TOP 09

TOP 09
Leader Miroslav Kalousek
Founded 11 June 2009 (2009-06-11)
Split from KDU–ČSL
Headquarters Michnův palác, Újezd 450/40, 118 00 Prague 1 – Malá Strana
Youth wing TOP Team
Membership  (2016) 3,148 [1]
Ideology Fiscal conservatism
Liberal conservatism[2]
Christian democracy[3]
Liberalism
Pro-Europeanism
Political position Centre-right[4]
European affiliation European People's Party
International affiliation None
European Parliament group European People's Party
Colours      Purple
Slogan By power of reason
Chamber of Deputies
20 / 200
Senate
1 / 81
European Parliament
4 / 21
Regional councils
19 / 675
Local councils
868 / 62,300
Website
www.top09.cz

TOP 09 (name derived from Tradice Odpovědnost Prosperita, meaning "Tradition Responsibility Prosperity"[5]) is a conservative political party in the Czech Republic, led by the former Czech Finance Minister Miroslav Kalousek. TOP 09 holds 26 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and has four MEPs.

History

Karel Schwarzenberg, Honorary chairmen and former leader of TOP 09
Miroslav Kalousek, Leader of TOP 09

The party was founded on 11 June 2009 by Miroslav Kalousek who left the Christian and Democratic Union – Czechoslovak People's Party.[6] Karel Schwarzenberg, who had previously served as Minister of Foreign Affairs in the second Topolánek cabinet from January 2007 to March 2009, having been nominated by the Green Party for the post, and who had been elected to the Senate in 2004 as nominee of the Freedom Union – Democratic Union (US-DEU) and Civic Democratic Alliance (ODA) parties, became the party's first leader.[7][8]

In the 2010 parliament elections on 28–29 May 2010, TOP 09 received 16.7% of the vote and 41 seats, becoming the third largest party.[9] The party joined the new coalition government, the Nečas cabinet, with the Civic Democratic Party (ODS) and Public Affairs (VV).[10]

In September 2010 TOP09 applied to join the European People's Party. Karel Schwarzenberg has already officially participated in two EPP summits (15 September[11] and 16 December 2010[12]). On 10 February 2011 TOP 09 has officially been granted permission to join the EPP.[13]

In the 2013 legislative election on 25–26 October 2013, TOP 09 won 12% of the vote and 26 seats. The party entered opposition to the Sobotka cabinet.

In the 2014 European elections on 24 and 25 May 2014, TOP 09 receached second place nationally with 15.95% of the vote, electing 4 MEPs.

In March 2016, Karel Tureček left the party and joined ANO 2011 which left TOP 09 with 25 MPs.[14] In May 2016, Pavol Lukša, one of founders of TOP 09, left the party and established the new party Good Choice.[15]

TOP 09 was heavily defeated in 2016 regional elections. The party has gained only 19 seat and 3.4% of votes. Miroslav Kalousek then considered resignation.[16]

Ideology

TOP 09 has been noted for its support of fiscal conservatism and is considered pro-European Union,[17] being strongly in favour of European integration.[18] However it has been noted that some policy stances are national-conservative rather than strictly liberal.[19]

Election results

Below are charts of the results that the TOP09 has secured in the Chamber of Deputies, Senate, European Parliament, and regional assemblies at each election.

Chamber of Deputies

Year Vote Vote % Seats Place Govt?
2010 873,833 16.7 41 3rd Yes
2013 596,357 Decrease 12.0 Decrease 26 Decrease 4th Decrease No

Senate

Election First round Second round Seats
Votes % Places Votes % Places
2010 165,277 14.40 3rd 51,310 7.54 3rd 2
2012 57,907 6.59 5th 9,918 1.93 5th 2
2014 92,137 8.98 5th 30,476 6.43 6th 0
2016 70,653 8.02 6th 30,820 7.27 5th 2

Presidential

Election Candidate First round result Second round result
Votes %Votes Result Votes %Votes Result
2013 Karel Schwarzenberg 1,204,195 23.40 Runner-up 2,241,171 45.20 Lost

European Parliament

Year Vote Vote % Seats Place
2014 241,747 16.0 Increase 4 2nd

Leaders

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Místo členů nabírají některé strany registrované příznivce". Denik.cz. 21 August 2016. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
  2. ↑ "Kalousek se střetl s Dolejšem, večerní škola liberalismu stála proti marxismu-leninismu". Novinky.cz. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
  3. ↑ "Křesťanská politika". Retrieved 25 May 2016.
  4. ↑ "Foreign Policy Centre: Articles and Briefings / Necas in a bind: The Eurozone fiscal compact and the Czech Republic". Retrieved 25 May 2016.
  5. ↑ Tom Lansford (2015). Political Handbook of the World 2015. SAGE Publications. p. 1660. ISBN 978-1-4833-7155-9.
  6. ↑ Klausmann, Alexandra (21 May 2010). "Tschechien: Jugend vereint gegen Linksparteien". Wiener Zeitung (in German).
  7. ↑ "Schwarzenberg to be Kalousek's Czech TOP 09 party leader". Czech News Agency. 11 June 2009.
  8. ↑ "Karel Schwarzenberg", TOP 09 party website, retrieved 7 June 2013
  9. ↑ "Official results of election to the Parliament of the Czech Republic 2010". Volby.cz. 29 May 2010. Retrieved 14 April 2011.
  10. ↑ Sten Berglund (2013). The Handbook of Political Change in Eastern Europe. Edward Elgar Publishing. pp. 231–232. ISBN 978-1-78254-588-0.
  11. ↑ administrator (16 September 2010). "EPP welcomes European Council conclusions; Roma issue should not be exploited". Epp.eu. Retrieved 14 April 2011.
  12. ↑ administrator. "EPP official website". Epp.eu. Retrieved 14 April 2011.
  13. ↑ "TOP 09 členem nejsilnější evropské strany – TOP 09". Top09.cz. Retrieved 14 April 2011.
  14. ↑ Kopecký, Josef (10 March 2016). "Turečka vyhodili z klubu TOP 09. Politika "Antibabiš" je mi cizí, říká". iDNES.cz. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
  15. ↑ "TOP 09 leading politician Lukša establishes new party | Prague Monitor". www.praguemonitor.com. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
  16. ↑ televize, Česká. "Kalousek chce vědět, zda má pokračovat. Jeho TOP 09 ve volbách pohořela". ČT24. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  17. ↑ Dan Marek; Michael Baun (2010). The Czech Republic and the European Union. Routledge. p. 45. ISBN 978-1-136-94098-9.
  18. ↑ Donatella M. Viola (2015). Routledge Handbook of European Elections. Routledge. p. 554. ISBN 978-1-317-50363-7.
  19. ↑ Elisabeth Bakke; Ingo Peters (2011). 20 Years since the Fall of the Berlin Wall: Transitions, State Break-Up and Democratic Politics in Central Europe and Germany. BWV Verlag. p. 244. ISBN 978-3-8305-2702-2.
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