Slovak Democratic and Christian Union – Democratic Party
The Slovak Democratic and Christian Union - Democratic Party ( Slovak Slovenská demokratická a kresťanská Unia - demokratická strana, SDKU -DS) is a party in Slovakia.
Foundation
The SDKU was established in 2000. Founded by former Slovak Prime Minister Mikuláš Dzurinda. The party was created when Dzurinda together with some ministers refused to withdraw from the Party Alliance SDK and in its original party Christian Democratic Movement (KDH ) return. The SDKU Thus arose from members of both parties. A number of members is moderately conservative ( former KDH members), a part is liberal (former members of the Democratic Union), others are from the Democratic candidate of the conservative party. The possible inner -party disputes that might arise from the combination of two opposing worldviews were eliminated by brushing aside the ideological components in advance. This was evident from the outset the subjects that underlined the party representatives in the political debate. During the first Dzurinda government, the policy of SDKÚ focused primarily on issues such as NATO and EU integration. After the accession of Slovakia to the EU and NATO, they looked for new key issues. After the success of the government in economic policy concentrated the SDKU -DS turned their attention to the issues with the current economic reforms ( the same tax rate, the reform of the pension system, health care reform ) were connected.
As a liberal- conservative party and it advocates the free market economy. The SDKU is a member of the European People's Party.
Historical development
The SDKU walked out of the election in 2002 with 15.1% as the second strongest force out. Together with the Party of the Hungarian Coalition (SMK -MKP ), the Christian Democratic Movement ( KDH) and the Alliance of the New Citizen ( ANO ) it formed a center-right government and began extensive reforms (pension reform, the introduction of the flat tax ). Party leader Mikuláš Dzurinda was Slovakian Prime Minister. On 21 January 2006, the party merged with the smaller Democratic Party (DS ), since the present name SDKU -DS is used. In early February 2006, the government collapsed after the SDKU had quarreled with the coalition partner KDH. The measures provided for 2006 general elections were then brought forward a few weeks.
In the parliamentary elections in June 2006, the SDKU -DS gained 18.35% of votes and 31 seats in the National Council of the Slovak Republic and was behind the SMER, in turn, the second largest party. Mikuláš Dzurinda, however, had his office as Prime Minister to specify, since the SMER - chairman Robert Fico was able to form a government. The SDKU -DS was now on the largest opposition party in parliament.
In the presidential elections in Slovakia in 2009 went to the SDKU -DS Iveta Radicova, which was also supported by the former coalition partners SMK -MKP and KDH. With 38.05 % in the first, or 44.47 % in the second ballot they could not prevail against the incumbent President Ivan Gašparovič to, which was supported by the government parties SMER and SNS.
In the parliamentary elections on June 12, 2010 Party Chairman Dzurinda no longer stood as leading candidate of the SDKU -DS. The party turned instead Iveta Radicova as a top candidate. With slight losses, the party remained with 15.42 % and 28 out of 150 mandates the second largest party. Although the distance to, was significantly hitherto ruling party Smer -SD, the united 62 mandates, they could form a coalition government, the 79 with three other bourgeois parties, the KDH and the newly -down into the parliamentary parties SaS and Most -Hid 150 mandates united to himself. Party leader Dzurinda took over the post of Foreign Minister.
However, the coalition formed in 2010 broke up in October 2011 in the dispute over the approval of Slovakia to the expansion of the ESFS rescue package, which was not endorsed by the coalition partner SaS. Prime Minister Radicova lost the function associated with the approval vote of confidence in parliament. Your government remained until the early 2012 in March 2012 even provisionally in office. The SDKU -DS was severely shaken by the "Gorilla Affair " in advance of the elections. In the elections in which Iveta Radicova no longer took that SDKÚ suffered heavy losses and only received 6.09% of votes and 11 of 150 seats. The party has since returned to the opposition. Mikuláš Dzurinda resigned from the party chairmanship. His successor was Pavol Frešo.