view (see economic liberalism, libertarianism and right-libertarianism).

International organizations of parties

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Parliamentary parties and other parties with substantial support

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This list includes also parties that were represented in the last previous legislature and still exists as well as some banned or exiles parties (Cuba). Liberals might be active in other parties, but that is no reason to include a party.
See the remarks above about the criteria. Minor parties are listed below

Africa

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Liberalism is a relatively new current for Africa. Traditionally it only existed more or less in Egypt, Senegal and especially South Africa.

The Americas

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In many Latin American countries, liberalism and radicalism have been associated with generally left-of-center political movements such as Colombia's Liberal Party, historically concerned mostly with effecting government decentralization and regional autonomy (liberals were influential in the total dissolution of at least two defunct countries, the United Provinces of Central America and Gran Colombia) and separation of church and state. At times, the anti-clerical and secularist stances promoted by Latin American liberals have resulted in limitations on the civil rights of clergy or others associated with the Church (as in Mexico, where law still prohibits priests from public office). Liberalism in North America has a different background.

Asia

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Liberalism has or had some tradition in some countries. Nowadays it is a growing current in East Asia, but in many of these countries liberals tend not to use the label liberal.

Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cyprus, Georgia, Russia, and Turkey are listed under Europe.

Europe

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At a pan-European level liberalism exists in some form within generally all members of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party (ALDE), within most members of the European Democratic Party (EDP), within many members of the European People's Party (EPP) and some members of the Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists (AECR).

Oceania

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Liberalism has a strong tradition in both Australia and New Zealand.

Non-parliamentary liberal parties

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Lowenthal, David; Comitas, Lambros, eds. (1973). The Aftermath of Sovereignty: West Indian Perspectives (PDF). Anchor Books. p. 134. ISBN 978-0385043045. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 August 2020. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
  2. ^ Griffith, Ivelaw L. (1993). The quest for security in the Caribbean : problems and promises in subordinate states. M.E. Sharpe. ISBN 978-1-56324-089-8. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  3. ^ "Caribbean Elections | People's National Movement". www.caribbeanelections.com. Archived from the original on 13 August 2020. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
  4. ^ Encyclopedia of world political systems. Sharpe Reference. 15 April 2016. ISBN 978-1-317-47156-1. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
  5. ^ "Labour leader Jacinda Ardern not the only one wanting to 'do this'". NZ Herald. 4 August 2017. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  6. ^ "Let's do this: Everyone else who has used Labour's new slogan". Stuff. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
  7. ^ Guardian Group http://www.myguardiangroup.com/trinidad/gam_pdfs/PrivateWealthMarketBrief19-Feb-18.pdf. Retrieved 15 January 2020. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  8. ^ "Restricted access". Archived from the original on 3 August 2020. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  9. ^ "Economic Outline of Trinidad and Tobago - Bank of Scotland International Trade Portal". www.bankofscotlandtrade.co.uk. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  10. ^ "Trinidad and Tobago / Wirtschaftsanalysen - Coface". www.coface.at. Archived from the original on 1 December 2020. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  11. ^ Skard, Torild (2015). Women of Power: Half a Century of Female Presidents and Prime Ministers Worldwide. Policy Press. p. 272. ISBN 978-1-4473-1580-3.
  12. ^ "Liberalism in America: A Note for Europeans" by Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. (1956)from: The Politics of Hope (Boston: Riverside Press, 1962).
  13. ^ Folsom, Burton W.; Tucker, David M. (1 June 1999). "Mugwumps: Public Moralists of the Gilded Age | Burton W. Folsom, David M. Tucker". fee.org. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  14. ^ Beito, David T.; Beito, Linda Royster (2000). "Gold Democrats and the Decline of Classical Liberalism, 1896–1900". The Independent Review. 4 (4): 555–575. ISSN 1086-1653. JSTOR 24562582.
  15. ^ "How Classical Liberalism Morphed Into New Deal Liberalism". Center for American Progress. 26 April 2012. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  16. ^ "Tshering Tobgay set to return as Bhutan PM after liberal PDP wins elections". Al Jazeera. 10 January 2024. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  17. ^ "Maharashtra Govt Formation: BJP's Return Into Ring Makes Scene Murkier".
  18. ^ "Romanian liberals seek EPP affiliation". 26 May 2014.
  19. ^ (in Spanish) Different points of view between Libertarian Party and other political parties in Spain Archived 17 December 2017 at the Wayback Machine
  20. ^ (in Spanish) Libertarian Party of Spain: What we want Archived 18 December 2017 at the Wayback Machine
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