Modern Centre Party (Werania)
Modern Centre Party Partei des Modernen Zentrums | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Leader | Veronika Althammer |
| Founded | August 13, 1972 |
| Headquarters | Westbrücken |
| Youth wing | Modern Centre Future |
| Membership (2015) | 217,000 |
| Ideology | Liberalism Economic liberalism Pro-Eucleanism |
| Political position | Centre to Centre-right |
| Euclean Parliament group | Euclean Liberal Party |
| Colors | Blue, red |
| Volkstag | 32 / 545
|
| Herrstag | 44 / 349
|
| Landtags/Seimas | 202 / 1,151
|
| Euclean Parliament | 12 / 122
|
The Modern Centre Party (Weranic: Partei des Modernen Zentrums) abbreviated to PMZ is a centre-right political party in Werania. It is currently in opposition having previously served as the junior partner in the coalition government with the social-democratic Social Democratic Republican Party (SRPO) and Sotirian Democratic Homeland (SDT) from 2011 to 2015.
The Modern Centre Party was founded in 1972 following the student protests that year by a group of student activists and intellectuals who espoused a common programme of political reform. It contested the election as a loose electoral list named List of Democrats and Reformists. After a surprisingly good result in the 1972 elections it changed its name to the Modern Centre Party.
The founding document of the party established it as an upholder of the radical, liberal democratic tradition in Weranian politics. It advocated social and economic liberalisation alongside pro-Eucleanism in order to challenge the long held hegemony of the NKP and the left-wing parties. The party soon became the dominant pro-Eucleanist party but was locked out of government due to the dominance of the two-party system. It also became the main force of liberalism, attracting former NKP and left-wing politicians and voters disillusioned in their lack of affinity with the major parties.
Following the 1983 election the PMZ entered as a junior coalition partner of the first "purple" government of Ludolf Ostermann between SPRO and PMZ. The Ostermann government was noted internationally for its social and economic liberal policies with the PMZ being a strong force in the marketisation of the Weranic economy. The purple government was re-elected in 1987, 1991 and 1995. In 1999 the PMZ terminated the coalition with the SRPO after a perceived turn to the left by the other governing party.
The PMZ stayed in opposition from 1999 to 2011 whrn they formed another coalition as the junior partner with the SPRO. The unpopularity of the grand coalition led to PMZ to lose seats in the 2015 election which had to form a coalition with the centre-right Sotirian Democratic Homeland party. The SRPO-PMZ government implemented several economically liberal reforms to deal with the 2000's Euclean financial crisis.
Modern Centre is often seen as a liberal conservative party with the majority of its members supporting economic liberalism and centrist social views. However there exists conservative and centre-left factions. PMZ is considered the most pro-Euclean party in Werania being a member of the Euclean Liberal Party (ELP).