Freedom Union (Poland)
자유연합 (폴란드)
A centrist liberal party in Poland formed in 1994 by the merger of the Democratic Union and the Liberal Democratic Congress, both rooted in the Solidarity movement. It advocated a market economy, European integration and decentralisation. It took part in Jerzy Buzek's government in 1997–2000 but failed to enter the Sejm in 2001, and in May 2005 it was transformed into the Democratic Party (demokraci.pl).
In depth
After the 1993 election the Democratic Union became the largest opposition party, while its main partner in Hanna Suchocka's government, the Liberal Democratic Congress, failed to pass the threshold. The two parties negotiated a merger and founded a new party, on 23 April 1994 according to the Polish-language source and on 20 March 1994 according to the English-language source. The name was proposed by Leszek Balcerowicz and Aleksander Smolar; the first chairman was Tadeusz Mazowiecki, with Donald Tusk as his deputy.
The party stood for a free-market economy and individual liberty, rejected extremism, and supported rapid privatisation of state enterprises, decentralisation and membership of the European Union. Its members ranged from people close to social democracy to the conservative right; it joined the Christian democratic European People's Party in 1996 and moved to the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party in 2003. At a congress in April 1995 Balcerowicz defeated Mazowiecki for the chairmanship, and in that year's presidential election Jacek Kuroń came third with 9.22%.
In the 1997 election the party won 13.4% and 60 seats in the Sejm and formed Jerzy Buzek's government with Solidarity Electoral Action, holding six ministries, including Balcerowicz as deputy prime minister and finance minister and Bronisław Geremek as foreign minister. On 6 June 2000 it left the coalition. In January 2001 many members from the former Liberal Democratic Congress followed Tusk out of the party to found Civic Platform, and in the September 2001 election the party won only 3.1% and failed to enter the Sejm.
Władysław Frasyniuk then became chairman. In the 2004 European Parliament election the party won 4 seats, with 7.33% of the vote according to the Polish-language source and 7% according to the English-language source. It was transformed into the Democratic Party (demokraci.pl), on 7 May 2005 according to the Polish-language source and on 9 May 2005 according to the English-language source. Some members, including Bogdan Borusewicz, did not join the new party.