Czech Social Democratic Party

The Czech Social Democratic Party (Czech: Česká strana sociálně demokratická, ČSSD) is a social-democratic[3][4][5] political party in the Czech Republic. It holds 15 seats in the Chamber of Deputies following the 2017 legislative election in which the party lost 35 seats. The party has been led by Jan Hamáček since 2018. It has been a junior coalition party within a minority cabinet since June 2018, and was a senior coalition party from 1998 to 2006 and from 2013 to 2017.

Czech Social Democratic Party

Česká strana sociálně demokratická
LeaderJan Hamáček
Deputy LeadersRoman Onderka
Michal Šmarda
Jana Maláčová
Ondřej Veselý
Tomáš Petříček
Chamber of Deputies LeaderJan Chvojka
Senate LeaderPetr Vícha
FounderJosef Boleslav Pecka
Founded7 April 1878
HeadquartersLidový dům, Hybernská 7, Prague
Think tankMasaryk Democratic Academy[1]
Youth wingYoung Social Democrats
Women's wingSocial Democratic Women
Religious wingChristian Social Platform
Membership (2019)13,845[2]
IdeologySocial democracy[3][4][5][6]
Pro-Europeanism[7][8]
Political positionCentre-left[9]
European affiliationParty of European Socialists
International affiliationProgressive Alliance
Socialist International
European Parliament groupProgressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats
Colours     Orange      Red
SloganFreedom, Justice, Solidarity
Chamber of Deputies
14 / 200
Senate
13 / 81
European Parliament
0 / 21
Regional councils
125 / 675
Governors of the regions
5 / 13
Local councils
1,882 / 61,892
Party flag
Website
www.cssd.cz

The ČSSD is a member of the Party of European Socialists, the Socialist International and the Progressive Alliance.

History

The Social Democratic Czechoslavonic party in Austria (Czech: Sociálně Demokratická strana Českoslovanská v Rakousku) was a political group founded on 7 April 1878 in Austria-Hungary as a regional wing of the Social Democratic Party of Austria. Founded in Břevnov atop earlier social democratic initiatives, such as the Ouls, it represented much of the Kingdom of Bohemia in the Austrian parliament, and its significant role in the political life of the empire was one of the factors that led to the creation of an independent Czechoslovakia. After the collapse of Austria-Hungary at the end of the First World War, the party became one of the leading parties of the first Czechoslovak Republic. Its members were split over whether to join the Comintern, which in 1921 resulted in the fracturing of the party, with a large part of its membership then forming the new Communist Party of Czechoslovakia.

CSSD Membership card, 1945

During the occupation of Czechoslovakia by Nazi Germany, the party was officially abolished, but its members organized resistance movements contrary to the laws of the German-controlled Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, both at home and abroad. After the re-establishment of the Czechoslovak Republic in 1945, the party returned to its pre-war structure and became a member of the National Front which formed a new governing coalition. In 1948, after the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia gained a parliamentary majority, the Czech Social Democratic Party was incorporated into the Communist Party. At the time of the Prague Spring, a reformist movement in 1968, there were talks about allowing the recreation of a Social Democratic party, but Soviet intervention put an end to such ideas. It was only after the Velvet Revolution of 1989 that the party was recreated. Since the dissolution of Czechoslovakia, which came into effect on 1 January 1993, the ČSSD has been one of the major political parties of the Czech Republic, and until October 2017 was always one of the two parties with the largest number of seats in the Chamber of Deputies.

At the 1998 parliamentary election, the party won the largest number of seats but failed to form a coalition government, so formed a minority government under its leader Miloš Zeman. With only 74 seats out of 200, the government had confidence and supply from the Civic Democratic Party (ODS), under the so-called Opposition Agreement.

At the elections of 2002, the party gained 70 of the 200 seats in the of Deputies of the Czech Republic Chamber of Deputies. Its leader Vladimír Špidla became prime minister, heading a coalition with two small centre-right parties, the Christian and Democratic Union – Czechoslovak People's Party (KDU–ČSL) and the Freedom Union – Democratic Union (US-DEU) until he was forced to resign in 2004 after the ČSSD lost in the European Parliament elections of 2004

The next leader was Stanislav Gross, serving as leader from 26 June 2004 to 26 April 2005 and as prime minister from 4 August 2004 to 25 April 2005. He resigned after a scandal when he was unable to explain the source of money used to buy his house.

The successor of Gross as prime minister was Jiří Paroubek, while Bohuslav Sobotka became acting party leader from 26 April 2005 to 13 May 2006. Paroubek was then elected as the new party leader in the run-up to the June 2006 elections, at which the party won 32.3% of the vote and 74 out of 200 seats. The election at first caused a stalemate, since the centre-right parties plus the Green Party and the centre-left parties each had exactly 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 KDU-ČSL, and the Green Party to form a government. Hence the ČSSD went into opposition.

At the 2010 legislative elections on 28 and 29 May, the ČSSD gained 22.08% of the vote but remained the largest party, with 56 seats. Failing to form a governing coalition, it remained in opposition to a government coalition of the ODS, conservative TOP 09 and conservative-liberal Public Affairs parties. Paroubek resigned as leader on 7 June and was succeeded by Sobotka.

The Party remained the largest Party even after the 2013 legislative election of 25 and 26 October 2013 and in December formed a governing coalition with the populist ANO 2011 and the centrist Christian and Democratic Union – Czechoslovak People's Party.[10] The leader of ČSSD, Bohuslav Sobotka, became the new Prime Minister of the Czech Republic.

The party suffered heavy losses in the 2017 legislative election and was reduced to only 15 seats, the worst result in its history. ČSSD suffered another defeat in the Prague Municipal, local and Senate elections in 2018. ČSSD lost 12 senators (only one managed to win re-election), all Prague deputies and more than half of their local councillors. In 2019 ČSSD lost all their representatives in the European Parliament. Some political commentators have interpreted the string of poor results as a sign of ČSSD losing their position in national politics.[11]

Symbols

Logos
  • Party logo, 1945–1948 (1948-1990 in-exile)
  • Party logo, 1998–2011
  • Current logo
  • Electoral logo for 2020 elections
Leader Jan Hamáček

Policy positions

In economic matters, the ČSSD party platform is typical of Western European social democratic parties. It supports a mixed economy, a strong welfare state, and progressive taxation.

In foreign policy it supports European integration, including joining the eurozone, and is critical of US foreign policy, especially when in opposition—though it does not oppose membership of the Czech Republic in NATO.

Former party leader Milos Zeman, now President of the Czech Republic

Name of the party over time

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
  • 1893–1918 The Czechoslavonic Social Democratic Workers' Party (Českoslovanská sociálně demokratická stranu dělnická) – independent party

Czechoslovakia:

  • 1918–1938 The Czechoslovak Social Democratic Workers' Party (Československá sociálně demokratická strana dělnická) – merged with Slovak Social Democrats. The party was a member of the Labour and Socialist International between 1923 and 1938.[12] After the splitup of Austria-Hungary, the Czechoslovak Social Democratic Workers Party in the Republic of Austria split from the main party.
  • 1938–1941 The National Labor Party (Národní strana práce) – united left party of Social Democrats and part of Czechoslovak National Socialist Party
  • 1945–1948 Czechoslovak Social Democracy (Československá sociální demokracie)
  • 1948–1989 – merged with the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, concurrently existed as an exile party with its headquarters in London
  • Former Party Leader and Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka (on the right) and current Party leader and Interior Minister Jan Hamacek
    1990–1993 Czechoslovak Social Democracy (Československá sociální demokracie)

Czech Republic:

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

Election results

Czechoslovakia wide elections

Legislative elections
Date Leader Votes Seats Position
# % # ± Size
1920 Antonín Němec 1,590,520 25.7
74 / 300
 74 1st Coalition
1925 Antonín Hampl 632,403 8.9
25 / 300
 45 4th Coalition
1929 Antonín Hampl 963,462 13
39 / 300
 10 2nd Opposition
1935 Antonín Hampl 1,032,773 12.6
38 / 300
 1 3rd Coalition
1946 Zdeněk Fierlinger 855,771 12.1
37 / 300
 1 5th Coalition
1948 as part of National Front
23 / 300
 14 3rd Bloc
1954 Illegal. Merged into Communist Party. De jure in-exile.
1960
1964
1971
1976
1981
1986
1990 Jiří Horák 342,455 3.2
0 / 150
 0 9th No seats
1992 Valtr Komárek &
Alexander Dubček		 648,125 6.8
10 / 150
 10 4th Opposition

Devolved assembly elections

Czech assembly elections
Date Leader Votes Seats Position
# % # ± Size
1990 Jiří Horák 296,165 4.11
0 / 200
 0 6th No seats
1992 Jiří Horák 422,736 6.53
16 / 200
 16 3rd Opposition

Slovak assembly elections
Date Leader Votes Seats Position
# % # ± Size
1928 Ivan Dérer 96,901 7.33
4 / 54
 4 4th –
1935 Ivan Dérer – 11.3
4 / 54
 0 5th –
Election poster with the text "Poor quality food has to get out of the game" in 2019

Czech Republic wide elections

Legislative elections
Date Leader Votes Seats Position
# % # ± Size
1996 Miloš Zeman 1,602,250 26.4
61 / 200
 45 2nd gov′t support
1998 Miloš Zeman 1,928,660 32.3
74 / 200
 13 1st Minority
2002 Vladimír Špidla 1,440,279 30.2
70 / 200
 4 1st Coalition
2006 Jiří Paroubek 1,728,827 32.3
74 / 200
 4 2nd Opposition (2006–2009)
Coalition (2009–2010)
2010 Jiří Paroubek 1,155,267 22.1
56 / 200
 18 1st Opposition
2013 Bohuslav Sobotka 1,016,829 20.5
50 / 200
 6 1st Coalition
2017 Lubomír Zaorálek 368,347 7.3
15 / 200
 35 6th Opposition (2017–2018)
Coalition (since 2018)
Pre-election meeting of 2018

Senate

1996 whole Senate elected (81 seats), in next elections only one third of seats to be contested

Election First round Second round Seats Total Seats Notes
Votes % Runners-up Place* Votes % Place*
1996559,30420.3
48 / 81
2nd733,71331.82nd
25 / 81
25 / 81
The whole Senate was elected. Only one third of Senate was elected in all subsequent elections.
1998208,84521.7
5 / 27
3rd121,70022.73rd
3 / 27
23 / 81
19993271.0
0 / 1
5th 
0 / 1
23 / 81
By-election in Prague 1 district.
2000151,94317.7
5 / 27
3rd53,5039.55th
1 / 27
15 / 81
2002122,39718.4
14 / 27
2nd224,38627.32nd
7 / 27
11 / 81
20032,4246.8
0 / 2
6th 
0 / 2
11 / 81
By-elections in Strakonice and Brno-city district.
20045,20314.7
1 / 2
3rd5,35820.513rd
0 / 2
11 / 81
By-elections in Prague 4 and Znojmo districts.
200490,44612.5
3 / 27
4th24,9235.24th
0 / 27
7 / 81
2006204,57319.2
11 / 27
2nd120,12720.92nd
6 / 27
13 / 81
20076,45621.66
1 / 2
1st4,33821.542nd
1 / 2
13 / 81
By-elections for Chomutov and Přerov
2008347,75933.2
26 / 27
1st459,82955.91st
23 / 27
29 / 81
2010290,09025.3
22 / 27
1st299,52644.01st
12 / 27
41 / 81
201112,08844.3
1 / 1
1st13,50565.11st
1 / 1
41 / 81
By-election in Kladno district
2012199,95722.7
23 / 27
1st207,06440.31st
13 / 27
46 / 81
20143,69516.1
0 / 1
3rd 
0 / 1
46 / 81
By-election in Zlín district
2014226,23922.0
19 / 27
1st165,62935.01st
10 / 27
33 / 81
20142,09216.8
1 / 1
1st3,66450.91st
1 / 1
33 / 81
By-election in Prague 10 district, Ivana Cabrnochová was a Green Party candidate supported by ČSSD
2016128,87514.6
9 / 27
2nd55,62213.13rd
2 / 27
25 / 81
20181,2945.7
0 / 1
6th 
0 / 1
25 / 81
By-election in Trutnov district.
20181,2707.5
0 / 1
6th 
0 / 1
25 / 81
By-election in Zlín district.
2018100,4789.2
5 / 27
3rd33,8878.106th
1 / 27
13 / 81

Presidential
Indirect Election Candidate First round result Second round result Third round result
Votes %Votes Result Votes %Votes Result Votes %Votes Result
1998 Václav Havel 130 70.65 Runner-up 146 52.3 Won —
2003
Jaroslav Bureš 46 17.04 Eliminated —
Miloš Zeman 83 30.18 Eliminated —
Jan Sokol 128 46.55 Runner-up 129 48.13 Runner-up 124 46.6 Lost
2008 Jan Švejnar 138 49.82 Runner-up 135 48.74 Runner-up 113 44.84 Lost
128 49.10 Runner-up 141 47.19 Runner-up 111 44.05 Lost
Direct Election Candidate First round result Second round result
Votes %Votes Result Votes %Votes Result
2013 Jiří Dienstbier Jr. 829,297 16.12 4th supported Miloš Zeman

European Parliament
ElectionVotesShare of votes in %Seats obtainedPlace
2004
204,903
8.78
2 / 25
5th
2009
528,132
22.39
7 / 22
2nd
2014
214,800
14.17
4 / 21
3rd
2019
93,664
3.95
0 / 21
8th

Regional election
Election
 Votes Share of votes in % Councillors
2000 344,441 14.67
112 / 675
2004 297,083 14.03
105 / 675
2008 1,044,719 35.86
280 / 675
2012 621,961 23.58
205 / 675
2016 386,150 15.25
125 / 675

Local election
Election
 Share of votes in % Councillors
1994 8.7 1,628
1998 17.54 4,259
2002 15.57 4,664
2006 16.61 4,331
2010 19.68 4,584
2014 12.65 3,773
2018 5.17 1,882

Prague municipal elections
Year Leader Vote Vote % Seats +/− Place Position
1990 484,484 5.6
5 / 76
 4th Opposition
1994 Jiří Paroubek 2,435,279 8.6
5 / 55
 4th Opposition
1998 Jiří Paroubek 363,917 17.5
10 / 55
 5 3rd Coalition
2002 Jiří Paroubek 656,936 14.7
12 / 70
 2 3rd Coalition
2006 Petra Buzková 4,197,631 15.9
12 / 70
 2nd Opposition
2010 Jiří Dienstbier Jr. 615,209 17.9
19 / 65
 7 2nd Coalition
2014 Miloslav Ludvík 2,160,963 10.4
8 / 65
 11 5th Coalition
2018 Jakub Landovský 727,826 2.9
0 / 65
 8 8th Opposition

Chairmen of the Czech Social Democratic Party

Czechoslavonic Social Democratic Workers' Party

Czechoslovak Social Democratic Workers' Party
  • Antonín Němec (1917–1925)
  • Antonín Hampl (1925–1938)

Czechoslovak Social Democracy

Czechoslovak Social Democracy in exile
  • Blažej Vilím (1948)
  • Václav Majer (1948–1972)
  • Vilém Bernard (1972–1989)
  • Karel Hrubý

Czechoslovak Social Democracy

Czech Social Democratic Party

Current Representatives

ČSSD has following members of the government (2013–2017):

  • Bohuslav Sobotka (Prime Minister)
  • Milan Chovanec (Minister of Interior)
  • Lubomír Zaorálek (Minister of Foreign Affairs)
  • Michaela Marksová-Tominová (Minister of Labour and Social Affairs)
  • Jan Mládek (Minister of Industry and Trade)
  • Svatopluk Němeček (Minister of Health)
  • Kateřina Valachová (Minister of Education, Youth and Sport)
  • Jiří Dienstbier Jr. (Minister for Human Rights and Equal Opportunities)
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See also

References
  1. "Masarykova demokratická akademie". CSSD.cz. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  2. "ČSSD nevzkvétá. Jen letos odešlo dalších 2 500 členů". Seznam zprávy. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
  3. Nordsieck, Wolfram (2017). "Czechia". Parties and Elections in Europe.
  4. Paul G. Lewis (2000). Political Parties in Post-Communist Eastern Europe. Routledge. p. 51. ISBN 978-0-415-20182-7.
  5. Dimitri Almeida (2012). The Impact of European Integration on Political Parties: Beyond the Permissive Consensus. CRC Press. p. 71. ISBN 978-1-136-34039-0.
  6. Vršecký, Zdeněk (2016). Analýza ideologických východisek vybrané politické strany v rámci českého stranického systému – ČSSD (PDF) (in Czech). Západočeská univerzita v Plzni. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
  7. https://zpravy.idnes.cz/ssd-ustredni-vykonny-vybor-volby-jan-hamacek-jiri-zimola-pz5-/domaci.aspx?c=A181020_095449_domaci_kop
  8. Merle, Jean-Christophe (2012). Die Legitimität von supranationalen Institutionen der EU Die Debatte in den neuen und alten Mitgliedstaaten Reihe. Lit Verlag. p. 255. ISBN 978-3-643-11207-1.
  9. "Czech centre-left party approves joining coalition, new government close". Reuters. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
  10. Leos Rousek, Czechs Clear Way for Three-Party Coalition Government in the Wall Street Journal dated 11 Dec 2013, accessed 23 December 2017
  11. https://www.ceskenoviny.cz/zpravy/politologove-eurovolby-jsou-pro-cssd-debaklem/1760700
  12. Kowalski, Werner. Geschichte der sozialistischen Arbeiter-Internationale: 1923 – 1938, Berlin: Dt. Verl. d. Wissenschaften, 1985. p. 327.
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