KDU-ČSL

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Czech political party

title: "KDU-ČSL" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["kdu-čsl", "catholic-political-parties", "christian-democratic-parties-in-the-czech-republic", "political-parties-in-czechoslovakia", "socially-conservative-parties-in-the-czech-republic", "1919-establishments-in-czechoslovakia", "political-parties-established-in-1919", "member-parties-of-the-european-people's-party", "centrist-political-parties-in-the-czech-republic", "regionalist-parties-in-the-czech-republic", "pro-european-political-parties-in-the-czech-republic"] description: "Czech political party" topic_path: "politics" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KDU-ČSL" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Czech political party ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox political party"]

FieldValue
countrythe Czech Republic
nameChristian and Democratic Union – Czechoslovak People's Party
abbreviationKDU-ČSL
colorcode
native_nameKřesťanská a demokratická unie – Československá strana lidová
logoKDU-CSL Logo 2012.svg
logo_size200
chairmanMarek Výborný
leader1_titleDeputy Leaders
leader1_namePavel Bělobrádek

Jiří Horák Eduard Hulicius Václav Pláteník | | leader2_title | Secretary General | | leader2_name | Pavel Hořava | | leader3_title | Chamber of Deputies Leader | | leader3_name | Aleš Dufek | | leader4_title | Senate Leader | | leader4_name | Josef Klement | | leader5_title | MEP Leader | | leader5_name | Tomáš Zdechovský | | founder | Jan Šrámek | | foundation | | | merger | MSKSSM, KNKSM, ČKSSKČ, KNKSČ, KSL | | ideology | {{ubl| | | Social conservatism{{refn|{{Cite web|first | Chris|last=Terry|title=Christian and Democratic Union – Czechoslovak People's Party (KDU-CSL)|url=http://www.demsoc.org/christian-and-democratic-union-czechoslovak-peoples-party-kdu-csl/|url-status=dead|website=The Democratic Society|date=20 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180627005453/http://www.demsoc.org/christian-and-democratic-union-czechoslovak-peoples-party-kdu-csl/|archive-date=27 June 2018}}}} | | position | {{nowrap|Centre to centre-right{{refn| | | * {{Cite book|first | Dorothea|last=Keudel-Kaiser|title=Government Formation in Central and Eastern Europe: The Case of Minority Governments|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=bChpDwAAQBAJ&dq=Centre-right+KDU&pg=PA105|year=2014|publisher=Budrich UniPress Ltd.|page=105|isbn=978-3-86388-237-2 |access-date=29 August 2014}} | | newspaper | Nový Hlas | | think_tank | Institute for Christian Democratic Politics | | wing1_title | Women's wing | | wing1 | Women's Association | | youth_wing | Young Populars | | national | Spolu | | membership | 17,957 | | international | Centrist Democrat International Historical: White International | | european | European People's Party | | europarl | European People's Party Group | | colors | Yellow Blue | | headquarters | Palác Charitas, Karlovo náměstí 5, Prague | | website | | | flag | Flag of KDU-ČSL.svg | | seats1_title | Chamber of Deputies | | seats1 | | | seats2_title | Senate | | seats2 | | | seats3_title | European Parliament | | seats3 | | | seats4_title | Regional councils | | seats4 | | | seats5_title | Governors of the regions | | seats5 | | | seats6_title | Local councils | | seats6 | | ::

| country = the Czech Republic | name = Christian and Democratic Union – Czechoslovak People's Party | abbreviation = KDU-ČSL | colorcode = | native_name = Křesťanská a demokratická unie – Československá strana lidová | logo = KDU-CSL Logo 2012.svg | logo_size = 200 | chairman = Marek Výborný | leader1_title = Deputy Leaders | leader1_name = Pavel Bělobrádek

Jiří Horák Eduard Hulicius Václav Pláteník | leader2_title = Secretary General | leader2_name = Pavel Hořava | leader3_title = Chamber of Deputies Leader | leader3_name = Aleš Dufek | leader4_title = Senate Leader | leader4_name = Josef Klement | leader5_title = MEP Leader | leader5_name = Tomáš Zdechovský | founder = Jan Šrámek | foundation = | merger = MSKSSM, KNKSM, ČKSSKČ, KNKSČ, KSL | ideology = {{ubl| |Christian democracy |Social conservatism | position = {{nowrap|Centre to centre-right{{refn|

History

After the collapse of the Habsburg monarchy, the dissolution of Austria-Hungary, and the formation of the First Czechoslovak Republic, Jan Šrámek helped unite a number of Catholic political parties to create the Czechoslovak People's Party (ČSL) in 1919. The party remained continuously active throughout the twentieth century. After the German occupation of Czechoslovakia, Šrámek served as head of the Czechoslovak government in exile in the United Kingdom. After 1945, ČSL was part of the national unity government, forming its most right-wing section. It was one of many parties brought together in the National Front, which was initially a tripartisme-style coalition meant to drive out the Nazis, but was permanently used by the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia (KSČ) to control political and social activities in the country, especially after the 1948 Czechoslovak coup d'etat.

Since the Velvet Revolution in 1989, the party has participated in almost every Czech government. In the June 2006 parliamentary election, KDU-ČSL won 7.2% of the vote and 13 out of 200 seats. However, in the 2010 election, its vote share dropped to 4.4%, and the party lost all of its seats. The party regained its parliamentary representation in the 2013 parliamentary election, winning 14 seats in the new parliament, thus becoming the first party ever to return to the Chamber of Deputies after previously dropping out.

In 2015, the KDU-ČSL leadership established a think tank, the Institute for Christian Democratic Politics (Institut pro křesťansko-demokratickou politiku), to promote Christian Democratic political ideas. The foundation's headquarters are located in the party's headquarters in Palác Charitas in Prague.

On 12 April 2017, KDU-ČSL signed an agreement with STAN to participate in 2017 parliamentary election as a coalition. Coalition needed to get more 10% of votes get over threshold. The coalition disintegrated before the election, thus the party went into the elections standalone, receiving 5.8% of votes.

In March 2019 the party was officially renamed to its common abbreviation, KDU-ČSL, and Marek Výborný became the new party leader. After the death of his wife, Výborný announced his resignation in November 2019 for personal reasons.

Membership

KDU-ČSL had 27,662 Members in 2015, the second largest member base of any party in the Czech Republic. The number has been decreasing since the 1990s when the party had 100,000 members.

::data[format=table]

19911992199920082012201320142015201620192025
95,43588,00080,00060,00040,00033,00029,97628,54127,66226,42021,870
::

Party strongholds

KDU-ČSL is known to have very strong electoral core concentrated primarily in South Moravia. The party has very stable electoral support thanks to the rural voters in Moravia and has managed to gain seats in the Chamber of Deputies during every election cycle in the Czech Republic since 1990 with the exception of 2010.

Names over time

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9a/Karlovo_náměstí,_zastávka_Moráň,_budova_KDU-ČSL.jpg" caption="Headquarters of KDU ČSL, Charitas Palace in Prague"] ::

Leaders

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4e/Jiří_Čunek_in_2019.jpg" caption="Zlín region]] [[Jiří Čunek"] ::

Symbols

KDU-ČSL had many symbols through history, with the current logo depicting a Christian cross on a linden leaf.

Logos

Historical logo of the Czechoslovak People's Party.svg|Party symbol, 1930s Czechoslovak People's Party historical logo.svg|Party logo, 1945–1992 KDU-CSL Logo Alt.png|Party logo, 1992–2006 KDU-CSL Logo.jpg|Party logo, 2006–2012 KDU-CSL Logo 2012.svg|Current logo, since 2012 KDU-ČSL Lidovci.svg|Electoral logo, 2024

Election results

Czechoslovakia wide elections

Legislative elections

::data[format=table]

DateLeaderVotesSeatsPosition#%#±Size192019251929193519461948195419601964197119761981198619901992
Collective leadership699,72811.3332ndOpposition
Jan Šrámek691,2389.723rdCoalition
Jan Šrámek623,3408.465thCoalition
Jan Šrámek615,8047.536thCoalition
Jan Šrámek1,111,00915.7243rdCoalition
as part of National Front234thBloc
33rdBloc
44thBloc
44thBloc
124thBloc
34thBloc
13rdBloc
14thBloc
Josef Bartončík629,3595.925th
Josef Lux388,1224.027thCoalition
::

Devolved assembly elections

Czech assembly elections

::data[format=table]

DateLeaderVotesSeatsPosition#%#±Size1968197119761981198619901992
as part of National Front253rdBloc
102ndBloc
13rdBloc
02ndBloc
02ndBloc
Josef Bartončík607,1348.4264thCoalition
Josef Lux406,3416.2855thCoalition
::

Slovak assembly elections

::data[format=table]

DateLeaderVotesSeatsPosition#%#±Size19281935
Martin Mičura43,6893.3128th–
Martin Mičura30,5632.0210th–
::

Czech Republic wide elections

Legislative elections

::data[format=table]

DateLeaderVotesSeatsPosition#%#±Size199619982002200620102013201720212025
Josef Lux489,3498.0834th
Josef Lux537,0138.9924th
Cyril Svoboda680,67014.27114th
Part of Coalition, which won 31 seats in total
Miroslav Kalousek386,7067.23184th
Cyril Svoboda229,7174.39136thNo seats
Pavel Bělobrádek336.9706.78147th
Pavel Bělobrádek293,6435.8047th
Marian Jurečka1,493,70127.79132nd
Part of Spolu coalition, which won 71 seats in total
Marek Výborný1,313,34623.472nd
Part of Spolu coalition, which won 52 seats in total
::

Senate elections

::data[format=table]

ElectionFirst roundSecond roundSeats gainedTotal seatsVotes%No.Votes%No.199619982000200220042006200820102012201420162018202020222024
274,3169.94th247,81910.73rd
255,78526.62nd166,48331.02nd
121,35514.14th137,51524.42nd
58,8588.84th47,0495.74th
97,95613.53rd54,50111.43rd
125,38811.84th59,60310.43rd
82,8707.9-42,2255.13-
87,1827.64th42,9906.324th
61,0066.944th14,9952.924th
84,3288.215th77,10316.272nd
74,7098.485th78,44818.502nd
99,3839.124th34,8338.335th
82,8148.304th65,39714.473rd
120,97210.873rd74,69615.573rd
46,5185.864th15,6354.005th
::

Presidential

::data[format=table]

Indirect ElectionCandidateFirst round resultSecond round resultThird round resultVotes%VotesResultVotes%VotesResultVotes%VotesResult1993199820032008
Independent (politician)}}" width="2px"Václav Havel10963.37—
Independent (politician)}}" width="2px"Václav Havel13070.6514652.3—
Czech Social Democratic Party}}" width="2px"(Petr Pithart)12846.5512948.1312446.6
Civic Democratic Party (Czech Republic)}}" width="2px"Václav Klaus14150.9014152.8114155.95
::

::data[format=table]

Direct ElectionCandidateFirst round resultSecond round resultVotes%VotesResultVotes%VotesResult201320182023
Christian and Democratic Union – Czechoslovak People's Party}}" width="2px"Zuzana Roithová255,0454.956thsupported Karel Schwarzenberg
Independent (politician)}}" width="2px"Jiří Drahoš1,369,60126.602,701,20648.63
Independent (politician)}}" width="2px"Petr Pavel1,975,05635.403,358,92658.33
Independent (politician)}}" width="2px"Danuše Nerudová777,08013.93supported Petr Pavel
Independent (politician)}}" width="2px"Pavel Fischer376,7056.75supported Petr Pavel
::

European Parliament

::data[format=table]

ElectionList leaderVotes%Seats+/–EP Group20042009201420192024
Zuzana Roithová223,3839.57 (#4)NewEPP-ED
180,4517.64 (#4)0EPP
Pavel Svoboda150,7929.95 (#5)1
171,7237.24 (#6)1
Alexandr Vondra661,25022.27 (#2)1
::

Local elections

::data[format=table]

YearVoteVote %Seats
19908,845,56211,58,083
19949,260,5427.237,616
19987,206,34611.187,119
20027,728,4029.586,013
20066,263,9805.765,049
20104,938,9605.473,738
20144,865,9564.913,792
20185,599,3365.023,633
::

Regional elections

::data[format=table]

YearVoteVote %SeatsPlaces
2000537,01222.862nd
2004226,01610.674th
2008193,9116.654th
2012261,7249.874th
2016159,6106.305th
2020252,5989.125th
::

[[2020 Czech regional elections|2020 Czech regional election]] results

::data[format=table] | Region | Coalition partner | # of overall votes | % of overall vote | Seats | Governance | # | ± | Position | Central Bohemian | South Bohemian | Plzeň | Karlovy Vary | Ústí nad Labem | Liberec | Hradec Králové | Pardubice | Vysočina | South Moravian | Olomouc | Zlín | Moravian-Silesian | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | STAN | 92,903 | 22.21 | | 2 | 5th | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | TOP 09 | 20,798 | 10.45 | | | 6th | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ADS and Non-Partisans | 7,588 | 4.36 | | 2 | 11th | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ODS | 5,870 | 7.35 | | 1 | 8th | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ODS | 24,739 | 12.37 | | 1 | 8th | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | TOP 09 | 5,328 | 3.83 | | | 7th | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | VPM and Non-Partisans | 14,738 | 8.32 | | | 5th | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | SNK-ED and Non-Partisans | 22,280 | 13.41 | | 1 | 5th | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 19,082 | 11.96 | | 1 | 3rd | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 56,423 | 15.54 | | | 2nd | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | TOP 09 and Greens | 34,519 | 18.43 | | 1 | 4th | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 35,782 | 18.62 | | 3 | 2nd | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 30,190 | 9.57 | | 1 | 4th | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ::

Notes

References

References

  1. Terry, Chris. (20 February 2014). "Christian and Democratic Union – Czechoslovak People's Party (KDU-CSL)".
  2. (23 May 2015). "Czech KDU-CSL congress re-elects Belobradek party chairman".
  3. (28 May 2025). "Politická strana KDU-ČSL". iDNES.cz.
  4. (16 August 2025). "Lidovci zradili svou misi: Od konzervativních hrdinů k liberálním impotentům". Info.cz.
  5. Trojan, František. (18 October 2024). "Lidovci pokračují středem. Čunek neuspěl, Výborný se vrací jako předseda". Respekt.
  6. (28 November 2021). "Czech president appoints coalition leader Petr Fiala as new PM". Al Jazeera.
  7. (4 June 2016). "Q&A: Czech election". [[BBC]].
  8. https://archiv.hn.cz/c1-67764480-politicka-pustina-stranam-se-stale-nedari-nalakat-nove-cleny-ti-puvodni-odchazeji-po-tisicich-proc-je-uspesna-jen-spd
  9. "Lidovci Základní Manuál Značky".
  10. "Stanovy".
  11. Nordsieck, Wolfram. (15 September 2019). "Czechia".
  12. Magone, José. (2010). "Contemporary European Politics: A Comparative Introduction". Routledge.
  13. "KDU-ČSL - Who We are".
  14. Alte, Rüdiger. (2003). "Die Auenpolitik der Tschechoslowakei und die Entwicklung der internationalen Beziehungen 1946-1947". Oldenbourg Verlag.
  15. "Czech Republic - Stalinization".
  16. Velinger, Jan. (26 October 2013). "Social Democrats win election but result is poorer than expected".
  17. Koubova, Karolina. (8 November 2021). "Vláda musí říct, kde vybere peníze, na kom dokáže ušetřit peníze, upozorňuje politolog Eichler". Cesky Rozhlas.
  18. "Institut pro křesťansko-demokratickou politiku, z.ú., ⇒ IČO: 04600240 - Obchodní rejstřík".
  19. (12 April 2017). "Lidovci a Starostové podepsali koaliční smlouvu, za premiéra chtějí Bělobrádka". [[Czech Television]].
  20. (18 July 2017). "Koalice nebude. Vedení KDU-ČSL vyzvalo STAN, ať vstoupí na jejich kandidátky". [[Mafra (company).
  21. (30 March 2019). "Lidovci zvolili vedení a upravili název strany na zkratku KDU-ČSL".
  22. Kenety, Brian. (18 November 2019). "Christian Democrat Leader May Resign in the Wake of Wife's Death".
  23. Martínek, Jan. (12 April 2015). "Stranám utíkají i vymírají členové po tisících". Borgis.
  24. (7 May 2008). "Členům KSČM je v průměru 70 let, zjistila si strana". Borgis.
  25. (12 April 2015). "Stranám utíkají i vymírají členové po tisících". Borgis.
  26. "Základny tradičních politických stran klesají, mnohé partaje proto sbírají registrované příznivce".
  27. (30 May 2019). "Sjezd KDU-ČSL rozhoduje o budoucnosti Čunka i celé strany". Mafra.
  28. "KDU manuál 2012".
  29. Šídlo, Jindřich. (15 January 2008). "Lidovci jsou pro Klause". [[Economia]].
  30. [https://volby.cz/pls/kz2020/kz11?xjazyk=CZ&xv=2&xt=3 Czech Statistical Office]
  31. Kašpar, Mirko. (14 December 2020). "Přehledně: Všechny kraje už mají vedení. Starostové a ODS získali čtyři hejtmany".

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kdu-čslcatholic-political-partieschristian-democratic-parties-in-the-czech-republicpolitical-parties-in-czechoslovakiasocially-conservative-parties-in-the-czech-republic1919-establishments-in-czechoslovakiapolitical-parties-established-in-1919member-parties-of-the-european-people's-partycentrist-political-parties-in-the-czech-republicregionalist-parties-in-the-czech-republicpro-european-political-parties-in-the-czech-republic