Progressive Democrats

Not to be confused with Congressional Progressive Caucus, National Progressive Democrats, or Progressive Democratic Party (disambiguation).

Progressive Democrats
An Páirtí Daonlathach
Leader
FounderDesmond O'Malley
Founded21 December 1985 (1985-12-21)
Dissolved20 November 2009 (20 November 2009)
Headquarters25 South Frederick Street, Dublin 2
Youth wingYoung Progressive Democrats
IdeologyConservative liberalism
Economic liberalism
Political positionCentre-right[5]
European affiliationEuropean Liberal Democrat and Reform Party
European Parliament groupLDR (1989–1994)
International affiliationLiberal International
ColoursGreen, dark blue
Website
http://www.progressivedemocrats.ie/

The Progressive Democrats (Irish: An Páirtí Daonlathach, literally "The Democratic Party"), commonly referred to as the PDs, was a conservative liberal[6][7] political party in Ireland. The party's history spanned 24 years, from its formation in 1985 to its dissolution in 2009.

Launched on 21 December 1985 by Desmond O'Malley and other politicians who had split from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, the Progressive Democrats took liberal positions on divorce, contraception and other social issues. The party also supported economic liberalisation, advocating measures such as lower taxation, fiscal conservatism, privatisation and welfare reform. It enjoyed an impressive début at the 1987 general election, winning 14 seats in Dáil Éireann and capturing almost 12 per cent of the popular vote to temporarily surpass the Labour Party as Ireland's third-largest political party.

Although the Progressive Democrats never again won more than 10 seats in the Dáil, it formed coalition governments with Fianna Fáil during the 26th Dáil (1989–1992), the 28th Dáil (1997–2002), the 29th Dáil (2002–2007) and the 30th Dail (2007–2009). These successive years as the government's junior coalition partner gave the party an influence on Irish politics and economics disproportionate to its small size. The party was credited with shaping the low-tax, pro-business environment that contributed to Ireland's Celtic Tiger economic boom during the 1990s and 2000s;[8] however, it was also blamed for contributing to the post-2008 Irish financial and economic crisis.[9]

Mary Harney became party leader in 1993, the first woman to lead any major Irish political party. She stepped down in 2006 and was succeeded by Michael McDowell, who led the party into the 2007 general election, where it lost six of its eight seats in the Dáil. The party never recovered from this electoral collapse. On 8 November 2008, delegates to a special conference in Mullingar voted to disband the party, which was formally dissolved on 20 November 2009.[10][11] The two Progressive Democrats elected to the 30th Dáil, Harney and Noel Grealish, continued to support the government as independent TDs. Harney continued to serve as Minister for Health and Children until January 2011.

  1. ^ J. Timo Weishaupt (2011). From the Manpower Revolution to the Activation Paradigm: Explaining Institutional Continuity and Change in an Integrating Europe. Amsterdam University Press. p. 138. ISBN 978-90-8964-252-3. Archived from the original on 18 August 2017. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  2. ^ Karin Gilland (2013). "Ireland: neutrality and the International use of force". In Philip Everts; Pierangelo Isernia (eds.). Public Opinion and the International Use of Force. Routledge. p. 138. ISBN 978-1-134-60217-9. Archived from the original on 27 June 2014. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  3. ^ Arch Puddington; Aili Piano; Katrina Neubauer, eds. (30 September 2009). Freedom in the World 2009: The Annual Survey of Political Rights & Civil Liberties. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 356. ISBN 978-1-4422-0122-4. Archived from the original on 1 August 2018. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  4. ^ Liam Leonard; Iosif Botetzagias (2011). Sustainable Politics and the Crisis of the Peripheries: Ireland and Greece. Emerald Group Publishing. p. 38. ISBN 978-0-85724-761-2. Archived from the original on 9 August 2018. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  5. ^ [1][2][3][4]
  6. ^ Kerstin Hamann; John Kelly (2010). Parties, Elections, and Policy Reforms in Western Europe: Voting for Social Pacts. Routledge. p. 1982. ISBN 978-1-136-94986-9. Archived from the original on 29 July 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  7. ^ Hans Slomp (2011). Europe, a Political Profile: An American Companion to European Politics. ABC-CLIO. p. 333. ISBN 978-0-313-39181-1. Archived from the original on 26 December 2018. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  8. ^ "Shaping the politics that spawned the Celtic Tiger". Irish Independent. 8 September 2006. Archived from the original on 20 May 2011. Retrieved 29 October 2008.
  9. ^ Creaton, Siobhan (24 February 2011). "FF-PD policy to blame for economic ills, claims report". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 18 February 2013. Retrieved 24 February 2011.
  10. ^ "Formal winding-up of PDs delayed for legal reasons". The Irish Times. 28 February 2009. Archived from the original on 8 November 2011. Retrieved 28 February 2009.
  11. ^ "Electoral Acts 1992 and 2001 – Register of Political Parties" (PDF). Iris Oifigiúil. 20 November 2009. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 February 2011. Retrieved 12 January 2010.