Civic Democratic Party (Czech Republic)
The Civic Democratic Party (Czech: Občanská demokratická strana, ODS) is the largest conservative political party in the Czech Republic. It holds 53 seats in the Chamber of Deputies, making it the second-largest party. Civic Democratic Party has been in government since 2006: with TOP 09 and Public Affairs, with leader Petr Nečas as Prime Minister, since June 2010.
The ODS is liberal conservative, and is notably Eurosceptic. It is modelled on the British Conservative Party, with whom the Civic Democrats ally through the Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists and ECR group. Internationally, it is aligned with the International Democratic Union.
The party was founded by Václav Klaus in 1991 as the pro-free market wing of the Civic Forum. The party won the 1992 election, and has remained in government for most of the Czech Republic's independence. Then-leader Mirek Topolánek served as Prime Minister from 2006 to 2009. It is currently led by Petr Nečas, who succeeded Topolánek in 2010. In the 2010 election, the party lost 28 seats, finishing second, but as the largest party right of the centre, it formed a centre-right government with Nečas as Prime Minister.
Read more about Civic Democratic Party (Czech Republic): Ideology, Election Results, Leaders
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