Czechoslovak People's Party (WFAC)

The Czechoslovak People's Party (Czech: Československá strana lidová, ČSL, often shortened to lidovci) is a Christian democratic and social conservative political party in Czechoslovakia. It is the major catch-all party of the centre-right in Czechoslovak politics. The ČSLA forms the ČSL/SĽS grouping in the Federal Assembly with its Slovak sister party the Slovak People's Party (SĽS). It is similar to the CDU/CSU of Germany in terms of ideology.

While the ČSL was formed in 1919, the party merged in 1945 with the conservative agrarian Republican Party of Farmers and Peasants (RSZML) in order to form a mass-appeal centre-right party and a counterweight to the Social Democratic Party and the Communist Party.

The leader of the ČSL, Miroslav Kalousek, was Prime Minister of Czechoslovakia from 2007 to 2013 and is the current leader of the opposition. The ČSL is a member of the Centrist Democrat International, International Democrat Union and European People's Party (EPP).

First republic (1919–1938)
Towards the end of the 19th century Roman Catholics in Bohemia and Moravia joined political movements inside Cisleithanian Austria-Hungary. The Christian-Social Party was set up in September 1894 in Litomyšl, and the Catholic National Party in Moravia was set up in September 1896 in Přerov. The Czechoslovak People's Party was created in January 1919 in Prague, reuniting other Catholic parties, and monsignor Jan Šrámek was selected as its chairman. In 1921, the ČSL entered the government of Czechoslovakia, and was subsequently part of governing coalitions regardless of political changes.

Post-war (since 1945)
Immediately following the end of World War II, the need for a new political order in Czechoslovakia was paramount. While the Czechoslovak parliamentary system before the war had been characterized by its moderate and cooperating politicians willing to cooperate (like Antonín Švehla of the Agrarian Party, Alois Rašín of the National Democrats, Rudolf Bechyně of the Social Democratic Party, Jiří Stříbrný of the Czechoslovak National Socialist Party and Jan Šrámek of the People's Party), the number of political parties had made rapid reaction and decision impossible. The idea of a political merger was not new. Antonín Švehla, the former chairman of the Republican Party and prime minister between 1922–1926 and 1926–1929, had in 1933 voiced his concerns about Czechoslovakia's parliamentary system and the relatively large number of political parties, which made rapid reaction and decision impossible. Švehla wanted to change the electoral code and reduce the number of parties through mergers, so that consensus would be easier to orchestrate.

Simultaneous yet unrelated meetings began occurring in the Republican Party of Farmers and Peasants (RSZML) and the People's Party regarding a possible merger into a "united party of moderates and reformers". In the People's Party, politicians like Adolf Procházka, Ivo Ducháček, Helena Koželuhová and Pavel Tigrid, wanted to transform the Peoples Party into a non-socialist mass-appeal party. Meanwhile, Republican politicians like Josef Černý, Ladislav Feierabend, Miloslav Rechcígl and Jozef Lettrich discussed the necessity to unify the forces on the center-right in order to offer a strong alternative to the socialist parties.

Representatives of the two parties met during the summer for discussions, and on 15 August 1945, Šrámek and Černý agreed to merge the two parties. Negotiations regarding a merger between representatives of the Republican Party, the Czechoslovak People's Party and the Hlinka Slovak People's Party were also held

The founding members of the new ČSL consisted primarily of former members of the Czechoslovak People's Party and the Republican Party.

The merged party was established on 8 September 1945Many of these individuals, including the future prime ministers of Czechoslovakia, Černý, Lettrich and Rechcígl, were imprisoned for the involvement in the Czechoslovak Resistance during the German and Hungarian occupations.

Party platform
The ČSL applies the principles of Christian democracy and emphasizes the "Christian understanding of humans." ČSL membership consists however of people adhering to a variety of religions as well as non-religious individuals. The ČSL's is considered an overall center-right party, whose policies derive from political Catholicism, Catholic social teaching and political Protestantism (Hussitism), as well as fiscal conservatism, social conservatism and some liberal economic policies.

As a conservative party, the ČSL supports stronger punishments of crimes and supports involvement on the part of the Bundeswehr in cases of domestic anti-terrorism offensives. In terms of immigrants, the ČSL supports initiatives to integrate immigrants through language courses, and aims to further control immigration. Dual citizenship should only be allowed in exceptional cases. The ČSL emphasises curtailing red tape and the preservation of cultural traditions. The ČSL positions themselves as a family-friendly party. They support increased benefits for families with children, as well as single parents. On life issues, the party opposes euthanasia, and abortion, though it can support abortion in cases of rape or when the mother's life is at risk.

In terms of foreign policy, the ČSL commits itself to European integration, NATO and a strong relation with the United States.

Opponents of the ČSL are the Czechoslovak Social Democratic Party (ČSSD) and the Communist Party (KSČ). The CDU has however governed in three federal-level and numerous state-level Grand Coalitions with the ČSL. The ČSL rejects coalitions with either far-left or far-right parties.

The Free Democrats - Liberal Party (SD-LS), a classical liberal party, is the preferred partner of any ČSL government since the ČSL and SD-LS have similar attitudes towards fiscal policy and European integration.

National level

 * Czech National Assembly (since 1946)