| Country: | the Czech Republic |
| Civic Movement | |
| Native Name: | Občanské hnutí |
| Leader: | Jiří Dienstbier |
| Predecessor: | Civic Forum |
| Dissolution: | December 1995 |
| Merged: | Free Democrats – Liberal National Social Party |
| Ideology: | Liberalism Social liberalism |
| Position: | Centre to centre-left[1] |
| International: | Liberal International |
| European: | ELDR (affiliate) |
The Civic Movement (Czech: Občanské hnutí, OH) was a liberal political party based in the Czech Republic, which existed from 1991 to 1995. The party was established after the break-up of Civic Forum by the liberal wing of Civic Forum, while the conservative wing established the Civic Democratic Party.[2] Foreign Minister Jiří Dienstbier was elected leader of the Civic Movement. The party participated in the 1992 legislative election but failed to reach the required 5% threshold and was left without parliamentary representation.
The party then renamed itself as the Free Democrats (Svobodní demokraté, SD),[3] modelled on the Free Democratic Party of Germany, as the party tried to position itself as a more clearcut liberal party.[4] The party joined the Liberal International and was admitted as an affiliate to the European Liberal Democrats and Reformists (ELDR) in 1994.[5]
In December 1995 the Free Democrats merged with the Liberal National Social Party (successor to the former bloc party Czechoslovak Socialist Party) and formed the Free Democrats – Liberal National Social Party (SD-LSNS), which was again, however, unsuccessful in the 1996 legislative election.[6] [7] Some former members of OH established the Party for the Open Society in 1998.
| Year | Vote | Vote % | Seats | Place | Notes | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | ... | ... | 1st | Split from Civic Forum in 1991 | ||
| 1992 | 297,406 | 4.6 | 9th | |||
| 1996 | 124,165 | 2.05 | 9th | as Free Democrats – Liberal National Social Party | ||