Free Liberal Party

The Free Liberal Party (Dutch: Vrije Liberale Partij) is a major centre-right political party in Brunant. The ideology of the party is based upon classical liberalism, and focuses on the rights of the individual. The Free Liberal Party is currently the oldest party in Brunant (although it has been renamed since its founding), founded in 1883, and the third largest by members, after the Social Democratic Party and Christian Democratic Union. The current party chairman is Eric Peitersson, Senator from Drenthe Parish. Its slogan is "Free Minds, Free Labor, Free Trade".

History
The Free Liberal Party is one of the longest lived political parties in Brunant. Founded in 1883, as the Liberal Party, two years after the Liberal Revolution, it quickly became a powerful force in Brunanter politics, and provided many Presidents and Prime Ministers. Together with its rival, the White Party, they usually formed the largest parties in Congress, up until the Great Depression of the 1930s and the rise of the Social Democratic Party, when the Liberal Party began to lose power. Originally a centrist economic party, the Liberals gradually re-aligned themselves to a libertarian stance on both social and economic issues by the 1970s, and rebranded themselves as the Free Liberal Party in 1976, emphasizing their pro-freedom stance on many issues. In 2010 the Front for Freedom merged with the FLP. Currently, it is the third largest party in Congress, behind the Social Democratic Party and Christian Democratic Union.

Political Issues

 * The FLP is the only major party that advocates strongly for localism, meaning that they tend to support having regulations concerning land zoning/usage, transportation initiatives, firearms usage etc. to be handled at the municipal and/or parish levels as opposed to at the national level.

Social Issues

 * Equal rights under the law for LGBT individuals and couples. The official party platform supports same-sex marriage; however, many supporters simply wish for equal rights in civil unions.
 * Revision and/or replacement of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy in the military.
 * Removal of most restrictions to gun ownership and usage. Supports a 'Castle Doctrine' law in regards to self-defense while on one's property or in one's home. There is a growing movement within the party to support carry laws for handguns for self-defense.
 * Revising welfare laws and funding to ensure a streamlined and lower-cost welfare system. There is a wide spectrum of thought within the party in regards to the issue, ranging from those wishing to end most programs altogether to moderates who simply call for a reduction of wasteful spending.
 * Supports legalization of marijauna as well as a reduction in regulation of other "soft" drugs, such as alcohol and tobacco. In general, the FLP does not support additional "morality taxes" on such drugs, preferring them to be regulated like all other commodities.

Economic Issues

 * Keeping the tax burden at a minimum for all tax brackets.
 * Leave the Eurozone in order to mantain sound financial and monetary policy. Supports an alternative currency as opposed to the Euro.
 * Repealing the death and capital gains tax, and making up for lost revenue with a national progressive sales tax.
 * Free trade, with reduced import-export restrictions.

Foreign Policy and Military
The FLP is softly Eurosceptic, and as detailed above they generally support leaving the Eurozone. Many members are now moving towards the position of wishing to leave the EU entirely, though they remain in the minority.
 * The FLP leans isolationist, though in a Eurosceptic and not xenophobic manner.
 * Supports a downsized but better-equipped fighting force, focused on territorial defense rather than international endeavors such as participating in UN peacekeeping forces.

Constituency and Demographic Makeup
The FLP's current members consist primarily of 3 demographics: young urban and suburban professionals generally supportive of the CDU's economic policies but dissatisfied with its social positions, libertarians and human rights activists fearful of government power, and rural voters who identify strongly with the party's position on gun control and the death tax. While most of the FLP tends to be somewhat right-wing, there are left-wingers in the party who prefer the FLP's no-compromise focus on individual rights and equality to the SDP's more mainstream left-wing politics.







From a wider perspective, the FLP's voters tend to be younger, maler, and less religious than the national average. Income-wise, they tend to be upper-middle class.

Notable Members

 * Eric Peitersson, Chairman, Senator.
 * Anne McCann, Senator.