The Union of the Fatherland - Lithuanian Christian Democrats ( lit. Tėvynės sąjunga - Lietuvos krikščionys demokratai ) is a political party in Lithuania . Formerly called the Union of the Fatherland (Conservatives of Lithuania) ( lit. Tėvynės sąjunga (Lietuvos konservatoriai) ). The party’s symbol is swallows, and Kolyumny and the symbols of the internal party fractions are also actively used. Party anthem - “Land of Lithuania” (“Žemėj Lietuvos ąžuolai žaliuos”; lit. “Žemė Lietuvos” ; lyrics and music by K. Vasiliauskas).
| Union of the Fatherland - Lithuanian Christian Democrats | |
|---|---|
| Tėvynės sąjunga - Lietuvos krikščionys demokratai | |
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| Leader | Gabrielus Landsbergis |
| Established | 1993 |
| Headquarters | |
| Ideology | conservatism , Christian democracy , Lithuanian nationalism |
| International |  European People's PartyInternational Democratic Union |
| Allies and Blocks | The Union of Liberals and the Center Liberal Movement of the Republic of Lithuania |
| Number of members | 14 945 (2017) [1] |
| Seats in the Sejm | 31/141 (2016) |
| Seats in municipal councils | 253/1473 (2015) |
| Seats in the European Parliament | 2/11 (2014) |
| Personalities | party members in the category (16 people) |
| Site | tsajunga.lt |
Leaders - the current chairman of the party, Gabrielus Landsbergis, who replaced Andrius Kubilius in this post in 2014; First Deputy Chairman Irena Diagutene ; Chairman of the political committee of the party Vytautas Landsbergis . The party’s structure includes a faction of Christian democrats (chairman Irena Diagutene).
Content
Ideology
In the traditional political spectrum is a center-right party. Ideology is based on conservative and Christian-democratic ideas, as well as Lithuanian nationalism . He advocates the deepening of the Euro - Atlantic orientation of Lithuania and more free market relations; in the discourse of party members, national-patriotic rhetoric, anti-Russian and anti-communist themes are invariably present. The party is in favor of ensuring security (not only military, but also economic, energy, etc.) of Lithuania, the threat of which is seen in Russia and in its domestic agents. On the initiative of the party, in 2000 a law was passed on reimbursing Lithuania for damage from the occupation of the USSR and the corresponding demands of Russia were presented.
History
Foundation and first victory
The party was founded in May 1993 on the basis of the right wing of the Sajudis movement led by Vytautas Landsbergis under the name Union of the Fatherland (Lithuanian Conservatives) . During the first elections for themselves in 1996, the new party supported the country's accession to NATO and the European Union , actively criticized the ruling Democratic Labor Party for its inability to overcome economic stagnation and financial scandals, emphasizing the fight against corruption . All this allowed the Union of the Fatherland to receive 409,585 votes (29.8%) and 33 seats on party lists. Having conducted 37 more deputies in single-mandate constituencies, conservatives won 70 seats in the Sejm (49.65% of all mandates), which allowed them to form a government together with the Christian Democratic Party .
The board of the Union of the Fatherland was not very effective. The government of conservatives and Christian democrats failed to solve the problems of the Lithuanian economy and reduce unemployment . This and the decline in party popularity led to a number of splits. On June 23, 1999, the Saeima deputy Laima Andrikene, the deputy of the Restoration Seimas (Supreme Council of Lithuania 1990-1992) Irena Andryukaitene and the former Minister of the Interior Vidmantas Zhemelys left the Union of the Fatherland. In 2000, they, along with a number of other former members of the JI (LC) founded the Patriotic People's Party ( lit. Tevynes liaudies partija ). On July 2, 2000, in anticipation of the next election, the former chairman of the Union of the Fatherland, Gediminas Wagnoryus and his supporters, founded the Moderate Conservative Union ( lit. Nuosaikiuju konservatoriu sajunga ).
Election Failure and Opposition Transition
In the 2000 elections, the main issues of the election campaign were the plight [ what? ] . Despite the dissatisfaction of voters with the economic downturn and the high level of unemployment, the Fatherland Union was still going to pursue a tight budget and fiscal policy , explaining this by joining the European Union and NATO. The result was a crushing defeat for the party and its allies of the Christian Democrats. Only 126,850 voters (8.62%) cast their votes for the Union of the Fatherland, which provided the party with only 8 seats in the Sejm according to party lists. In the elections for single-mandate constituencies, conservatives also awaited defeat. Union of the Fatherland won in only one constituency, while Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius and several other ministers were defeated in their constituencies. Having received only 9 mandates, conservatives became just the fifth party of the Sejm.
On November 8, 2003, the Lithuanian Right Union ( lit. Lietuvos dešiniųjų sąjunga ) merged with the Union of the Fatherland, created on June 20, 2001 as a result of the merger of four right-wing parties: the National People’s Party, the Lithuanian Democratic Party, the Independence Party and the Freedom League of Lithuania ( lit. Lietuvos laisvės lyga, LLL ).
On February 7, 2004, the Union of the Fatherland merged with its longtime ally, the Lithuanian Union of Political Prisoners and Exiles ( lit. Lietuvos politinių kalinių ir tremtinių sąjunga ), becoming the largest party in Lithuania by the number of members (about 50 thousand). The name of the party was changed to the Union of the Fatherland (conservatives, political prisoners and exiles) . In the same year, at the first European Parliament election in Lithuania’s history, the Fatherland Union performed slightly better, winning 151,833 votes (12.58%) and receiving 2 mandates, which went to Vytautas Landsbergis and Laima Andrikene . Both became members of the faction of the European People's Party . The party held its elections to the Saeima elections in 2004 under the slogans of protecting Lithuania from any possible threat from Russia, strengthening ties with the European Union and the USA, the need to support democratic processes in the CIS countries and the Caucasus, and aspirations for an OSCE chairmanship in 2010 —2011 and membership in the UN Security Council in 2014-2015. The election results showed a further increase in the popularity of conservatives. They were able to attract the votes of 176,409 voters (14.75%), gaining 11 seats on party lists. Another 14 deputies were elected by district. Having won a total of 25 seats in the Sejm, the Union of the Fatherland became the second party in parliament, which, however, did not allow him to enter the government.
Return to Power
On March 11, 2008, a decision was made to unite the Union of the Fatherland and the Union of Lithuanian Nationalists , who proclaimed themselves the successors of the “Tautininki”, the party of the country's first president Antanas Smetona , the authoritarian ruler of Lithuania from 1926 to 1940. The new members of the Union of the Fatherland formed a faction of nationalists. On May 17, 2008, the Union of the Fatherland Union and its former ally in the ruling coalition of 1996–2000 of the Lithuanian Christian Democrats party were united [2] . After that, the party again became the country's largest political organization with more than 18 thousand members and received a new long name for the Union of the Fatherland - Lithuanian Christian Democrats (conservatives, political prisoners and exiles, nationalists) , which reflected all the ideological trends represented in the Union of the Fatherland. Later, the name of the party was abbreviated, taking its modern form - Union of the Fatherland - Lithuanian Christian Democrats .
The 2008 election brought success to the leading center-right party of Lithuania. Union of the Fatherland - Lithuanian Christian Democrats almost doubled their representation in parliament. The party received 243,823 votes (19.72%), which gave it 18 seats in the Sejm according to party lists. Another 27 deputies were elected in single-mandate constituencies. Having won a total of 45 seats, SO — LHD became the largest party in parliament and formed a government along with the National Revival Party , the Union of Liberals and the Center, and the Liberal Movement . The new cabinet was headed by the leader of the Union of the Fatherland Andrius Kubilius, who became prime minister for the second time. A year later, in the 2009 European Parliament elections , the party again achieved success. Having gained 147,756 votes (26.16%), she expanded her representation in the European Union legislative body to 4 seats (Saudargas and Morkunaite were added to Landsbergis and Andriken).
In June 2011, the faction of nationalists decided to withdraw from the Union of the Fatherland and revive the party of the Union of Lithuanian Nationalists [3] . In the same year, in the municipal elections, SO-LHD won 163,075 votes out of 1.1 million and received 249 out of 1526 seats [4] [5] . In Vilnius, the party won 10 out of 51 seats [6] , in Kaunas - 12 out of 41 [7] .
Again in Opposition
In 2012, the party unsuccessfully spoke during the next parliamentary elections . Having received 15.02% of the vote, the SB — LHD was able to hold only 13 deputies on the party list in the Sejm. Better conservatives took part in elections in single-mandate constituencies, having received 20 seats. A total of 33 representatives of the SB — LHD fell into the Sejm, 12 less than in the previous elections. Having become only the second party in the parliament, the conservatives joined the opposition.
On April 22-23, 2013, the election of the party chairman was held [8] . Three candidates participated in them - Andrius Kubilius, Vytautas Landsbergis and former leader of the Lithuanian Christian Democrats Valentinas Stundis. [9] . In the first round, none of the candidates was able to get more than half of the votes; in the second, Kubilius won with 5166 votes of the party members, while 4501 people voted for Landsbergis [10] . In total, 59% of party members took part in the internal party elections. [eleven]
Structure
Factions
In the Union of the Fatherland at different times, there were three factions. One of them, the nationalist faction, operated from 2008 to 2011 and ceased to exist after leaving the party. At the moment, there are two factions: political prisoners and exiled and Christian democrats.
The Christian Democrat faction was founded on September 27, 2003 . Objectives: to strengthen Christian values and the democracy based on them, to disseminate the Christian-democratic ideas and Christian social teachings in Lithuania, to study the principles and experience of the European People's Party, to continue the traditions of Lithuanian Christian democracy.
A group of political prisoners and exiles was established on February 7, 2007 . This is a structural unit of the Union of the Fatherland, uniting and representing party members - victims of Soviet political repressions who participated in anti-Soviet resistance, as well as other members who are ready to defend national and Christian values. The group considers its main task to overcome the consequences of communism, Soviet occupation and genocide, to uncover the historical truth about resistance to occupation, to preserve the memory of the nation’s struggle against the occupiers for independence.
Youth organizations
Union of the Fatherland - Lithuanian Christian Democrats cooperate with three youth organizations: the League of Young Conservatives ( lit. Jaunųjų konservatorių lyga ), Young Christian Democrats ( lit. Jaunaisias krikščionimis demokratais ) and the Organization of Young Nationalists ( lit. Jaunųjų tautininkų organizacija ).
Party support in parliamentary elections and the number of seats in the Sejm
| Number of votes cast [12] |
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| Seats in the Sejm |
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Notes
- ↑ Lietuvos Respublikos politinių partijų sąrašas (lit.) (Inaccessible link) . Lietuvos Respublikos Teisingumo ministerija (March 2, 2017). Date of treatment July 4, 2017. Archived on September 21, 2017.
- ↑ Konservatoriai susijungė su krikščionimis demokratais Archived May 21, 2008 to Wayback Machine (lit.)
- ↑ Tautininkai lapkritį planuoja suvažiavimą, sako subūrę apie 300 partijos steigėjų Archived on February 2, 2012. (lit.)
- ↑ Results of municipal elections (lit.) Archived on January 17, 2012.
- ↑ Vaigauskas: independent candidates received 5% of the mandates , DELFI (02.28.2011).
- ↑ Vilnius City Council election results (lit.)
- ↑ Results of elections for the Kaunas City Council (lit.)
- ↑ Balandžio 22-23 d. vyks TS-LKD pirmininko rinkimai (lit.)
- ↑ Kandidatai TS-LKD Pirmininko rinkimuose (lit.)
- ↑ TS-LKD pirmininko rinkimai: antrame ture - A. Kubiliaus akistata su V. Landsbergiu (lit.)
- ↑ TS-LKD partijos pirmininko rinkimus laimėjo Andrius Kubilius (lit.)
- ↑ Excluding Lithuanian Christian Democrats who spoke separately in elections until 2008