From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Czech Social Democratic Party
Česká strana sociálně demokratická
Leader	Jiří Paroubek
Founded	1878
Headquarters	Hybernská 7, Prague
Political ideology	Social democracy Left [1] Democratic Socialism fiscal: left-wing, Social: left-wing
International affiliation	Socialist International
European affiliation	Party of European Socialists
European Parliament group	PES
Colour(s)	Orange
Website	www.cssd.cz

The Czech Social Democratic Party (Czech: Česká strana sociálně demokratická or ČSSD) is the Social Democratic political party in the Czech Republic.

The party won the elections of 2002 with 70 of 200 representatives in the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic. Its chairman Vladimír Špidla became the prime minister heading a coalition with two smaller parties, the Christian Democratic Union - Czechoslovak People's Party and the Freedom Union-Democratic Union until his resignation in 2004.

The current chairman of the party is Jiří Paroubek since 2006. His predecessor was Stanislav Gross from 26 June 2004 to 26 April 2005. Gross resigned after a scandal which arose due to his inability to explain the source of financial resources used to pay for his home. Gross's predecessor Vladimír Špidla was forced to resign in 2004 after the ČSSD lost in European Parliamentary elections.

In the June 2 and 3, 2006 elections, the party won 32.3% of the vote and 74 out of 200 seats. The election at first caused a stalemate since the right-wing parties (with Green Party) and left-wing parties each had 100 seats. The stalemate was broken when two ČSSD deputies, Miloš Melčák and Michal Pohanka abstained during a vote of confidence, allowing a coalition of the Civic Democrats (ODS), the Christian Democrats (KDU-ČSL), and the Green Party (SZ) to form a government. Hence the ČSSD is now in opposition.

Czech lands as part of Austria-Hungary:

• 1878–1893 The Czechoslavonic Social Democratic Party in Austria (Sociálně-demokratická strana českoslovanská v Rakousku) - part of Social Democratic Party of Austria
• 1894–1918 The Czechoslavonic Social Democratic Workers' Party (Českoslovanská sociálně demokratická stranu dělnická) - independent party

Czechoslovakia:

• 1918–1938 The Czechoslovak Social Democratic Worker's Party (Československá sociálně demokratická strana dělnická) - merged with Slovak Social Democrats
• 1938–1941 The National Labor Party (Národní strana práce) - united left party of Social Democrats and part of Czech National Social Party
• 1945–1948 Czechoslovak Social Democracy (Československá sociální demokracie)
• 1948–1989 - merged with the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, concurrenty existed as an exile party with its headquarters in London
• 1990–1993 Czechoslovak Social Democracy (Československá sociální demokracie)

Czech Republic:

• since 1993 Czech Social Democratic Party (Česká strana sociálně demokratická)

• 1920 National Assembly: 25.7% - 74 seats
• 1925 National Assembly: 8.9% - 29 seats
• 1929 National Assembly: 13% - 39 seats
• 1935 National Assembly: 12.6% - 38 seats
• 1946 National Assembly: 12.1% (15.6%) - 37 seats

• 1990 Czech National Council: 4.1% - no seat
• 1992 Czech National Council: 6.5% - 16 seats
• 1996 Chamber of Deputies: 26.4% - 61 seats
• 1996 Senate: 25 seats (whole Senate elected, only one third in next elections)
• 1998 Chamber of Deputies: 32.1% - 74 seats
• 1998 Senate: 3 seats
• 2000 Senate: 1 seat
• 2002 Chamber of Deputies: 30.2% - 70 seats
• 2002 Senate: 7 seats
• 2004 Senate: no seat
• 2004 European Parliament: 8.8% - 2 seats
• 2006 Chamber of Deputies: 32.3% - 74 seats
• 2006 Senate: 6 seats

• Antonín Němec (1904-1915)
• Bohumír Šmeral (1916-1917)

• Antonín Němec (1917-1925)
• Antonín Hampl (1925-1938)

• Zdeněk Fierlinger (1945-1947)
• Bohumil Laušman (1947-1948)

• Blažej Vilím (1948)
• Václav Majer (1948-1972)
• Vilém Bernard (1972-1989)
• Karel Hrubý

• Jiří Horák (1989 - 1993)

• Miloš Zeman (28 February 1993 - April 2001)
• Vladimír Špidla (April 2001 - 26 June 2004)
• Stanislav Gross (26 June 2004 - 26 April 2005)
  • Bohuslav Sobotka (temporary) (2005 - 2006)
• Jiří Paroubek (2006 - Present)

• Politics of the Czech Republic
• List of political parties in the Czech Republic
• Elections in the Czech Republic
• Bohumil Laušman
• Czech Social Democratic National Forum

1. ^ http://www.volbycr.cz/download/Dlouhodoby-program.pdf Long-term party program

• Party basic data in English
• ČSSD official website

v • d • e Political parties in the Czech Republic Chamber of Deputies (2006; 200 seats) coalition: Civic Democratic Party (81) • Christian and Democratic Union – Czechoslovak People's Party (13) • Green Party (6) opposition: Czech Social Democratic Party (74, of which 2 crossed to the govt) • Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia (26) Senate (2006/7; 81 seats) Civic Democratic Party (41) • Social Democracy (13) • Christian Democracy (11 incl. 1 elected independent) • Caucus of Open Democracy (7 – 1 from each of Civic Democratic Alliance, Green Party*, Freedom Union - Democratic Union*, Liberal Reform Party*, Party for the Open Society*, Path of Change*, and SN-SD/ED*) • Caucus SNK (6 – SNK European Democrats 3, Independents Movement 1*, Independent Mayors for Region 1*, Movement of Independents for Harmonious Development of Municipalities and Towns 1) • Communist Party (3) European Parliament (2004; 24 seats) Civic Democratic Party (9) • Communist Party (6) • SNK Union of Independents (3) • Social Democracy (2) • Christian Democracy (2) • Independents Movement (2, split to Independent Democrats and Politics 21) Source: Czech Statistical Office, Senate (* for Senators from tiny electoral parties who are not their members) Portal:Politics - List of political parties - Politics of the Czech Republic