This article gives an overview of liberalism in the Czech lands. It is limited to liberal parties with substantial support, mainly proved by having had a representation in parliament. The sign ⇒ denotes another party in that scheme. For inclusion in this scheme it is not necessary that parties label themselves as a liberal party. Background When liberalism started in Bohemia and Moravia, the Czech lands were member states of Austria-Hungary. Liberals in the region started as part of the conservative nationalist National Party (Národní strana) or Old Czechs, but from 1874 they formed their own party: the National Liberal Party (Národní strana svobodomyslná), also known as the Young Czechs. Czech liberals usually do not call themselves liberals, but prefer labels such as progressive or even national socialist (which has nothing to do with the German variant). History The liberal movement is currently unsuccessful in this country. Liberal parties are small or in decline and are unable to cooperate. They were unsuccessful at the 2004 European elections. At these elections the European Democrats (Evropští demokraté) proved to be a liberal alternative, but it joined the EPP. National Liberal Party 1874: Liberals in Bohemia seceded from the National Party and formed the National Liberal Party. 1889: A faction of the National Party joined the National Liberal Party. 1897: The ⇒ Radical Progressive Party seceded from the party. 1899: The ⇒ Czech State Rights Radical Party seceded from the party. 1900: A faction seceded as the ⇒ Czech People's Party. 1918: The party merged with the ⇒ Czech State Rights Radical Party, the National Party and others into the mainly conservative Czech State Rights Democrats (Česká státoprávní demokracie), renamed in 1919 as the Czechoslovak National Democracy (Československá národní demokracie). 1924: Allies of president Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk left the party to form the ⇒ National Labour Party. 1934: After the party developed into a national-conservative party, it joined the National Unification (Národní sjedonocení). Czech People's Party / Czech Progressive Party 1887: A second faction of liberals seceded from the National Party and joined the ⇒ National Liberal Party in 1889. 1900: This faction formed the Czech People's Party (Česká strana lidová). 1906: The party absorbed the ⇒ Radical Progressive Party and was renamed Czech Progressive Party (Česka strana pokroková). 1918: The party disappeared, members joined the ⇒ Czech State Rights Democrats and the ⇒ Czech Socialist Party Radical Progressive Party 1897: The Radical