Progressive Alliance (Gylias)

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Progressive Alliance
Founded1960
Ideology
Political positionLeft-wing to Far-left
Colors  Red

The Progressive Alliance (French reformed: Alliance progressiste) is an electoral bloc of leftist parties in Gylias. Formed in 1960, it is the main leftist electoral bloc in Gylias, and one of the most influential blocs in Gylias. Among electoral blocs, it has the longest record of participation in federal government.

History

The bloc developed out of the existing DCPSPSDP alliance that emerged after the 1958 federal election. It was officially established soon after electoral reform and the creation of the Centre Group. Two further parties formed in the bloc — the DL and LSL — as part of a general consolidation of 5-party electoral blocs. The name was deliberately chosen to share the initials of the People's Army.

The PA was the senior member of the Darnan Cyras government coalition. As such, it played a key role in supporting and encouraging the Golden Revolution.

The death of Aliska Géza before the 1976 federal election deprived the PA of its frontrunner, and set off a period of collective leadership. A demoralised PA was narrowly beaten by the Revolutionary Rally in first preference votes, but both blocs finished with the same number of deputies. Following a month-long impasse, the PA agreed to join a coalition with the RR, mainly in the hopes of "restraining" the RR in office until the next election.

The experience of the Aén Ďanez government was ultimately detrimental for the bloc. The coalition was marred by bitterness between the RR and PA, dating back to the Lucian Purge; both attempted to undermine the other. As the crises of the wretched decade grew, the PA increasingly lost support in municipal and regional elections throughout the 1980s. A second-place finish in the 1980 federal election led to a renewal of the fractious coalition, before Aén Ďanez ejected the PA from the coalition in 1983.

The 1980s caused a factional conflict within the PA, between "coalitionists" — advocates of remaining in coalition to "restrain" the RR — and "oppositionists". The "oppositionists" took the upper hand after 1983, but the damage to the bloc's credibility was done. It finished second in the 1985 federal election, behind the National Bloc. The internal conflict gave birth to a "Róisínist" faction, that argued in favour of moderation and disavowing radicalism in order to regain the electorate's trust.

Opposition disunity allowed Aén to remain in office as a caretaker until the Ossorian war crisis of 1986, after which the opposition banded together and formed the Filomena Pinheiro government. In preparation for the next election, the PA reformed its internal primary system to restore a foresitter, aiming to end the factional battles that had weakened it in the wretched decade.

The 1990 federal election proved to be a breakthrough for Non-inscrits, as voters punished the established blocs for their role in the wretched decade. The PA had by now rebuilt its reputation under a new foresitter, and was less affected: it suffered a mild dip in support, and finished second, one seat behind the Liberal Union. The "plural coalition" assembled by Mathilde Vieira included 2 PA ministers in the cabinet, even though the PA was not formally part of the coalition.

During the 1990s–2000s, the PA had an ambiguous role, alternately providing outside support for and opposing the Mathilde Vieira government depending on issues. It recovered support at the municipal and regional level, and made steady gains federally, although consistently remaining second behind the LU.

Following Mathilde Vieira's retirement, the PA joined the Kaori Kawashima government, formally restoring the PA–LU alliance of the Golden Revolution. It finished first in the 2012 and 2016 federal elections, taking a senior role in the Toni Vallas government.

The PA narrowly lost the 2020 federal election. It is currently the official opposition to the Lena Haidynraix government.

Composition

Party Main ideology
Democratic Communist Party (DCP)
Socialist Party (SP) Democratic socialism
Social Democratic Party (SDP) Social democracy
Democratic Left (DL) Council communism
Labour Solidarity League (LSL)

Ideology

The PA is the main leftist bloc of Gylian politics, complemented by various left-wing Non-inscrits. The bloc includes parties with anarcho-communist, libertarian socialist, and autonomist positions. It is considered left-wing to far-left by international standards, but is conventionally seen as centre-left in Gylias.

Common platform planks include support for decentralised planning, workers' self-management, cooperatives, a strong labour movement, economic democracy, federalism, civil libertarianism, multiculturalism, and secularism.

Symbols

The PA uses the colour red as its common colour.

Electoral results

Gylian Parliament

Election Chamber of Deputies Senate Government
FPV % Seats FPV % Seats
1962 1.630.139 35,9%
90 / 285
1.658.705 36,5%
90 / 300
Coalition
1969 1.860.697 32,7%
89 / 285
1.733.992 30,4%
90 / 300
Coalition
1976 1.482.475 21,0%
84 / 395
1.688.262 23,9%
66 / 300
Coalition
1980 1.642.964 20,8%
80 / 395
1.761.838 22,3%
65 / 300
Coalition
Opposition
1985 1.666.497 18,9%
85 / 520
1.676.370 19,0%
60 / 300
Opposition
Coalition
1990 1.850.657 18,8%
63 / 500
1.624.083 16,5%
60 / 300
Outside support
1995 2.074.452 19,1%
64 / 500
1.780.846 16,4%
59 / 300
Outside support
2000 2.482.917 20,4%
68 / 500
N/A Outside support
2004 2.755.328 20,9%
69 / 500
Outside support
2008 2.999.575 20,7%
70 / 500
Coalition
2012 3.930.508 24,6%
90 / 500
Coalition
2016 4.350.589 24,8%
88 / 500
Coalition
2020 3.707.886 19,4%
68 / 500
Opposition

Regional elections

Municipal elections