Centre Democrats (Delkora)
Centre Democrats Centrum-Demokraterne | |
|---|---|
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| Abbreviation | Π|
| Founded | 1992 |
| Dissolved | 2003 |
| Split from | Conservative Party |
| Merged into | Conservative Party |
| Ideology | |
| Political position | Centre-right |
| Colours | Purple |
The Centre Democrats (Delkoran: Centrum-Demokraterne) were a centre-right political party in Delkora. It split from the Conservative Party in 1992 and played a transitional role between the end of the third party system and beginning of the fourth party system. It merged once again with the Conservatives in 2003, contributing to the ascent of the New Conservative faction.
History
The roots of the party lay in the factional battle between Conservative Party hardliners and progressives over the New Kingdom program. The conflict was worsened by the Conservatives' election wins of 1983 and 1987, and it reverberated down to the state level.
The near-loss of 1991, the exposure of the neoliberal conspiracy, and the economic crisis of the early 1990s brought the conflict out into the open. Exasperated with the Heritage Faction and Liberty Conference clinging to power, the New Conservatives split off in 1992 to form the Centre Democrats, which was explicitly established as a progressive conservative party supportive of the New Kingdom.
The Centre Democrats practically took the traditionally centrist Vassengård branch with them, and its leadership included prominent figures such as former First Minister of Vassengård Gunter Frølund, his spouse Bettje Frølund, and First Minister of Førelskov Phaedra Thorup. Unexpectedly, they benefited from Emma Jørgensen's expulsion of the National Labor right, most of which joined the new party.
The Centre Democrats achieved a decent debut in the 1992 state elections, finishing third overall. However, the backlash to the neoliberal conspiracy produced landslide victories for the left, with the Centre Democrats' main contribution being siphoning centre-right voters from the Conservatives, which were mauled at the ballot box. Thorup became the party's leader despite a landslide defeat in Førelskov, as she was a high-profile figure popular for her centrist policies and role in the Siege of Gothendral, while the Frølunds declined to take a leadership role to avoid casting the party as outdated.
In the run-up to the 1994 federal elections, the Centre Democrats formed an electoral alliance with the Moderates, which would endure until the party's dissolution. The alliance finished third in 1994 and second in 1998. However, the continuing battle with the Conservatives for centre-right hegemony was a liability for the party, as it became clear that neither the Centre Democrats–Moderates nor the Conservatives could dislodge National Labor alone.
The 2002 federal election marked the last hurrah for the Centre Democrats. They won a plurality for the first time, but in the most severely fragmented hung parliament in Delkoran history. Thorup attempted to form a centre-right coalition with the Agrarians and reached out for support to the Liberals and Greens, but was unsuccessful. She refused to form a government that would depend on Conservatives to surive, and instead a Green–Radical–Pirate minority government was constituted by Kol Vossgaard, with National Labor providing confidence and supply.
The election result did serve one of the Centre Democrats' purpose in that it discredited the right-wing leadership of the Conservatives. The party conference instead drafted Harald Møller, the incumbent Farmers' Alliance First Minister of Norvia, to become the new leader. Møller brought the New Conservatives back to power within the party, repositioning it to the centre and moderating its image. The Centre Democrats engaged in negotiations to rejoin the Conservatives on their own terms, which were successful, and the two parties merged in 2003.