Radical Party of Chile (Napoleon's World)

The Radical Party (Span: Partido Radical) of Chile is a political party, often referred to post-1990 as the "New Radical Party" (Partido Radical Nuevo). Beginning as an anticlericalist party in the 1860's after its split with the Liberal Party, the Radical Party saw moderate support during the Good Years and emerged as a kingmaker party after electing a President, Manuel Antonio Matta, in 1888, though he tragically died in office. With Matta legitimizing the party and the Radicals successfully reducing the power of the Catholic Church in the Constitution thanks to reforms in the 1890's, the party became mainstreamed and emerged as the main center party, with its sympathies largely on the left to bulwark the more center-right Liberals and right-wing Conservatives. The Radical Party's best years were in the late 1930's and 1940's, when they held the Presidency for twelve consecutive years and held a two-term majority in the Congress. Post-1948, the party became entangled in its loyalties to the United Left, which consisted of both the Radical Left Party, the Socialist Party and the Communist Party. The Radicals became an ally party of the United Left following the collapse of the Conservatives in the 1950's and the declining influence of the Liberals, and became a minority party in the Communist Era in which they were not banned from political activity but were banned from holding seats in the Congress. The Radicals reemerged post-1990 as the New Radicals, positing a generally centrist policy standpoint but desiring to avoid being involved in coalition politics due to their experience being subjugated by the Communists. As a minor party, the Radicals have the third-most seats out of any political group in Chile in the Congress (behind CND and UPD), and the 2010 Radical candidate for President, Enrique Francisco Vargas, placed third in the first round of balloting.