Czechoslovak Social Democratic Workers’ Party

History

The Czechoslavonic Social Democratic Party in Austria (Czech: Sociálně-demokratická strana českoslovanská v Rakousku, SSČR) 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. In 1893, the party renamed to Czechoslavonic Social Democratic Workers' Party (Czech: Českoslovanská sociálně demokratická strana dělnická, ČSDSD). After the collapse of Austria-Hungary at the end of World War I, the party renamed to Czechoslovak Social Democratic Workers' Party (Czech: Československá sociálně demokratická strana dělnická, ČSDSD) and 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. In 1938, the party renamed to National Labor Party (Czech: Národní strana práce, NSP) after merging of the left-faction of the Czechoslovak (National) Socialist Party.

During the occupation of the Czech lands 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 renamed to Czechoslovak Social Democracy (Czech: Československá sociální demokracie, ČSD) and 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 ČSD 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. In 1993, the party renamed to Czech Social Democratic Party (Czech: Česká strana sociálně demokratická, ČSSD). 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 Czech 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 2002 Czech parliamentary election, the party gained 70 of the 200 seats in the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic. 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 2004 European Parliament election in the Czech Republic.

Extra-parliamentary party since 2021

In the 2021 election the party fell short of the 5% threshold and subsequently lost all of its seats in the Chamber of Deputies. This came as a shock to much of the party membership, who were reportedly optimistic about party results even as predictions showed party losing its representation. Party chair Jan Hamáček resigned on the election day, as some high-ranking members blamed ANO for the loss.

Later that year, Mayor of the Nové Město na Moravě Michal Šmarda defeated former Minister of Labor Jana Maláčová in the leadership contest, vowing to return the party to Parliament. He also said he does not want to repeat the cooperation with ANO, as he reckoned that it will not exist when the next parliamentary election is held.

At its 2023, the party elected to change its name to just Social Democracy (Czech: Sociální demokracie, SOCDEM), and adopt a new visual identity with a new logo. Šmarda was reelected as chairman, claiming that the party will be an alternative to both a Spolu-led government and an ANO-led opposition. He also says he sees the party back at a 30% vote share in four years and at 10% in the next parliamentary election, claiming that under his leadership, SOCDEM will not form a government with ANO, ODS, TOP 09, SPD or KSČM.

For the 2023 Czech presidential election, the party nominated a trade union leader Josef Středula, though he dropped out shortly before the election. Šmarda refused to support any other candidate, but called on his fellow party members to vote against Andrej Babiš, Jaroslav Bašta and Karel Diviš.

Former party leader Lubomír Zaorálek was selected as the party's lead candidate for the 2024 European Parliament election. The party had chosen to run independently, after coalition talks with the Greens failed, but opted to invite Budoucnost members on its list. SOCDEM received 1.86% of the vote share at the election, failing to enter the European Parliament for the second consecutive time, and finishing 9th overall. Šmarda, describing the result as his personal failure, called for a new leadership election, blaming the party disunity for the result.

After the unsuccessful election, Jana Maláčová was elected chairwoman of the party, defeating former Minister for Human Rights Jiří Dienstbier Jr.. Maláčová called for the party to shift to the left and called for a Czech version of the French New Ecological and Social People's Union alliance. Doing so, she refused to work with KSČM, causing a stir among some party members. Later, former ministers Jan Petříček, Petra Buzková and former party leader Jan Hamáček had left the party in protest.

Organization

Names

Czech lands as part of Austria-Hungary:

1878–1893: Czechoslavonic Social Democratic Party in Austria (Sociálně-demokratická strana českoslovanská v Rakousku), then part of the Social Democratic Party of Austria

1893–1918: Czechoslavonic Social Democratic Workers' Party (Českoslovanská sociálně demokratická strana dělnická), an independent party

Czechoslovakia:

1918–1938: Czechoslovak Social Democratic Workers' Party (Československá sociálně demokratická strana dělnická), and was a member of the Labour and Socialist International between 1923 and 1938; after the split-up of Austria-Hungary, the portion of the party that ended up within the new Republic of Austria split from the main party to form the Czechoslovak Social Democratic Workers Party in the Republic of Austria

1938–1941: National Labour Party (Národní strana práce), which was a merger of the party with the left wing of the Czechoslovak National Socialist Party to unite the left in opposition to the ruling Party of National Unity

1945–1948: Czechoslovak Social Democracy (Československá sociální demokracie)

1948–1989: merged with the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia but concurrently existed as an exile party with its headquarters in London

1990–1993: Czechoslovak Social Democracy (Československá sociální demokracie)

Czech Republic:

1993–2023: Czech Social Democratic Party (Česká strana sociálně demokratická), keeping the previous abbreviation ČSSD

Since June 2023: Social Democracy (Sociální demokracie), adopting the abbreviation SOCDEM.

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 the foreign policy of the United States, especially when in opposition, though it does not oppose membership of the Czech Republic in NATO.

Membership

Further references

Election results

Czech Republic wide elections

Notes

In 1996, the whole Senate elected (81 seats), while in next elections only one third of seats is to be contested.

Chairmen

Czechoslovak Social Democratic Party in Austria

Josef Boleslav Pecka (1878–1893)

Josef Hybeš (1887–1893)

Czechoslavonic Social Democratic Workers' Party

Josef Steiner (1893–1904)

Antonín Němec (1904–1915)

Bohumír Šmeral (1916–1917)

Czechoslovak Social Democratic Workers' Party

Antonín Němec (1917–1925)

Antonín Hampl (1925–1938)

Czechoslovak Social Democracy

Zdeněk Fierlinger (1945–1947)

Bohumil Laušman (1947–1948)

Czechoslovak Social Democracy in-exile

Blažej Vilím (1948)

Václav Majer (1948–1972)

Vilém Bernard (1972–1989)

Karel Hrubý

Czechoslovak Social Democracy

Slavomír Klaban (1989–1990)

Jiří Horák (1990–1993)

Czech Social Democratic Party

Miloš Zeman (28 February 1993 – April 2001)

Vladimír Špidla (April 2001 – 26 July 2004)

Stanislav Gross (26 July 2004 – 26 April 2005)

Bohuslav Sobotka (2005–2006; acting)

Jiří Paroubek (2006–2010)

Bohuslav Sobotka (2011–2017)

Milan Chovanec (2017–2018; acting)

Jan Hamáček (2018–2021)

Roman Onderka (2021; acting)

Michal Šmarda (2021–2023)

Social Democracy

Michal Šmarda (2023–2024)

Jana Maláčová (2024–2025)

Jiří Nedvěd (since 2025)