The Liberal Party, founded in 2005, is one of the four largest political parties in the Resurgent Dream. It is currently the second largest party is the ruling Progressive Coalition after the Labor Party. The Liberals control the legislatures of eight principalities in their own right and one more in coalition.

Among the major Danaan parties, the Liberal Party is considered to be to the left on social issues and in the center on economic issues. Many on the left, including some left-wing factional leaders of the Labor and Green Parties, consider that the Liberal Party is actually right-wing in nature.

The current leader of the Liberal Party in Parliament is Minerva Karamanlis, the Viscountess Kairis, a former Prime Minister. The National Secretary of the Party is Hopcyn Davenold.

History

Beginnings

The Liberal Party's origins lie in the original Modernist Party founded by Talfryn James in 1749. This party began on the fringes of Danaan politics but steadily grew under the leadership of such prominent popular political figures as Joscelin Abeille, Hilario Cabrini, and Ari Janois. By 1756, the majority of the common people were clear supporters of the Modernists. However, as representation was still far from democratic during that period, the Traditionalist Party remained in power. It was not until 1859 that important clerics in the Church of Dana, inspired by the theological teachings of Elicia Bondre, began to join the Modernists and they began to gain significant numbers in Parliament. In 1911, Lady Juliet ni Gwydion became the first titled noble to officially join the Modernist Party and she took to Modernist politics with extraordinary zeal. For her willingness to work with the common people, her fervor in denouncing her the undemocratic way Parliament was then organized, and her well-known lack of affectation, Lady Juliet was commonly dubbed "the People's Lady." She was first elected to Parliament in 1914 and became Parliamentary Leader of the Modernist Party in 1922. She held this post until 1990, when the Modernists gained a narrow plurality and were able to pull together a loose coalition under Lady Juliet's Prime Ministership. As soon as High Queen Agwene granted universal suffrage, however, new elections were called which saw an overwhelming Modernist win and the replacement of Lady Juliet with Vincenzo Lacau as Prime Minister. Lacau was the first non-titled Prime Minister of the Resurgent Dream ever.

When the Modernist Party collapsed following the Shattering, most of its leader founded a new party, the Liberal Party. It was a party more suited to the modern world than the Modernist Party had been, embodying an approach based upon centrism in economics and liberalism on social questions. In addition to the Modernists, the Liberals also drew many former members of the Reformer, Redeemer, and Moderate Parties.