Liberal parties

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

The definition of 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

* Liberal International
* Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party
* Liberal Network for Latin America
* Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats
* Africa Liberal Network
* Arab Liberal Federation

Parliamentary parties and other parties with substantial support

:''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

Liberalism is a relatively new current for Africa. Traditionally it only existed more or less in Egypt, Senegal and especially South Africa.
* : There are very few liberal political parties. Ahd 54 and the Algerian Natural Law Party may be considered liberal. The main Berber party, the Rally for Culture and Democracy (french: Rassemblement pour la Culture et la Démocratie) could be considered to embrace some liberal values.
* : the Liberal Democratic Party ( pt, Partido Liberal Democrático, member LI) is a small liberal party.
* : the Rebirth Party of Benin (french: Parti de la renaissance du Bénin), might be considered a liberal party, but its exact profile is not available. The Cowry Forces for an Emerging Benin (french: Forces Cauris pour un Bénin émergent) are a centrist party alliance with liberal elements.
* : the Alliance for Democracy and Federation (french: Alliance pour la Démocratie et la Fédération), might be considered a liberal party, but its exact profile is not available.
* : the Movement for Democracy ( pt, Movimento para a Democracia, member CDI), is a liberal and Christian-democratic party
*: the Future of Congo ('' French: Avenir du Congo'') is a liberal party of the current Prime Minister
* : the Free Egyptians Party (Hizb El Masriyin El Ahrar) and the New Wafd Party (Hizb al-Wafd-al-Jadid) could be considered "liberal parties". The newest liberal party in Egypt is El-Ghad Party (Tomorrow's Party) led by the opposition leader Ayman Nou

Also, the newly established Free Egyptians Party. ''See for more information: Liberalism in Egypt''.
* : the National Democratic Union of Equatorial Guinea (, member LI) claims to be a liberal party.
* : the United Democratic Party, might be considered a liberal party, but its exact profile is not available.
* : the New Patriotic Party is a right of center liberal party that is unclear about its international affiliations.
* : the Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea (french: Union des forces démocratiques de Guinée, member LI, ALN) and the Union of Republican Forces (french: Union des forces républicaines, member LI, ALN) are the main opposition parties.
* : the Rally of the Republicans (french: Rassemblement des Republicains, member LI, CDI) is the liberal, main government party.
* : the Orange Democratic Movement (observer LI) might be considered a liberal party.
* : the liberal character of the United Democratic Front is despite its membership of the LI disputable. The Democratic Progressive Party was formed in 2005 by President Bingu wa Mutharika after a dispute with the UDF. There were allegations that members of the former governing UDF did not adequately tackle corruption. It is unclear if the party will be ideological or personalist in style.
* : two center-right parties, the Constitutional Union (french: Union Constitutionnelle) and the Popular Movement (french: Mouvement Populaire) are both member of the LI. However both are conservative in social issues, something abnormal for a true liberal party. The National Rally of Independents (observer LI, member ALN), founded in 1978 as a royalist party, is nowadays a liberal party.
* : the Liberal and Democratic Party of Mozambique ( pt, Partido Liberal e Democrático de Moçambique) and the Social Liberal and Democratic Party ( pt, Partido Social-Liberal e Democrático) claim to be liberal parties, but both lost parliamentary representation.
* : the Senegalese Democratic Party (french: Parti Démocratique Sénégalais, member LI) is a liberal party with a strong personalist character. ''See for more information: Liberalism in Senegal. ''
* : the Seychelles National Party (observer LI) is a liberal party.
* : the People's Movement for Democratic Change (member ALN, observer DUA) can be considered as a liberal party. It is the country's third largest party but lost parliamentary representation in 2012.
* : the Democratic Alliance (member LI) is a liberal party. ''See for more information: Liberalism in South Africa. ''
* : the Liberal Party of Sudan (member ALN, AAFD) is a social-liberal party struggling for human rights and a social market economy.
* : the Civic United Front ( sw, Chama Cha Wananchi), member LI) and the United Democratic Party, observer LI are liberal parties.
* : the Social Liberal Party (french: Parti social-libéral, observer LI) is a more or less liberal party.
* : the main opposition party, the United Party for National Development (observer LI) takes a liberal position in the political spectrum.
* : liberalism is not organized, but the left-leaning opposition Movement for Democratic Change includes liberals and social democrats opposed to the ruling ZANU–PF party.

The Americas

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.
* : the Radical Civic Union historically was a centrist progressive-liberal party, while nowadays it adheres to the Socialist International and its platform is a combination of liberal and social democratic ideas. The UCR's long-time rivals have been Peronism and the Peronist-inspired Justicialist Party. Recreate for Growth had been a short lived attempt to form a market liberal party and has observer status in the Liberal International. This party was in alliance with conservative-liberal Republican Proposal. Also smaller parties, such as the Union of the Democratic Centre, the Progressive Democratic Party, the Liberal Party of Corrientes

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