Development of Parties and Party Systems in ... - lah@sam.sdu.dk

of 5 pct. The fall in electoral support took place in spite of better macroeconomic performance with5 pct. growth in BNP and low inflation. A new “anti-Miller” successor social democratic party,Polands Social Democratic Party (SDPL) was established on the ruins of the old SLD. Also somepeople from the Labour Union (UP) decided to join the new party. At the outset, the FreedomUnion (UW) declared itself open to discuss electoral cooperation with the “new social democrats”.The aim of the new party was to capture at least some of the votes lost to the Civic Platform (PO)and “Selfdefence” (Samoobrona). After some negotiations SDLP supported the establishment ofMarek Belka’s “transition government”, in return obtaining some concessions on policy level, e.g.as regards de-politization of public administration and more beneficial social regulations and alsosome important posts in the new transitory government. Furthermore, as a weakly institutionalizednew party the SDLP was in need of time in order to consolidate itself. In the mid 2004 SDLP wasestimated to have only about 7.000 members and “sympathizers” 93 . At the EP parliament election inJune 2004 both SDLP and SLD passed the election treshold, both obtaining a modest 5-6 pct. of thevotes.2.16. The Labour Union (UP)From the outset the Labour Union (UP) claimed to present the non-communist, social democraticpart of the Left , a political association of “mixed” origin in both the old and the new system. UPaimed to present itself as a “clean hands party” without shares in the old system and the bad sides ofthe new post-communist. Despite offers from SLD the Labour Union (UP) refused to enter theSLD-led government after the 1993 election, arguing that the government followed a too liberaleconomic policy. However, the real explanation was historic, as the party leadership strived todistance itself from the “post-communists” and appear as an authentic non-communist left wingparty.UP was established in 1992 after the unification of Works Solidarity (LS) and The DemocraticSocial Movement (DMS), both had a historical background in Solidarity. The initiative to theformation of UP was taken by Aleksander Malachowski and Ryszard Bugaj, an economist and oneof former the experts of the Solidarity movement. Under the state of emergency in the 1980s Bugajhad been placed in internment camps. Also some members of the social liberal faction in Solidarityjoined UP.Thus the Labour Union (UP) especially appealed to reform minded members of the formercommunist party (PZPR) and Poland's Social Democratic Union (SUP). In most cases we weretalking about former members of PZPR who in the 1980’s had joined the trade union Solidarity(“S”). The faction Works Solidarity (LS) was most dismissive about accepting former communistsin the party.Soon after the establishment of UP disagreement erupted regarding future cooperation with the“post-communists”. The chairman of UP Ryszard Bugaj took a negative position, opposite thesuccessor on the post and the later minister Marek Pol took a more favourable one. However, theparty never refused to cooperate with SLD in more informal ways, and due to Marek Pol’s positionas the minister of trade and industry in the SLD-PSL government 1993-97 UP was indirectlyrepresented in the first “post-communist” government in spite of the fact that Marek Pol at leastformally left the UP.93 Trybuna 28 June 20004, “Teraz Belka”.99