Social Democratic Party of Lithuania

The Lietuvos Socialdemokratų Partija ( LSDP, Social Democratic Party of Lithuania ) is a political party in Lithuania. The party in its present form was created in 2001 through the merger of Lietuvos demokratinė darbo partija ( LDDP, Democratic Labor Party of Lithuania ), the direct successor party of the Lithuanian branch of the CPSU, and the smaller Lietuvos Socialdemokratų Partija ( LSDP ), whose founding took place in 1896. It is next to the conservative father Landbund the second large and well- established party in the Lithuanian party structure and just before that with 15,600 members the largest party in the country.

First Republic

The first Social Democratic Party of Lithuania ( LSDP ) was founded on May 1, 1896 in Vilnius. 1905, they could integrate the Lithuanian branch of the Polish Socialist Party ( PPS). 1917/18 was attended by representatives of the LSDP the High Council of Lithuania in part, who prepared the establishment of an independent Lithuania, and signed on 16 February 1918, the Declaration of Independence. The LSDP was 1920-1922 represented 12 (of 150) seats giving the Constitutional Parliament. In the following elections in 1922 and 1923, she received 8 or 10 seats and remained in opposition. After the elections in May 1926 the Social Democrats were able to form (15 seats) with the Lithuanian Peasant Party (22 seats ), a coalition government. This government was overthrown, however, on 17 December 1926 dissolved Parliament. The LSDP existed outside parliament to ban all parties in Lithuania in 1936. After the Second World War, she continued her work in exile in the United States continued.

Since 1989

With the end of the communist era in Lithuania, the LSDP was formed newly in Lithuania. In May 1989, the re- establishment of the LSDP was announced on Lithuanian soil. The LSDP contributed to the Declaration of Independence and the drafting of the new constitution after the 1990 elections imaging in the Constitution Seimas. In the 1992 elections, however, it reached only 8 mandates, in 1996 there were 12 seats. Chairman of the party were Antanavicius Casimir (1989-1991), Aloyzas Sakalas (1991-1998) and Vytenis Andriukaitis (1998-2001).

In the 2000 general election the LSDP entered into a joint election list with the ex-communists of the LDDP and, rising to 17 seats. Nevertheless, they initially remained in opposition. The collaboration began in 2000 with the election campaign LDDP led on 27 January 2001 on the unification of the two parties. The smaller LSDP ( the LDDP had after the elections and 27 seats from 1992 to 1996, the government provided) could bring the name into the new union. However, new chairman was the former head of the LDDP, Algirdas Brazauskas.

With the end of the reign Paksas in June 2001, the LSDP took over in a coalition with the Social Liberals, the government responsibility and Brazauskas became the new Prime Minister. In various coalitions LSDP ruled until the general election of 2008. According Algirdas Brazauskas took over in July 2006 Gediminas Kirkilas the Office of the Prime Minister and on 19 May 2007, the office of party chairman.

In the local elections in 2007 the party won 302 seats ( 19.5 %), which was the strongest force. In the 2008 general election, the LSDP suffered heavy losses, received only 11.7 % of the valid votes and came only through numerous direct mandates to 26 of the 141 seats in the Seimas. Since then it has no longer in government.

At the party congress 7 March 2009 Gediminas Kirkilas came not for the party chairmanship in - officially, so as not to endanger the unity of the party. New chairman of the party was the former Finance Minister Algirdas Butkevičius in a crucial vote. He received 329 votes, against 242 votes for the favorite of the ex- Prime Minister Brazauskas Zigmantas Balčytis, and 26 for the former party chairman Vytenis Andriukaitis.

The 2009 elections brought the Social Democrats - but at a very low turnout - some consolidation. They were 18.6% of the valid votes second largest party behind the Conservatives. and three seats in the European Parliament

Members

  • Algirdas Brazauskas (1932-2010), President, Prime Minister, Chairman of the Lithuanian Seimas
  • Gediminas Kirkilas ( born 1951 ), Prime Minister, Minister of Defence
  • Arūnas Kundrotas ( b. 1963 ), Minister of the Environment
  • Roma Žakaitienė (* 1956), Education and Science Minister
  • Česlovas Juršėnas ( born 1938 ), Chairman of the Lithuanian Seimas, journalist.
  • Justina Karosas (1937-2012), Member of the Seimas, sowjetlitauischer philosopher - Marxist
  • Zigmantas Balčytis ( born 1953 ), former Prime Minister and Finance
  • Justas Vincas Paleckis (* 1942), diplomat
  • Vilija Blinkevičiūtė (* 1960 ), administration lawyer, Minister of Social Affairs
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