Homeland Union
The Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats (Lithuanian: Tėvynės sąjunga – Lietuvos krikščionys demokratai, TS-LKD) is a centre-right[6][7][8] political party in Lithuania. It has 18,000 members and 30 of 141 seats in the Seimas.
Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats Tėvynės sąjunga – Lietuvos krikščionys demokratai | |
---|---|
Abbreviation | TS - LKD |
Chairman | Gabrielius Landsbergis |
First Vice Chairwoman | Irena Degutienė |
Vice Chairpeople | Adomas Bužinskas Dainius Kreivys Radvilė Morkūnaitė-Mikulėnienė Monika Navickienė |
Executive Secretary | Aistė Gedvilienė |
Founded | May 1993 |
Preceded by | Sąjūdis |
Headquarters | J.Jasinskio g. 17, Vilnius |
Youth wing | Young Conservative League |
Membership | 14,243 (2018)[1] |
Ideology | Conservatism[2] Christian democracy[2] Liberal conservatism[3] National conservatism[4] Economic liberalism[5] Pro-Europeanism |
Political position | Centre-right[6][7][8] |
European affiliation | European People's Party |
International affiliation | International Democrat Union |
European Parliament group | European People's Party |
Colours | Blue, green |
Seats in the Seimas | 35 / 141
|
Seats in the European Parliament | 3 / 11
|
Municipal councils | 279 / 1,461
|
Mayors | 11 / 60
|
Website | |
http://www.tsajunga.lt | |
It is the main centre-right party, with a particularly liberal-conservative[3] and Christian-democratic,[2] but also nationalist oriented[4][9] and economically liberal, ideology.[5] Its current leader is Gabrielius Landsbergis who replaced Andrius Kubilius in 2014. It is a member of the European People's Party (EPP) and the International Democrat Union (IDU).
History
It was founded in May 1993 by the right wing of the Reform Movement of Lithuania, led by Vytautas Landsbergis, who had led Lithuania to independence. In the 1996 national elections, it secured 31.3% of the vote and returned 70 deputies to the Seimas. After these elections, the party formed coalition government with the Lithuanian Christian Democratic Party (and support from the Lithuanian Centre Union)[10]. In 2000, it split and new party called Union of Moderate Conservatives was formed.[11] In 2000, Homeland Union was reduced to 8.6% and 9 deputies.[11] In 2003 and 2004, it merged with Lithuanian Right Union and Lithuanian Union of Political Prisoners and Deportees respectively.
After Lithuania's admission to the European Union in 2004, it won two seats in the election to the European Parliament, one of whom was Vytautas Landsbergis, who sat in the EPP-ED Group. At the 2004 election to the Seimas, the party won 14.6% of the popular vote and 25 out of 141 seats.
Until the merger with Lithuanian Union of Political Prisoners and Deportees and Right Union of Lithuania, it was known just as Homeland Union (Lithuanian Conservatives). The last change of the name was a result of the merger with the Lithuanian Nationalist Union on 11 March 2008, and the Lithuanian Christian Democrats on 17 May 2008, after which the Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats became Lithuania's largest party with more than 18,000 members. Prior to 2008 it was known as the Homeland Union (Conservatives, Political Prisoners and the Exiled, Christian Democrats) or TS. At the 2008 legislative election, Homeland Union won 19.69% of the national vote and 45 seats in the Seimas. Becoming the largest party in the Seimas, it formed a coalition government with the Liberal Movement, Liberal and Centre Union, and National Resurrection Party. Together, they held a majority of 80 out of 141 seats in the Seimas, and the Homeland Union's leader, Andrius Kubilius, became Prime Minister for a second time.[12]
In June 2011, the Lithuanian Nationalist Union declared its withdrawal from the party.[13]
Support for the party plummeted in the 2012 election, and it was excluded from the government.[14] It was credited to many unpopular decisions made during the time of government, and the unpopularity of the Andrius Kubilius.[15] At the 2016 legislative election party's support increased, but, due to failure to win more single-member seats in Seimas, number seats held fell to 31.
Election results
Seimas
Election | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | Position | Government |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1996 | 409,585 (PR) | 31.3 | 70 / 141 |
Coalition | ||
2000 | 126,850 (PR) | 8.6 | 9 / 141 |
Opposition | ||
2004 | 176,409 (PR) | 14.8 | 25 / 141 |
Opposition | ||
2008 | 243,823 (PR) | 19.7 | 45 / 141 |
Coalition | ||
2012 | 206,590 (PR) | 15.0 | 33 / 141 |
Opposition | ||
2016 | 276,275 (PR) | 22.6 | 31 / 141 |
Opposition |
Members of the parliament
Parliamentarian | Since | Constituency |
---|---|---|
Mantas Adomėnas | 2008 | Nationwide |
Arvydas Anušauskas | 2008 | Nationwide |
Audronius Ažubalis | 1996 | Nationwide |
Agnė Bilotaitė | 2008 | Nationwide |
Rimantas Jonas Dagys | 1992 | Nationwide |
Irena Degutienė | 1996 | Nationwide |
Sergejus Jovaiša | 2012 | Nationwide |
Rasa Juknevičienė | 1990 | Nationwide |
Vytautas Juozapaitis | 2012 | Nationwide |
Laurynas Kasčiūnas | 2016 | Nationwide |
Vytautas Kernagis | 2016 | Fabijoniškės |
Dainius Kreivys | 2012 | Verkiai |
Andrius Kubilius | 1992 | Nationwide |
Gabrielius Landsbergis | 2016 | Centras (Kaunas) - Žaliakalnis |
Tadas Langaitis | 2016 | Nationwide |
Mykolas Majauskas | 2016 | Senamiestis |
Kęstutis Masiulis | 2000 | Nationwide |
Antanas Matulas | 1996 | Pasvalys - Pakruojis |
Radvilė Morkūnaitė-Mikulėnienė | 2016 | Nationwide |
Andrius Navickas | 2017 | Nationwide |
Monika Navickienė | 2016 | Naujoji Vilnia |
Žygimantas Pavilionis | 2016 | Naujamiestis |
Edmundas Pupinis | 2004-2012; 2016 | Utena |
Jurgis Razma | 1996 | Nationwide |
Paulius Saudargas | 2008 | Justiniškės |
Gintarė Skaistė | 2016 | Nationwide |
Kazys Starkevičius | 2004 | Nationwide |
Algis Strelčiūnas | 2012 | Lazdynų |
Stasys Šedbaras | 2008 | Nationwide |
Ingrida Šimonytė | 2016 | Antakalnis |
Emanuelis Zingeris | 1990 | Nationwide |
References
- Nordsieck, Wolfram (2016). "Lithuania". Parties and Elections in Europe. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
- Bugajski, Janusz (2002), Political Parties of Eastern Europe: A Guide to Politics in the Post-Communist Era, M.E. Sharpe, p. 141
- Bakke, Elisabeth (2010), "Central and East European party systems since 1989", Central and Southeast European Politics Since 1989, Cambridge University Press, p. 79, retrieved 17 November 2011
- Ramonaitė, Ainė (2006), "The Development of the Lithuanian Party System: From Stability to Perturbation", Post-Communist EU Member States: Parties and Party Systems, Ashgate, p. 75
- Sužiedėlis, Saulius (2011), "Union of the Fatherland", Historical Dictionary of Lithuania, Scarecrow Press, p. 308
- Duvold, Kjetil; Jurkynas, Mindaugas (2004), "Lithuania", The Handbook of Political Change in Eastern Europe, Edward Elgar Publishing, p. 163
- Day, Alan John; East, Roger; Thomas, Richard (2002), "Homeland Union–Lithuanian Conservatives", A Political and Economic Dictionary of Eastern Europe, Routledge, p. 253
- Clark, Terry D. (2006), "Nationalism in Post-Soviet Lithuania: New Approaches for the Nation of "Innocent Sufferers"", After Independence: Making and Protecting the Nation in Postcolonial and Postcommunist States, University of Michigan Press
- https://books.google.lt/books?id=mMLADwAAQBAJ&pg=PA318&lpg=PA318&dq=LKDP+Paksas&source=bl&ots=Ea_9ZrU8vd&sig=ACfU3U2jbeeT6XiDAT2PPId8mKHPvjWShQ&hl=lt&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjEoJme48nqAhVO0aYKHSKZDIYQ6AEwAXoECBMQAQ#v=onepage&q=LKDP%20Paksas&f=false
- http://eed.nsd.uib.no/webview/index.jsp?study=http%3A%2F%2F129.177.90.166%3A80%2Fobj%2FfStudy%2FLTPA1992_SUM_Display&mode=cube&v=2&cube=http%3A%2F%2F129.177.90.166%3A80%2Fobj%2FfCube%2FLTPA1992_SUM_Display_C1&top=yes
- http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meetdocs/2014_2019/documents/itre/dv/cv_andrius_kubilius_/cv_andrius_kubilius_en.pdf
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2 February 2012. Retrieved 7 March 2012.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-19940043
- https://www.delfi.lt/news/daily/lithuania/reitingai-pirma-dgrybauskaite-paskutinis-akubilius.d?id=44774411