Social Democratic Union
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The Social Democratic Union (Volkian: Социал-Демократический Союз), frequently abbreviated to SDU, is a major social democratic and progressive political party in the Volkian Federative Republic.
Social Democratic Union Социал-Демократический Союз | |
---|---|
Chairman | Yevgeniy Tulamov |
President of Volkia | Yuliya Surkova |
Vice President | Vladimir Burmakin |
Speaker of the Chamber | Stefania Nevzorova |
Federal Council Majority Leader | Yefim Luzhkov |
Founded | June 4, 1970 |
Student wing | Collegiate Social Democrats |
Youth wing | Young Social Democrats |
Women's wing | Union of Social Democratic Women |
Overseas wing | Social Democrats Abroad |
Membership (2019) | 9,557,102 |
Ideology | Majority: • Social democracy Factions: • Nationalism • Liberalism • Progressivism • Left-wing populism |
Seats in the Federal Council | 48 / 78
|
Seats in the Chamber of Deputies | 283 / 505
|
Governors | 15 / 26
|
Provincial Legislature Seats | 3,417 / 6,345
|
Election symbol | |
Party flag | |
Website | |
http://www.sotsial-demokrat.vol |
The SDU was formed in 1970 as a response to growing political instability and perceived corruption and cronyism in Volkia during the 1960s. Since its foundation, the SDU has been in power in some way either through the Volkian National Assembly or the presidency. The SDU has maintained a federal government trifecta since the 1992 elections; with its overwhelming electoral dominance, it has ruled the country as a de facto one-party state. The party oversaw massive societal and political change in Volkia at the end of the Volkian Revolution, including an expansion of civil rights to citizens, the establishment of free healthcare and higher education, and the amendment of the Volkian Constitution for the first time. After the 2022 elections it holds 283 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 48 seats in the Federal Council, maintaining the government trifecta. Additionally, the party holds 15 governorships, 3,417 seats in the upper and lower houses in the provincial legislatures, and the mayorality of most major cities.
The SDU is often described as a progressive, left-wing big tent party. The party's history and internal composition has been characterized by factionalism since the 1980s, with its members currently split into five factions that each vie for influence in the party and government. Even with the differences between the factions, the party has historically supported social democratic policies and maintaining close relations with its neighbors. The incumbent president, Yuliya Surkova, is the first woman and youngest politician in Volkian history to be elected president.
History
Beginnings
The SDU was formed on June 4, 1970 as a response to growing corruption and political instability that was occurring in Volkia during the late 1960s and early 1970s. The SDU framed themselves as the party that could fix the perceived problems in Volkian society. Then-President Matvei Lukyanov attacked the new party in July 1970 and said they were "searching for blue roses" by promising sweeping social reforms. The SDU embraced the image of the blue rose and would go on to be known as the "Blue Rose Party" in Volkian politics. In the 1972 elections, the SDU swept the elections and established majorities in both the Federal Council and the Chamber of Deputies, and won the presidency. The SDU has since remained in power and is responsible for many fundamental policies of Volkian society.
1980–1992
1992–2016
2016–present
Ideology and political stance
Structure
Factions
Factions first arose within the Social Democratic Union in the 1980s, after several electoral successes and the defeat of then-President Matvei Lukyanov. The party's current factions can be traced to their roots in the 1980s, demonstrating the stability and institutionalized nature of the Social Democratic Union's factions. The party is currently split into four factions: two major factions and three minor ones. The incumbent president, Yuliya Surkova, is a member of the National People's Caucus.
Current factions in the SDU include:
Name | Ideology | Political position | Leader | Members |
---|---|---|---|---|
|
Left-wing | Yevgeniy Tulamov | 99 | |
|
Social democracy | Left-wing | Oleg Shevchenko | 87 |
|
Social liberalism Moderate |
Centrist | Ekaterina Vasilyeva | 38 |
|
Democratic socialism Volkian nationalism |
Far-left | Dmitry Kravchenko | 22 |
|
Conservative liberalism | Centrist | Dmitry Kravchenko | 16 |
Independent | 71 |
Membership
Election results
Legislative results
Chamber of Deputies
Federal Council
Presidency results
Logos and symbols
Volkian Federative Republic | ||
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Main article: Volkia | ||
Important Topics: Culture ♦ Lupine ♦ Volkian language ♦ Lunarism ♦ Volkian korona ♦ Defense Forces | ||
Government: Federal Government ♦ President ♦ Cabinet ♦ National Assembly ♦ Federal Supreme Court ♦ Political Parties | ||
History: Grand Principality of Volkia ♦ Duchy of Volkia ♦ Kingdom of Volkia ♦ Volkian Civil War ♦ Northern Revolt ♦ Volkian Revolution | ||
Important Figures (Past and Present): Yuliya Surkova ♦ Aleksey Pushkarev ♦ Stefan Gurkovsky ♦ Ivan Ogarkov ♦ Vasily Tolmachyov ♦ Yulian Lebedev | ||