Liberal League
Liberal League Liga Libérale | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Leader | Jacques Magule |
| Deputy Leader | Bernada Barri |
| Founder | Andreu Pallarès Boniface Besnard |
| Founded | 11 October 1970 |
| Preceded by | Liberal Party |
| Headquarters | Fidanza, Lotrič |
| Ideology | Liberalism Social liberalism |
| Political position | Centre |
| International affiliation | Liberal International |
| Asuran Parliament | Asuran Liberal Alliance |
| Colours | Amber |
| Public Assembly | 79 / 400
|
| Senate | 15 / 100
|
| Election symbol | |
| LL | |
The Liberal League (Midrasian: Liga Libérale) is a liberal political party operating within Midrasia. The party is a direct successor to the now defunct Liberal party, formed after the party's internal restructuring and merger with a number of associated Liberal groups and a number of political defectors from the Social Democrats and UDA. Whilst the original Liberal Party has governed Midrasia at the highest level since its formation in 1851, throughout the twentieth century the party began to decline due to the rise of the PSD. Although the Liberals were not able to recover to their original level of success, in recent years the party has gone from strength to strength, securing a sizeable presence within both the Public Assembly and Senate.
As of the 2013 election the Liberal League is a member of the coalition government with the Social Democratic Party, however it withdrew its support for the government following the announcement of an investigation into the affairs of the Prime Minister. The Liberal League will enter the 2017 elections with the highest polling ratings of any party.
History
Chartism
Midrasian liberalism can be seen to have its origins in the Chartist movement on the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century. Chartists were individuals who supported the creation of a constitutional charter to limit the power of the Midrasian monarch and codify a set of rights to be enjoyed by the subjects of the Midrasian Kingdom. The Chartist movement played an integral role in the outbreak of the Midrasian revolution and the creation of the modern constitutional monarchy enjoyed today. The Chartists were opposed to the Feuillants who supported a strong monarchy, with a social contract between the subjects and the monarch. The exclusion of Chartists from the national convention of 1786 by Hugh III resulted in the outbreak of the revolution and the emergence of radical revolutionaries and republicanism. Whilst republican movements were unable to secure the country, Chartists found an ally in the king's cousin Philippe V, leading to the creation of a limited monarchy.
Chartists such as Henri de Châtelier were integral in drafting the post-revolution Constitution in 1791 and the institution of liberal democracy throughout the country. In the decades following the revolution, Chartists worked to advocate for a stronger Midrasian parliament with an emphasis individual rights and liberties for citizens.
Liberal Party
In 1851 the Chartists officially reformed to create the Liberal Party. The party was mostly formed as an attempt to organise greater opposition against the newly formed Conservative party. For a period the Liberal and Conservative parties were the only two participating in national elections, enabling the Liberal party to lead a number of consecutive successful governments.
The Liberal party mostly promoted classical liberal policy, advocating for limited state involvement in both social and economic policy. The Liberals mostly pushed for greater free-trade in contrast to the protectionist policy pushed by the Conservatives. Whilst the Conservative party mostly received the backing of the aristocratic elite, the Liberal party was seen as the party of the middle classes and bourgeoisie. However, with the Conservative party's commitment to universal male suffrage in the 1870s, the Liberal party began to adopt more moderate stances, emphasising reform within the Midrasian political sphere and greater political and personal freedoms. This move would allow the party to continue to compete with the Conservatives in the following decades and respond to the changing situation in Midrasian society following the conclusion of the Mydro-Veleazan war, following which there was a greater push for governmental intervention to secure a reasonable standard of living, allowing Midrasia to better compete economically and militarily with the reforming nations of the Asuran continent.
Despite an emphasis on classical liberal policy and government non-intervention, by the late nineteenth century the party began to adopt stances and policies more in line with social liberalism. Such reforms included the undertaking of a national review to evaluate national living standards, leading to the introduction of the welfare safety net. The last Liberal majority government was formed in 1905, with a majority of only 4 seats. Whilst the last Liberal majority government was able to institute a number of reforms such as the introduction of old age pensions and the foundations of the Midrasian welfare state, the party was unable to prevent the rise of the Social Democrats and so was relegated to the position of third party by 1914.
By 1935 the Liberals had only 7 seats remaining in the Public Assembly and despite a minor resurgence throughout the late 1930s and 1940s, the party seemed confined to its marginalised position. The rise of the Alydian Democratic Union had also led to an increasing number of traditional liberal voters to turn away from the party. By 1965 the party was left with only two MPs in the Assembly, the lowest total in the party's history.
Restructure
By the late 1960s, with the party entering what appeared to be entering terminal decline, a section of the Liberal Party named the Lulit Group began to campaign for a restructuring of the party around a more cohesive Liberal ideology rather than simply Social Liberalism. This restructuring would see the party branch out to engage with a number of groups disaffected with the leadership of the UDA and PSD. Under this restructure, the party began to adopt policies and stances more in line with neoliberalism, whilst attempting to preserve a balance with the existing social liberal support base of the party. The party reforms also allowed the Liberals to gain an increased number of financial backers in the form of the Confederation of small businesses and a number of notable entrepreneurs. To illustrate this shift within the party, the leadership also agreed to re-brand the party to the Liberal League, displaying the party as a coalition of liberals of varying ideologies and outlooks. Despite the increased polling ratings following the reforms, the party was unable to make significant gains, returning to Parliament in 1973 with only 4 MPs.
Whilst the reforms were immediately called into question by many, due to the party's inability to make considerable gains in the 1973 election, the leadership continued to uphold the new outlook. Whilst the majority of the party's support base advocated for a more left-wing Social Liberal approach, all of the party's elected MPs subscribed to the new broad liberal approach. In the coming years, the party was able to build upon its growth, reaching a total of seven MPs in the 1976 election. Whilst this low level of growth was further criticised as the party only managed to return eight MPs in 1980, leading the party to adopt a more social-liberal tone for the following election, the party was unable to make any gains in parliament.
It wasn't until the 1990s that the party experienced a period of significant growth, as an increasing number of dissatisfied UDA voters turned to the Liberals due to the Alydian Democrats more conservative social policies. At the 1990 election, the party was able to reach a total of 12 seats and nearly doubled its total only four years later. This period, categorised by political historians as the Liberal resurgence saw the Liberal League emerge as a significant force in Midrasian politics. The rise of the Liberal League has been identified by historians as a driving factor behind the PSD's attempts at parliamentary reform and the UDA's shift toward a more liberal attitude in social policy under the leadership of Mylos Ranieri. By 2009 the Liberal League found itself with 56 seats in the Public Assembly, far and away the third largest party in Midrasian politics and by 2013 the party was able to secure 79 seats. This newfound status not only allowed the Liberal League to pose a significant threat to the two established mainstream parties but also saw the party take up the role of kingmaker for the upcoming coalition talks. In September 2013 it was announced that the Liberal League would be entering government for the first time in the party's existence, forming a coalition with the Social Democratic Party.
Coalition government
With the Liberal League holding 79 seats within the Public Assembly, the party were able to have significant influence within the coalition government of 2013. Party leader Jacques Julles specifically stated the coalition was a 'partnership of equals', with both the PSD and Liberals contributing significantly to the government's legislative agenda. The new centrist outlook of the PSD has been highlighted as the reason for the successful nature of the coalition, however a number of more left-leaning members of the PSD have been notably critical of the government and the PSD for giving-in too easily to the demands and agendas of the Liberals. Despite this, the Liberals were required to accede to the demands of the PSD in a number of areas, particularly in terms of taxation, unemployment benefits and the continued policy of public ownership of the Relier network.
The coalition itself has been considerably successful for the Liberal League, propelling the party to first place in the polls following the scandal surrounding the Prime Minister. The Liberals withdrew their support for the Social Democratic Party in late-April 2017 after the official investigation into the PM was announced. The party broke with the PSD in voting for the investigation, however stated that they had no knowledge of any of the PMs alleged misdemeanours from his time in government. The party is expected to make considerable gains in the upcoming election in September 2017.
Ideology
The Liberal League identifies as a liberal political party, emphasising a broad consensus within its policies between the more classical liberal members of its party and those who advocate social liberalism. In spite of this, the party as a whole has a tendency to favour greater government intervention in both economic and social matters.
The party's platform as outlined in their 2017 manifesto is as follows:
- Introduction of a windfall tax on excessive profits
- Overhaul of the country's benefits system to focus on education and re-integration
- Reform of the 40% tax rate to create a more progressive taxation system
- Introduction of 'free schools'
- Legalisation of same-sex marriage
- Creation of a directly elected Senate
- Devolution of further powers to local authorities
- Constitutional reform to increase oversight on the role of Prime Minister
- Promotion a more ethical and cooperative foreign policy for Midrasia
Electoral performance
Parliament
| Election year | Public Assembly | Government | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # of overall votes |
% of overall vote |
# of overall seats won |
+/– | ||
| 1973 | 2,415,404 | 5.2 % | 4 / 431
|
in opposition | |
| 1976 | 2,913,292 | 6.7 % | 7 / 420
|
 3
|
in opposition |
| 1980 | 3,765,132 | 7.9 % | 8 / 420
|
1
|
in opposition |
| 1985 | 3,788,719 | 7.8 % | 8 / 423
|
in opposition | |
| 1990 | 4,887,995 | 9.4 % | 12 / 416
|
4
|
in opposition |
| 1994 | 5,579,261 | 12.7 % | 23 / 416
|
11
|
in opposition |
| 1999 | 5,938,410 | 12.1 % | 21 / 400
|
 2
|
in opposition |
| 2002 | 7,012,512 | 14.5 % | 34 / 400
|
12
|
in opposition |
| 2005 | 7,327,337 | 17.4 % | 42 / 400
|
8
|
in opposition |
| 2009 | 11,404,438 | 21.1 % | 56 / 400
|
14
|
in opposition |
| 2013 | 13,815,835 | 23.2 % | 79 / 400
|
23
|
in coalition |
Asuran Parliament
| Election year | # of overall votes |
% of overall vote |
# of overall seats won |
+/– |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 6,551,076 | 40.9 % | 45 / 110
|