Front Party

Front Party

Fronto partija
Front Party Fronto partija
Leader	Algirdas Paleckis
Founded	2008
Dissolved	2009
Succeeded by	Socialist People's Front
Headquarters	Vilnius, Kaštonų g. 4
Ideology	Democratic socialism (officially); Socialism; Left-wing nationalism
Political position	Far-left
Colours	Red
Website
	fronte.lt
	Politics of Lithuania; Political parties; Elections;

The Front Party (Lithuanian: Fronto partija, abbreviated FRONTAS) was a socialist political party in Lithuania established in 2008 by Algirdas Paleckis. It participated in the 2008 Lithuanian parliamentary elections but failed to reach the 5% cutoff and sent no members to the Seimas.

On December 19, 2009 the party merged with the Lithuanian Socialist Party to establish a new political party, the Socialist People's Front.

Ideology

The party is considered socialist,^[1] clearly advancing leftist values and advocating reforms to the Lithuanian Constitution. The party supports an interventionist policy on economic matters ("The market must be regulated and limited").

The party promised during the parliamentary elections to reduce the number of Seimas members to 121 and to expand the powers of the president.

Socialist People's Front

On December 19, 2009, the Front Party merged with the Lithuanian Socialist Party at a meeting in Vilnius. The new party was named the Socialist People's Front (Lithuanian: Socialistinis liaudies frontas). At the meeting, held at Vilnius University, 102 party delegates participated. In voting for the merger, 96 delegates were in favor, three against, and one abstained. The new party was registered at the Ministry of Justice, and its ideology was democratic socialist.^[2]

Notable members

Algirdas Paleckis, leader of the party from its creation to dissolution
Audrius Butkevičius (2008-2009), one of the most active members, former minister of National Defence

Controversy

According to investigation by the State Security Department of Lithuania, Paleckis was supported by the business group MG Baltic, led by Darius Mockus, throughout his political career and maintained ties with the group even after the establishment of the Front Party.^[3]