Freedom Union (Poland)
The Freedom Union was a liberal democratic political party in Poland.History
It was founded on 20 March 1994 out of the merger of the Democratic Union and the Liberal Democratic Congress. Both of these parties had roots in the Solidarity trade union movement. It represented European democratic and liberal tradition, i.e., it advocated free market economy and individual liberty, rejected extremism and fanaticism, favoured European integration, rapid privatisation of the enterprises still owned by the Polish state and decentralisation of the government.
In the 1991 general elections, the KLD received 7.5% of the vote and 37 seats in the Sejm and the UD got 12.3% of the votes and 62 seats. In 1993 the KLD got 4.0% of the votes and was left without seats; the UD got 10.6% of the votes and 74 seats. In 1997 the UW got 13.4% of the votes and 60 seats.
In January 2001 some members of the FU decided to move to join the new Civic Platform, which got 12.7% of the votes and 65 seats in the September 2001 general elections whilst the FU failed to cross the 5% threshold required to gain entry to the lower house of Parliament, receiving only 3.1%. Surprisingly, the FU managed to cross the required 5% threshold in the 2004 European Parliament elections, receiving 7% of votes and 4 of 54 seats reserved for Poland in the European Parliament as part of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party, of which it was a member.
The initiative by the FU leadership to found the centre/social-liberal Democratic Party attracted a lot of attention. It was cofounded by Władysław Frasyniuk and economy minister Jerzy Hausner, joined by prime minister Marek Belka. Former FU member Tadeusz Mazowiecki also joined the initiative. Legally the centrist Democratic Party, founded 9 May 2005, is the successor of the FU.Election results
Sejm
Senate
Presidential
Regional assemblies
| Election year | % of
vote | # of
overall seats won | +/– |
| 1998 | 10.3 | | |
| 2002 | 2.3 | | 73 |
European Parliament
Former leader
