Liberals in Coalition

Tips and Advice Before, During and After Government

International Office UK Liberal Democrats Liberals in Coalition | International Office | UK Liberal Democrats 2 3

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction p. 5 UK Deputy Prime Minister - Rt Hon Nick Clegg MP

Foreword p. 6 Head of the International Office, UK Liberal Democrats - Iain Gill

Note from the Editor p. 7 Editor, Project Manager: Liberals in Coalitions - Peter Lesniak

1. BEFORE

1.1. FORMING A COALITION BEFORE ELECTIONS? p. 8 Do you voice your coalition intentions, or keep your options open?

1.2. TO GOVERN, OR NOT TO GOVERN? p. 10 Do we enter the coalition? Who would be the best partner?

1.3. WHO NEGOTIATES THE COALITION DEAL? p. 12 Who to involve in coalition negotiations?

1.4. ARE EXTERNAL NEGOTIATORS INVOLVED? p. 13 Is there a role for civil service or external specialists?

Copyright © 2014 Liberal Democrats International Office 1.5. CASE STUDIES – PREPARING FOR COALITION NEGOTIATIONS p. 14 All Rights Reserved p. 16 No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any 1.6. HOW DO WE COMMUNICATE INTERNALLY? means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without Who do we consult with? How is the party informed of the process? the prior written permission of the editor. 1.7. HOW DO WE GET OUR PROGRAMME RIGHT? p. 17 International Office Which issues do we choose to fight for during negotiations? UK Liberal Democrats

8-10 Great George Street 1.8. HOW TO NEGOTIATE THE BEST DEAL? p. 21 London, SW1P 3AE How to ensure that our key policies are part of the negotiated agreement? United Kingdom 1.9. WHAT ABOUT THE COALITION AGREEMENT? p. 22 [email protected] Do we write a ‘coalition agreement’ at the end of negotiations? http://www.libdems.org.uk/international https://twitter.com/LibDemInternat

Liberals in Coalition | International Office | UK Liberal Democrats 4 5 INTRODUCTION Rt Hon Nick Clegg MP 2. DURING UK Deputy Prime Minister 2.1. WHAT IF THEY STEAL OUR POLICIES? p. 25 Leader of the Liberal Democrats How do we keep our identity and make sure we own our policies? For too long the neither fair nor sustainable. 2.2. HOW DO WE MANAGE DAY-TO-DAY WORK? p. 28 United Kingdom A majority Labour government simply How do we organise and structure our work on a daily basis? – thanks in part can’t be trusted with the recovery – to our out-dat- when they were in charge they crashed 2.3. WHAT ABOUT DISAGREEMENTS BETWEEN US? p. 32 ed electoral sys- it, while a Conservative-only adminis- Is there a way of resolving disputes and disagreements in coalition? tem - has seen tration wouldn’t deliver a fair recovery pendulum politics that has swung be- that works for the whole country. tween red-blue, blue-red single party 3. AFTER Labour or Conservative governments. The 2010 election was not a flash in the pan, it was the culmination of decades p. 34 3.1. WHEN DO WE EXIT THE COALITION? In 2010, for the first time since the of movement away from class based What are the ‘red lines’? Second World War, a ‘balanced par- two-party politics, a trend which will liament’ with no clear winner led to only continue in coming years. All a formal peacetime coalition. This across the world liberals are forming p. 38 Acknowledgements meant that, for the first time, the Lib- governments – working with parties eral Democrats entered government of both left and right to help advance at a UK level, taking Ministerial posi- our cause. Those liberals across the tions across Government and deliver- globe are in their own ways building ing numerous flagship Liberal Demo- stronger economies and fairer socie- crat policies to help build a stronger ties, enabling everybody to get on in economy and a fairer society. life.

Four years on and the coalition gov- I hope this booklet, produced by our ernment has made our country fairer, International Office, with its useful tips more free, more green and more lib- to consider before, during and after eral. If we go back to the bad old days coalition will be of real help to you. - not of coalition or balanced politics, but of one of the old parties dominat- ing government on their own – then we risk an economic recovery which is Sincerely Yours,

Liberals in Coalition | International Office | UK Liberal Democrats 6 FOREWORD NOTE FROM THE EDITOR 7 Iain Gill Peter Lesniak Head of the International Office Editor, Project Manager UK Liberal Democrats Liberals in Coalition

Dear Liberal Across the world more and more liber- Dear reader, coa- and cultural backgrounds. Thus, there is Friends, as Direc- als are entering, or preparing to enter lition politics is a no one-size-fit-all rule to apply to issues tor of the Liberal government. This is why it’s so impor- rare occurrence in such distinctive as political coalitions. Democrat Inter- tant we share best practice and im- Westminster, but a national Office prove dialogue and communications common and ex- Document is divided into three thematic and Westminster between the parties to draw on those pected outcome of chapters that will help you guide your way elections in the rest through the life of a coalition government: Foundation for Democracy (WFD) invaluable experiences. Currently we of the democratic world. In fact, research programmes it gives me great pleas- are working with our sister parties in shows that in the second half of the last 1. Before - this section deals with a peri- ure to introduce this publication to Georgia (Republican Party, Free Dem- century, more than half of all governments od of time just before the government is you. Through our WFD programmes ocrats) and Moldova (Liberal Party, in the democratic world were coalitions formed. It will help you understand a dis- the Liberal Democrat international Liberal Reformist Party) to do this very of one form or another. Coalition govern- tinctive dynamics between deciding to be office provides best practice support thing. I also want to thank parties that ment is a standard in Germany, Belgium, in government and actually being part of to political parties in transition de- took time to contribute to this publi- the Netherlands, Scandinavia, Estonia and it. It will show best-practice examples of mocracies. We do this because we un- cation, including: D66 and VVD from most of the new democracies of Central coalitions negotiations, communication, derstand that if a political party wants Netherlands, Radikale Venstre from and Eastern Europe. structure of the negotiation package and to translate its ideas and values into Denmark, HNS from Croatia, Civic coalition agreements. reality it needs to be organized and List from Slovenia, Reform Party from This publication originated from the programme developed by the UK Liberal - being in government is not self-sufficient. It’s only at that point Estonia, FDP from Germany, SFP and 2. During Democrat International Office with our sis- easy. This section will explore the difficul- can it be truly competitive in elections Keskusta from Finland, MR and Open ter parties in Georgia and Moldova - a pro- ties one might face in the coalition govern- and entertain the possibility of form- VLD from Belgium, Centerpartiet from gramme of political assistance that aimed ment - keeping your identity, day-to-day ing a coalition. Sweden, DP from Luxembourg and at strengthening our partners’ positions in dealings in government and mechanisms UC from Morocco. their respective coalition governments. of resolving disputes. For most of our existence the British Liberal Democrats sat on the opposi- We can only hope this publication will This document does not aim to show you 3. After - Every coalition has its end. The tion benches in parliament, we devel- help our sister parties in transition de- everything there is to know about coali- last part will deal with how does one pre- oped progressive policies, nurtured mocracies with some ‘real-time’ prac- tion governance, but to evidence some pare to exit the coalition, and what are the the finest champions of liberalism in tical advice to consider before, during useful examples from other liberal par- red lines to take into account. the country and represented our elec- and after coalition government. ties around the world, hoping that we, as liberals, can learn from each other’s suc- I hope this publication will strengthen us, torate to very high standards. Unfortu- cesses and mistakes. While reading this as liberals, and our position not only in the nately we were squeezed out of gov- Yours, publication, remember that coalition pol- national governments, but on the interna- ernment by the dominance of either itics is too complex to apply a single rule tional stage. Thank you, and enjoy... social democrats or conservatives. In to succeed. Some examples mentioned 2010 that changed and for the first in this book will be applicable to your Yours, time in modern British history we en- political dynamics, others will not. Differ- tered coalition government. ent countries have different institutional

Liberals in Coalition | International Office | UK Liberal Democrats 8 BEFORE 9 One of the key decisions to make before we start think- ing about forming a coalition is whether we publically • (FDP, Germany): In Germany, parties mostly pre-electorally voice their in- express our willingness to partner with certain political tentions on who their preferred (or even only) coalition partner is. This, how- parties, or keep our intentions quiet and wait for the ever, does not always work in a complex political dynamics, especially if you votes to be counted. This section shows different ways are a smaller coalition partner that relies on votes from voters that are not of getting around this important decision. your typical supporters.

1.1 FORMING COALITION BEFORE ELECTIONS? Do we publically voice our coalition intentions, or keep our In 2002, FDP decided not to publically voice their coalition intentions, options open? in order to gain more independence and to counter stereotypes, which defined Liberals as an adjunct of conservatives. This attempt failed. FDP gained a result far below expectations as too many supporters • (Netherlands, VVD): The VVD never explicitly excludes any political party for future cooperation. The Netherlands is a country of coalition govern- of a conservative-liberal government decided to vote conservative. ments, so you never know who you might need in the future to govern with. For the federal elections 2005 and 2009 FDP clearly committed to

The VVD rarely choses its favourite coalition partner before the election. a conservative-liberal coalition and gained outstanding results. FDP: Germany The campaign is based on the electoral manifesto and we always focus on the policy proposals. We avoid personal criticism of other parties. The In Croatia, pre-election agreement was concluded well opponent during the elections can be your partner in government. It’s • (Croatia, HNS): important to maintain good personal relations. before the election results came to light. This agreement, however, was not binding and served only as a declaration of readiness of the parties to jointly go to the elections. A joint campaign program was agreed relative- • (Finland, Keskusta): We hold no negotiations prior to elections. Informal discussions begin immediately after the elections and the official negoti- ly easily between party representatives in charge of the program and was ations start when a new parliament has convened a few weeks after the endorsed by the presidents. The main content of the negotiations was the elections. presence of party representatives on the joint electoral lists/ordinal numbers on these lists; negotiations were run by the presidents of the parties, and final agreement was confirmed by the relevant executive bodies. • (Estonia, Reform Party): In Estonia, the president nominates the candidate You never know for the prime minister (normally it’s the “ • (Morocco, UC): Negotiations in Morocco have always been held after the leader of the party which won the elec- who you might elections and after the appointment of the head of government by the tions). We may already have an idea in King. He then undertakes negotiations with advance of this nomination with whom govern with in the political parties that agree to form a we might try to form a coalition, but we government. The Union Constitutionnelle definitely do not open any cards (what, the future! has opted for the opposition until the es- with whom, how) before the official in- tablishment of a more uniform government. In general, the Political Bureau is informed vitation to start the negotiation. If we VVD, Netherlands leak possible deals before polling day, immediately about the contact of the head it may seem that we are engaging in of government with the party invited to the campaigning activities for the other partner. If the larger party is likely to negotiating table. win, they never share intentions or promise anything before the election. If, however, party is small, they may try to get credit for showing that they are part of the big game.

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In certain situations, you have to consider whether being in government is the best option. If it is and If you are lucky enough to have a choice, you also have to think about who would be your best partner. Before deciding to take the big step, consider some of the below points from the Dutch D66 and the Danish Radikale Venstre.

1.2 TO GOVERN, OR NOT TO GOVERN? Do we enter the coalition? Who would be the best partner?

(Netherlands, D66): Do not govern racists or extremists), no relationship unless you are needed for power and is worth selling out your principles for. can set terms. If they do not need you Most importantly, don’t govern if you for a majority, you have no power and are afraid of taking decisions that will will not have leverage when this mat- cost you voters, because there will be ters. Once you make a commitment, bad polls and people will lose their make sure the party is fully on board seats. and remains there. Consider holding a party referendum (like D66 and Lib- (Denmark, Radikale Venstre): Be- Dems) to ensure a majority of the par- fore you take a decision on getting ty supports the leadership’s decision into coalition, it is worth considering to govern. Don’t do it if your party/ who would be your best coalition part- voters don’t understand why you went ner. Looked at over a long period of in, or ultimately vote against it. You time one can conclude that for a cen- need the support of your core voters trist social-liberal party coalitions to to be able to govern with confidence. the left seem to be more successful than coalitions to the right. Generally, It will also be difficult for you to main- it seems to be easier to develop the tain a strong position in a coalition if its compromises on economic policy, composition goes against the essence typically needed when cooperating of what you stand for (ex: in bed with to the left, than the compromises on matters regarding culture, civil liber- ties etc., which are typically needed Don’t govern within a coalition to the right. The “ reason is partly technical – there are typically many more parameters in- if you’re afraid volved in economic policy and thereby more scope for compromise – but of losing seats also political, because compromises on economic policy are more easily D66, Netherlands explained to both your own membership and the electorate in general.

Paun, Akash (2010) United We Stand? Coalition Government in UK; Institute for Government

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Once you’ve decided to go into government, you now have It is popular in certain countries to involve the civil service in to negotiate to include the things you care about in the pro- the negotiation process, sometimes even bringing in external gramme for government. There is no single model when it specialists and professional negotiators. In other countries, this comes to selecting the person, or the team, responsible for process is strictly political. carrying out the coalition negotiations. This, and next section will deal with the negotiating team.

1.3 WHO NEGOTIATES THE COALITION? 1.4 ARE EXTERNAL NEGOTIATORS INVOLVED? Who to involve in coalition negotiations? Is there a role for civil service or external specialists? In 2010 the narrowed to the likely governing par- (UK, Liberal Democrats): (Liberal Democrats, UK): We didn’t political circles, you never know when negotiating team consisted of 4 peo- ties, the party leader selects normally include civil servants in the negoti- you may need the knowledge and ex- ple and was appointed by the Leader one key advisor as co-negotiator. ations, despite the pressures from pertise someone possesses. of the party. The leader himself was them to be involved. We trusted that not part of that team. It was felt that : Negotiations were (Croatia, HNS) negotiations should be held between (Estonia, Reform Party): No civil ser- it was preferable for the negotiating led by the presidents of the parties and political representatives only. vice is involved in our negotiations. team to be in a position to speak with the results were subject to confirma- This might be the cultural difference authority but without necessarily be- tion by the highest bodies of parties. (Germany, FDP): In Germany, the but we believe that policy should be ing able to take the final decisions. civil service and parties are strictly drawn up by the people who have a It is important that the negotiating (Finland, Keskusta): This is defined separated. Coalition negotiations are mandate from the people not by civil team are seen to be able to effec- in our party rules. Chairman of the party-political work. service. tively represent the different sections party leads the negotiations with of the party - with a balance of “left” other leaders of the party as well as (Finland, SFP): The tradition in our ne- (Finland, Keskusta): Civil service is and “right”, and ideally the negotiat- members of the parliamentary group. gotiations is to have experts from out- used only as experts in government ing team should have the total con- In addition to them, a number of MPs side the political sphere brought in by negotiations (when a particular issue fidence of the leadership but should and other experts take part in nego- the different parties, and these peo- is discussed). Politicians do the actual also be able to represent the views of tiations about the government pro- ple can play a key role in making sure negotiating. the party membership. gramme. the right knowledge is present when needed. In other words it’s important (Netherlands, VVD): Civil servants as (Luxembourg, DP): The DP’s main (Germany, FDP): The party board to maintain a good network of people well as the statistical bureau facilitate negotiation team was composed of determines who is sent to negotiate. and specialists at all times, and one the negotiations, but politicians play the 4 leading candidates (Luxem- Historically this has been the party that stretches far beyond traditional the key role. bourg has 4 constituencies), the sec- leader, the secretary general and sev- retary general, an expert in finance, eral MPs. Normally, working groups an expert in social affairs and health with MPs specialized in the respective system and two senior advisers of the topics are formed. parliamentary group staff. (Estonia, Reform Party): It is the (Netherlands, VVD): After the elec- bureau of the party who determines tions the parliament appoints a key the negotiation team. It’s normally negotiator (an experienced person, the mix of high ranking and practical less political). Then the party leaders thinkers of the party. We had max 5 negotiate. When the negotiations are people involved in total.

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PREPARING FOR COALITION CASE STUDY 2 CENTERPARTIET – SWEDEN NEGOTIATIONS In 2004 six working groups were established: Now that you know who will be your negotiating partner(s), you have to make sure that you prepare for the process to make your best case 1. Growth (companies and jobs), and get as much out of the negotiations as possible. There are differ- 2. Justice and security ent ways to prepare, but below are case studies from Luxembourg and 3. Labour market, Sweden which might be helpful in preparing for your negotiations. 4. Education, 5. Welfare and 6. Foreign affairs. CASE STUDY 1 DP – LOUXEMBURG All groups consisted of one parliamentarian/politician from each party and one political advisor. The groups compared policies of the different parties to see In order to best prepare the negotiations for the government program, the where we agreed and where there was a potential political conflict, in prepa- three coalition partners (the DP, the Socialist party and the Green party) organ- ration for what the groups could suggest in their reports and what questions/ issues the groups needed to deliver proper answers to. The working groups ised themselves into 8 different working groups. Their mission was to prepare arranged seminars and presented reports. the ground for the main negotiations by emphasising the common features and differences of the three election programs. The working groups were composed of about 10 people, i.e. the newly elected parliamentarians, among A number of strategic agreements were also made at the start of the coalition which experienced ministers and MPs, as well as experts and personnel with work; on how the work should be done, plans for common activities such as field experience from the civil society and close to the parties. Each group fo- common parliamentary group meetings, common seminars etc. The four party cused on one main policy area: leaders also agreed that all four parties should benefit from the cooperation 1. Finance and the financial centre; (the work was not to be done on the ex- The party leaders 2. Economy, competitiveness, employment, tourism, energy, middle penses on one or more parties) and all “ class and research; should contribute to the common suc- agreed that all 3. Social policies, family, health, equality of opportunity, special needs; cess. The agreement at the beginning 4. Education, culture, sport, child care, higher education; was also that we (the coalition) had the parties should 5. State, institutions, justice, public service and administration, data ambition of moving policies forward, to protection, religious practice; develop policies and that the negotia- benefit from the 6. Sustainable development, infrastructures, transport, consumer pro- tions should not lead to the lowest com- cooperation. tection, agriculture; mon denominator. 7. Housing, municipalities, Grande-Région, police, civil protection; 8. Europe, defence, development aid, immigration. For the national election in 2010 new Centerpartiet, working groups were established. And Sweden The above working groups had to link the policies of the past years of the out- for the election in September 2014 five going government to the draft laws on the agenda and the objectives of the working groups have been established. three electoral programs. The identified common views and divergences were summed up in a note which was used as a working basis during the main ple- nary negotiations.

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Now, that you find yourself in the negotiat- Probably the hardest thing you will have to do is make ing room, it is crucial to find a way of effec- sure that your negotiating package is right. Choosing the tively communicating the progress in the ne- key issues to fight for is not easy, but there is some helpful gotiations to your party, leadership, and the advice. voters. It’s not easy to get clearance on issues immediately and certain things might need approval.

1.6 HOW DO WE COMMUNICATE INTERNALLY? 1.7 HOW DO WE GET OUR PROGRAMME RIGHT? Who do we consult with? How is the party informed of the Which issues do we choose to fight for during negotiations? process? • (Finland, Keskusta): We prepare for the negotiations carefully even at the • (UK, Liberal Democrats): During negotiations, there was regular contact time of making our election programme. This is done in a way that pro- between the negotiating team and our parliamentarians. Usually once or vides us an easy access to the post-election negotiations. After that, we twice per day. In addition, reports would go to the party Leader on a regular defend these goals as well as possible in the negotiations themselves. The basis from his representative at the negotiation team. At the end of negoti- leaders of the party and the parliamentary group are always strong people ations, several party committees had to agree to the final deal and a special who can stand up for themselves and the proposals we campaigned on. conference was called for grass-roots members to approve the coalition package before we made the final commitment to govern. Estonia, Reform Party: The first point is to ensure that your pro- • (Estonia, Reform Party): Communication with the outside world is mini- gramme gives you access to the coalition negotiation at all. If mum. Inside, a limited amount of people are involved. Nothing is agreed your programme is unrealistic (double the minimum salary) or until everything is agreed! too radical, you may not even be invited behind the negotiation table. This might happen even if you win the election. A realistic • (Netherlands, VVD): The negotiations are very confidential. When there programme is the one that is: sellable, what is doable and what is an agreement some parties ask just their MPs to accept it, some other could be acceptable for the general public. might consult their members nationwide. What gives you a good basis in the negotiation is the planning The party chairman must be able to refer at any given mo- Reform Party: Estonia • (Belgium, MR): behind your promises. For example, if you promise the tax re- ment to a restricted body of advisors and MPs so as to maintain a dialogue with his “lieutenants” and know how far he can go in negotiations. duction, have the realistic data based on calculations, facts, social studies already prepared. Be ready to present the plan • (Finalnd, Keskusta): Party organs and the Parliamentary Group will of action in government right away. The same rule applies if closely monitor the conduct of negotiations. The better they are kept in- you talk about reaching out to single mothers to improve their formed, the more strongly the party commits to government co-operation. social situation or plan to introduce free public transport. You need facts, data, numbers to back up your initial plan. • (Germany, FDP): Party leaders decide to start coalition negotiations, working groups are formed and at the final stage, the drafts of those working Let’s say you have got great programme and remarkable man- groups are coordinated in a bigger group. Party board, party congress or date, but you still need to commit to the coalition with other even all party members finally decide for or against the draft. parties. Your position at the table will depend on whether you are invited or invitee to the negotiation table. In either case you must know your and other parties’ programmes by heart.

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Having your negotiating package ready is just the be- During the campaign the VVD focuses on specific • (Netherlands, VVD): ginning. Now you have to make sure that what you issues that are especially important for us as liberals. When negotiating a want is what you get. There are different mechanisms coalition government, it’s important to keep in mind what the main issues that will fit different political cultures, but the - exam were that have been addressed during the campaign. Try to deliver on ples below will give you a basic framework to start with. those issues in particular.

• (Netherlands, D66): Get the coalition to commit to at least some of your 1.8 HOW TO NEGOTIATE THE BEST DEAL? program, save the rest for the next coalition (or absolute power). It’s im- How we ensure that our key policies are part of the negotiat- portant that you show commitment to the most important issues you care ed agreement? about. • (Belgium, MR): Before negotiating, we must identify the issues which are essential to us in order to remain faithful to the party program. We must You need to decide what will be in your negotiating package. Try also identify the results that we have to secure (e.g. a reduction in taxes on to select about 10-12 key areas but note that you can realistically labour income). only expect about 5-6 to be included in the final coalition agreement. • (Finland, SFP): Come prepared. After many turns in government we have acquired some knowledge of A good negotiating package should include some high profile how governments are run. We things that you have been campaigning for and people regard as can pretty much guess what the Prepare your Liberal Democrat policies and some less high-profile issues that are difficult subjects of the next gov- “ in your manifesto. In addition, you can select some things that you ernment negotiations will be, no-no’s. There know won’t be agreed on, but may strengthen your negotiating and we can therefore prepare power. Liberal Democrats: UK how best to tackle them. Having are obviously red thought through the scenarios Finally, you have to decide on your flagship policies. They will be beforehand, and knowing the ob- lines for all parties the top issues you have been campaigning for and are known for. vious default positions of the dif- We selected the top 4 from the front page of our manifesto and ferent political groups comes in that can never be managed to secure them in the coalition agreement. very handy. Having written texts handy with the necessary com- crossed. When deciding which policies to concentrate on, it is often a good promises already made give the SFP, idea to apply the policy triangle test: Liberal, Popular, Deliverable. prepared party the upper hand. Is it something that you want (liberal), is it popular, and will it work Finland (deliverable)? Aim for ideas that have all 3 components. Make sure Prepare for your no-no’s. There that your policy proposals are reasonable and base them on facts are obviously red lines for all parties that can never be crossed, and and research rather than only popularity or needs. All policies in lines in the sand that need to be guarded. Being ready for these fights your negotiating package have to pass that test. in advance is naturally very important. Every party will have these, smart players will know which these are for the others, and forming the right alliances behind the scenes to secure support when you need it is key.

Know when to fight to win, and when to fight to loose. As in most negotiations you need to know what battles to fight with the intention of winning, and what battles to fight – and loose, to secure something else.

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(Denmark, Radikale Venstre): A key (UK, Liberal Democrats): Your start- (Estonia, Reform Party): If possible, gramme in fixed term and the person discipline during coalition participa- ing position is important - are you try avoid getting the portfolio where to deliver. Keep in mind that other par- tion is to address the expectations “buying or selling?” After our elec- you could not deliver the most in re- ties want the same thing, so you must of the party’s membership. If you sell tions in 2010, the Conservative party spect with your programme. You ab- give up something. Give up parts of your policies very aggressively during needed us to govern, so we were in solutely must deliver (even just a part your programme what are the least the election campaign, your own elec- a better position to negotiate a good of it) what you have promised by the realistic, raises least of the profile and torate can build the expectation that deal. Always think about whether the next elections. There is perfect exam- what could be hijacked by the other you believe to be able to force those other side knows how keen you are to ple of this mistake from very recent parties during the process. policies upon your coalition partners be part of the government. They need part in EU. Party “A” campaigned for without having to compromise. Thus to think that you can take it or leave the tax reduction; consequently they (Germany, FDP): In Germany, that if that does not succeed during coa- it – they also shouldn’t know which got the mandate, got into the gov- widely works with negotiating pack- lition negotiations part of your mem- things are important for you to nego- ernment but accepted the portfolio ages: We accept a certain key policy bership can become extremely dissat- tiate. of foreign affairs. During the follow- of the other party if they accept one isfied and even turn against the party’s ing years, they were out of their main of ours. leadership in public thereby almost electoral target, they had no platform guaranteeing that the next election of talking about their programme, (Civic List, Slovenia): Numbers help will result in a loss of votes. their promises. Next election party greatly. Because of our decisive say “A” fell out not only from the govern- in the National Assembly and the fact ment, but even form the national par- that Civic List was second largest party liament. They had no result to show. in the coalition, all of the party’s key The rhetoric: “We would have done policies were included into the coali- all we promised but others didn’t let tion agreement. us.” is working in the kindergarten but not in politics. You do what you prom- (Netherlands, VVD): The future coa- ise or at least try hard and publicly. lition partners of course had their own agenda in negotiations. Try to give Coalition negotiations are like any some space to each other during the other negotiations. You must know negotiations so that both, or all, par- what is your minimum and maximum ties can show real results to their sup- programme and you must try to get porters. When both political parties as close to the maximum as possible. feel comfortable within the coalition Just stick to your guns. All you need the risk of premature collapse is cov- is an attractive, realistic, doable pro- ered most properly.

Paun, Akash (2010) United We Stand? Coalition Government in UK; Institute for Government

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If you get to the final stage of the negotiation process the basic fundaments should be ad- with the result that you’re satisfied with, it is useful to (Finland, Keskusta): The current gov- dressed (for example, the maximum formalise the agreement in a consise manner. The for- ernment programme is around 90 pag- budget deficit, or what will happen mat of the agreement differs from country to country, es. The programme sets out targets when new austerity measures are a but it’s good to have one. Below are some examples. for all government departments. The necessity). Normally, our agreement is aim is to implement entire program about 30-50 pages, covering guiding 1.9 WHAT ABOUT THE COALITION AGREEMENT? before the next elections. Sometimes principles for all major policy areas. A Do we write ‘coalition agreement’ at the end? there are attempts to polish one´s own financial appendix might be included public image but parties cannot make as well. decisions that run counter to the gov- Have a clear coalition agreement with deadlines where (Netherlands, D66): ernment programme. That would re- You can possible. Make sure you have points in the coalition agreement that voters rec- (UK, Liberal Democrats): sult in dissolving the government. use the coalition agreement not only ognize as being yours (if you are the party of education, get education items). Do decide to go for it wholeheartedly and commit to being a stable coalition to agree on things that you will deliver partner. (Netherlands, VVD): Leave some as a government, but also to set out space in the coalition agreement. You the things that you don’t agree on can never predict what will happen in as well as issues that are of concern (Belgium, MR): If there is an agreement, the ultimate goal is to draft a Gov- ernment program that is extremely accurate in every detail and which will set the next four years in details and you to both parties. It’s a good way to try the political agenda. It is the guarantee for future good concord within Gov- might want to leave enough space to avoid disputes in Parliament. Our ernment. for parliamentary debate. However, current coalition agreement if very

(Estonia, Reform Party): It’s a lengthy Parties cannot document with concrete actions and “ deadlines. Estonians also tend to stick to that agreement. To dishonour your make decisions agreement with others, you must have a very serious reason. Otherwise, you are that run coun- not considered trustworthy, which is the worst what can happen to your image as ter to the gov- a political player. ernment pro- (Germany, FDP): Coalition agreement is That approx. 50-100 pages with several dozens gramme. of policies. Many of them are rather non- would result in binding: “The coalition will verify, if...”. How much can be passed to law strong- dissolving the ly depends on the political composition of the parliament. Parties very rarely dis- government. honour the coalition agreement. But of course, drastic developments sometimes may lead to u-turns of the coalition as a Keskusta, whole: e.g. after the nuclear disaster of Finland Fukushima, the conservative-liberal coalition decided to accelerate nuclear power Paun, Akash (2010) United We Stand? Coalition Government in UK; Institute for Government phase-out instead of delaying it.

Liberals in Coalition | International Office | UK Liberal Democrats 24 DURING 25 precise and specifies exactly what cases an agreement to agree, with Keeping your identity in a coalition government is one of policies will be implemented during relatively few detailed policy commit- the most important, yet most difficult issues to deal with. the course of the government. How- ments”. While this increased the Gov- Making sure that government policies are your policies is ever, the ‘partnership agreement’ ernment’s flexibility, it also ensured not easy either. The section below will see ways to deal published by the first Labour-Liber- that “there had to be considerable with both issues. al Democrat Coalition in Scotland in negotiation between the parties on 1999 was a rather loose document, detailed aspects of policy”, on an on- characterised by one aide as “in many going basis. 1 2.1 WHAT IF THEY STEAL OUR POLICIES? How do we keep our identity and make sure we own our Over the years, we have learnt to redefine the scope of the coa- policies? lition agreements to achieve a better position for smaller parties “Once in office, make sure that everyone in your team knows what the ulti- in a coalition. The resulting structure is a balance between: mate goal is. Do not let other subjects eat up your time, energy or attention. If you had a realistic plan, you would be able to execute it without major • A need for speed in order to secure that the parties in the obstacles. Start at day one and make your way forward. You never know what coalition do not lose control over media debate around the future will bring.” - Reform Party, Estonia some of the key topics where there usually will be disagreements between the parties in the coalition Communi- ‘love affair’. Part of political communi- A need for quality which is in Denmark addressed be a sub- (UK, Liberal Democrats): • cating success is a key part of the work cation is making sure you describe the stantial production of smaller analysis memos from the civil in coalition, but often very difficult. If situation as it is and explain why it is service throughout the negotiation process securing that other parties take credit for your poli- that way. Radikale Venstre: Denmark Radikale Venstre: policy items in the coalition agreement are implementable cies, you have to make sure that pub- • A level of specificity which secures that the party holding lic (media) knows that they are taking (Netherlands, VVD): Sometimes the prime minister position cannot overrule the smaller credit for policies that are inherently ‘stealing policies‘ happens and other parties when the actual policy is designed during the co- against their beliefs and were not in parties of course have the freedom to alition period their election manifesto. Make sure do that. It’s useful, therefore, to agree that your flagship policies that you on policy proposals to be presented The balance between these priorities is probably unique for want to be known for are things that by a specific party, who can then take each country. In Denmark negotiations lasting longer than three your partners are not interested in. credit for it once it has passed. weeks is probably hard to imagine given the very close relations The language that you use in coalition That is why between politicians and media where conflicts can relatively (Estonia, Reform Party): is extremely important. Sometimes, you need a concrete programme and easily be discovered by the media and – if not commented on the media and the public will portray concrete coalition agreement and a due to ongoing negotiations – spin out of control. The format of you as being the ‘larger party’s toy’ or good communication from the begin- the agreement will typically be a written document with around that you are ‘going to bed with the ning to make sure that people know hundred pages stating policy principle and within selected con- devil’ and ‘betraying your ideals’. You who came up with those ideas and troversial areas comment on specific issues in future legislation. have to make the point that this is a policies initially. Since 100 pages is a lot for journalists to read the experience is ‘business partnership’ rather than a that the storyline around the document is extremely important.

1 Halifax, Stuart and Paun, Akash (June 2012). A game of two halves: how coalition governments renew in mid-term and last the full term. Institute for Government.

Liberals in Coalition | International Office | UK Liberal Democrats 26 27

When you are in government, it is sometimes problem- (Slovenia, Civic List): (Netherlands, D66): Do put the right people in the right places, strong leaders atic to present and explain the government’s decisions to your voters. Particu- and good communicators need to be in government, they can explain your par- larly, when those decisions are not exactly in line with your party’s programme. ty’s agenda and the government achievements.Good ministers can “sell” the There is a thin line between making compromises within the government and coalition (including taking responsibility for the compromises), while reaffirming the potential loss of one’s own identity. The continuous balance is, therefore, your party identity throughout. Keep making it clear why you went in and always needed throughout and space to express one’s own opinions and policies. In manage expectations (if you want us to do our whole electoral program, give us Slovenia, ministers are those who usually present and explain accepted govern- an absolute majority). At the beginning of the coalition, it’s crucial to give each ment’s policies and therefore they must publicly back and defend government. side visible ‘quick wins’ and let each other shine – grant each his moment of It is expected that in the decision-making process, all coalition parties accept glory, but keep it in balance, to avoid resentment. responsibility for the decisions that were made. (Finland, SFP): Governing with colourful political players can be very challeng- In Ireland, smaller coalition parties have been described as ing to anyone, and especially for junior coalition partners. The successful grand ‘punchbags for heavyweights’. The most recent example of this projects a government may pass (should there be any of those), will have the phenomenon is the Irish Green Party, which entered Coalition big parties taking credit, and the struggles and failures that are inevitable will with Fianna Fail in 2007 after gathering vote share across three be difficult to tackle. The SFP tradition of a very pragmatic way of governing, previous elections. The Greens had gained popularity as a small and a balanced view on most political questions has helped us navigate this. party with a distinct ideology and agenda. The party did secure This is our guide: some distinctive policy wins in coalition, but at a time of economic crisis this was seen as an esoteric priority. The Greens 1. Have your list at hand at all times 3. Don’t lose your cool were also criticised for backing down over issues which had pre- Ireland Party, Green More importantly though has been keeping For parties with a more narrow ideological viously been seen as key policies. The party struggled under track of a clear list of successes, both in the history many decisions become very trouble- the pressure of having to agree on tough action to tackle the negotiating stage when the paper explaining some. When your people think you are over- financial crisis and ultimately pulled out of government shortly what government will do is finalized. Keeping stepping your ideology, you need to stay fo- track of day-to-day events that are important cused. You sometimes have to dare to give a before the election, but this was in vain. The party’s vote share to the SFP electorate is also important. When pragmatic explanation describing the realities collapsed with the loss of all seats in 2011. This episode illus- someone asks you “What good have you ever that lead up to certain decisions, and stand by trates the difficulty of a small party maintaining its distinct iden- done?” you should be able to give a long an- the decisions even when it may be unpopular. swer. tity. But the party also suffered from the bad luck of being in government at a time of crisis, and in partnership with a tired 2. Communicate clearly 4. Stay focused on the goal and ultimately discredited larger party.1 Communicating the role the party has played, Governing is never easy. If it is, something is and communicating both the successes and not right. Your political enemies are finding (Denmark, Radikale Venstre): The key success factor for a small party it that the realities that cause the failures is also im- errors to exploit, and the media needs to fill one does not suffer at the expense of the leading party in the coalition. That portant. This is something most parties need airtime, newspapers and the Internet with one’s standing in polls move with the total poll position of the government has to become better at, and we are very aware of exciting news of your failures. Reporting suc- our own need to shape up. With the chang- cesses seem to be our own task. The goal of to be accepted. It is very hard to be popular as small government party if the ing way political communication is done, this governing is of course more than just making total government in unpopular. Denmark has since 2000 seen a number of is constantly an area where one needs to im- sure you come out of it looking good. The examples of smaller parties in government loosing votes. There is, however, a prove. We have the luxury of an electorate that, goal is to do what is needed and what is right difference between center parties who have bargaining power because they for the most part, has an understanding of the in any given situation. When being attacked challenge we face - and who listens to reason. and when being ridiculed, it helps if you know can in theory shift to the other side, and other small parties on the right and left you are doing what is right. Stating that should who do not credibly have that option. make you sleep better.

1Paun, Akash and Munro Robyn (2013). Endgames: Lessons for the Lib Dems in the final phase of coalition - Briefing paper for the Liberal Democrat Conference 2013.

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Fighting for your policies in government is one, but man- (Finland, Keskusta): The daily work regular parliamentary group meet- aging government relations on a day-to-day basis is in the government is organised so ings). In addition, separate meet- something very different. Organising a basic structure that all government parties have ings between parliamentarians and of parliamentary checks and cross-party meetings can representation in different ministe- ministers on a particular subject on be crucial, especially in the early days of the coalition. rial committees. However, the most the agenda are very common. Those pressing and difficult issues are solved regular encounters are meant to in between the party leaders. set in practice one of the main mis- 2.2 HOW DO WE MANAGE DAY-TO-DAY WORK? sions of the parliamentary group: How do we organise and structure coalition work on the (Luxembourg, DP): As the govern- the monitoring of implementation daily basis? ment has a slim majority (32 seats out of the coalition agreement policies. of 60) that is based on three parties, the It is also important to maintain a (Belgium, Open VLD): As the government agreement is fairly detailed, the compliance to the government agree- high-quality coordination between government parties avoid fundamental policy discussions during the parliament throughout the decision-making the coalition partners. On that ac- mentary sessions. However, the monitoring of the correct execution of the co- process is essential. Some measures count, parliamentarians of the three alition agreement is an important part of the government work as each party have been introduced in order to lead parties meet regularly according to only has a few ministers in a larger cabinet. The key players here are the Deputy a stable coalition. Therefore, coordina- the subjects on the agenda (inter-par- Prime Ministers that each government party is entitled to. In Belgium, ministers tion is required at two different levels. liamentary group meetings that are have the right to appoint quite an elaborate private office of political advisors, Firstly, it is necessary to coordinate dealing with different issues). To main- and part of their role is to shadow the work of the ministers of the other par- decisions between the ministers and tain the coalition position, ministers ties. As the weekly cabinet meeting is the parliamentary group (through often agree on common line. the main decision-making body on the Belgian level, the ministerial political You have to agree advisors of the various parties will often “ have one of more so-called ‘inter-cab- what rights will inet meetings’ to prepare decisions, where all the details are discussed you have to over- and the conformity with the government agreement is checked. Remain- see departments ing conflict points will be discussed at the highest political levels at the ‘core that you don’t cabinet’, consisting of the Prime Min- have ministers in. ister and the Deputy Prime Ministers.

In addition to the inter-party talks, min- UK, isters will also keep in touch with the Liberal Democrats party by having weekly meetings with the party leader, as well as attend the party bureau that traditionally meets on Mondays. In addition, they attend the meetings of the parliamentary group to give context to decisions taken in government.

Paun, Akash (2010) United We Stand? Coalition Government in UK; Institute for Government

Liberals in Coalition | International Office | UK Liberal Democrats 30 31 partners do. The opposition will find the group of ministers and the group (UK, Liberal Democrats): Make sure difficulties in the media and specula- you have the institutional machinery tions about the crisis or collapse of the weakest link and keep prodding at of members of parliament within each it until it snaps. The opposition will party, (4) within the group of ministerial in place for the coalition to function Coalition. hurt you when they can. They will vote communication advisors, (5) between effectively. We didn’t get the machin- against everything they stand for if a party’s ministers and parliamentari- ery of government right when we first (Netherlands, D66): If your coali- they think it will lead to a government ans and the governing bodies in the went into the Coalition – the political tion partner fails to keep their word, collapse: do not count on them for an- party’s constituent organization etc. establishment was not institutionally don’t retaliate immediately (tit-for-tat ything. As one approached the next election ready for coalition government (for hardly works in politics), but do react after building a coalition one must ad- example – we had to create the of- in-house. It’s important for your coali- (Denmark, Radikale Venstre): The dress the issue of securing that each fice of the Deputy Prime Minister from ultimate challenge for any coalition coalition partner has sufficient polit- scratch). We needed to hire political government, especially minority coali- ical room to address its constituency advisors and restructure the office dur- Public perception tion governments dependent on sup- so that the coalition in total maxi- ing the course of government. As the port from other parties, is to manage mize the chance of being re-elected. “ the interaction within the coalition. This in practice requires that most of smaller party in the Coalition we didn’t of coalition is One can look at it as a multidimen- the controversial parts of the agreed get enough political advisors and it sional matrix of personal interactions legislation in front-loaded and dealt took a lot of time to get this right. You important, don’t which have to work successfully: (1) with around two years before the next have to make sure that agreement is in Within the core government manage- election. To make hard compromis- place with your coalition partners on underestimate it. ment committee consisting of senior es while at the same time focusing how are you going to keep a grip on ministers, (2) between each minister on your own long-term values when policy making across all departments. D66, Netherlands and the relevant spokespersons from addressing you own constituency in You have to agree on what rights will the other coalition parties inside and preparation for election is in practice you have to oversee departments that tion partners to know that you are not outside the government, (3) between next to impossible. you don’t have ministers in, or what pleased with their decision, but you will be the consultation process with can show maturity in how you handle To ensure that the agreed policy is implemented, a Policy Coordina- your party in those departments. this. Ultimately, try not to hang out tion Secretariat has been set up at the Prime Minister’s Office. The your dirty linen, don’t gloat when the Secretariat consists of a State Secretary from each of the parties in government, assisted by a number of coordinators from that party, (Croatia, HNS): Harmonization of others stumble. Public perception of divided up by ministerial areas. Essentially, the Secretariat consists the points of view between coalition coalition is important, don’t underesti- of four smaller policy coordination secretariats, one for each party in partners takes place through joint mate it. There are coalitions that grant government. All policy coordination secretaries have the same num- meetings between the presidents each other victories (one for you, one bers of coordinators (regardless of the size of the party and regard- of the parties and through the joint for us) and those that begrudge each less of number of ministers). sessions of the Executive Cabinet of other everything (if I don’t get my way the Government. However, ministries here, you won’t get yours there). Pres- All matters have to be approved by the Secretariat before they can Centerpartiet, Sweden have great autonomy in the conduct entation is part of the equation, but proceed for a decision. Only when the responsible person at the Pol- of their policies and, thus, coalition mutual trust and atmosphere is the icy Coordination Secretariat has given the go-ahead to the ministry responsible for the matter, it can be placed on the agenda for a Gov- partners usually take care of “their” determining factor. In fact, trust is your ernment meeting. There are also common meetings between the four departments. Coalition members in coalition’s biggest asset, don’t squan- parliamentary groups couple of times every year. Representatives of parliament usually vote for proposals der it. Once mutual trust is gone, the coalition partners (party leaders, secretary generals, MPs) make of the coalition partners without any everything becomes much harder. statements together, arrange seminars, do different study visits etc. major disagreements. Any public dis- play of different points of view among Remember that oppositions don’t When one party leader makes a major statement (article, interview coalition partners causes unwanted bring down governments, coalition etc.) this is communicated to the others in advance, so that everyone is aware of the process and announcements.

Liberals in Coalition | International Office | UK Liberal Democrats 32 33

Regardless of how well do you know your coalition partner applies: government parties will try to most significant issues of national im- and how detailed is the coalition agreement, there will be agree on proposals and give priority portance (for example constitutional many disputes between governing partners. It’s crucial to to issues included in the government changes) are being discussed and ap- find a good mechanisms to resolve those dispute - for the agreement. They will try to avoid public proved among all parliamentary par- sake of coalition stability. discussions about issues on which co- ties. Nonetheless, coalition partners alition parties disagree in order to pre- were allowed to freely express their vent the possibility for the opposition views on issues not included in the co- 2.3 WHAT ABOUT DISAGREEMENTS BETWEEN US? to exploit the disagreement between alition agreement. Is there a way of resolving disputes and disagreements in government parties. However, on cer- coalition? tain topics, it might be that the gov- (UK, Liberal Democrats): Dispute ernment itself will ‘leave the matter to resolution process was built in the pro- Parliament’, thus recognizing that bills cess of negotiations and agreed on. (Netherlands, VVD): Always inform by loyally supporting government de- each other about major policy pro- cisions even when they are not part of receive a parliamentary majority dif- If there are major disagreements be- posals you want to go public with. You our ideology. ferent from the government coalition. tween the coalition partners, we try to might disagree on something, but in sort them at departmental level. If that Different opin- fails, the issue is raised at the ‘Quad’ order to maintain a good personal (Germany, FDP): This is mostly han- (Slovenia, Civic List): relationship, it’s better not to surprise dled by the chairs of the parliamentary ions within the government are usual- – the two leaders of the coalition par- each other. Decide on a procedure groups or the party leaders. There is ly resolved internally. Prior to making ties (Prime Minister and Deputy Prime what to do if there are disagreements. no real mechanism, but the real ne- any decision, matters are usually care- Minister) and their senior parliamenta- It’s important that you have a clear un- gotiations always take place after the fully examined to form a clear view ry representatives. Remember - trust is and to find the optimal solution. The a key issue in coalition. derstanding of the position of other coalition agreement is signed. The co- parties and know a way of communi- alition partner can be a much bigger cating your differences with your co- challenge than the opposing parties. alition partner(s). It mainly depends on trusting each other and remaining (Belgium, Open VLD): In Parliament disciplined within the coalition. itself, quite a high degree of party discipline exists. As private member’s bills (Estonia, Reform Party): We solve are possible, a similar coalition logic our problems behind the closed doors. Disputes are perceived as a weakness. We try to resolve all matters that are of disagreements internally and try We solve our not to go public with issues that we “ disagree on. The rules must be clearly problems specified. For example, government partners are notified that the Mouve- ment Réformateur does not impose behind the party discipline on ethical issues. Trust must reign between Government closed doors. partners: it is built over time by avoiding “penknife hits” in the contract and Reform Party, Estonia

Paun, Akash (2010) United We Stand? Coalition Government in UK; Institute for Government

Liberals in Coalition | International Office | UK Liberal Democrats 34 AFTER 35 Every coalition has its end. Whether it’s because of decided to pull the plug of the federal coalition due to its inability breach of trust, fundamental disagreement, or simply to govern. The Open Vld Deputy Prime Minister announced the the flow of electoral cycle, it’s important to be prepared. government exit through Twitter with the Latin phrase “alea iacta This section will show you what to consider. est” (“The die is cast”). Early elections would follow two months later. Despite a hard fought campaign, Open Vld lost a quarter of its vote share in the 2010 elections. The main victor in Flanders 3.1 WHEN DO WE EXIT THE COALITION? were the Flemish Nationalists of N-VA who had made institutional What are the red-lines? reform a priority. The analysis here was that the voter had agreed with Open Vld that a radical change was necessary. However, they • (Netherlands, VVD): Voters eventually want a stable government that did not reward the party that had the courage to end the previ- delivers on core issues, such as security, infrastructure, investment and cli- ous government. Although economic reforms were the core of mate. Political instability can threat these core tasks of the government. the liberal platform, the government fell on an institutional issue. Letting a government collapse is therefore a major political decision that The lesson here seems to be that a government exit should clear- can have major consequences. The VVD is reluctant to call for new elections ly be linked to a point that is a priority for the party itself. If not, while being in government. Voters expect us to govern, not to gamble. If voters will punish the party that caused the premature elections. a government loses confidence, or political differences become irreconcil- able, politicians should never be afraid of elections. Calling for elections is Getting out of the government is never an easy only a good option if it’s obvious that the common good would be harmed • (Estonia, Reform Party): decision. It is like a marriage - together for better and for worse. But it does by avoiding elections. not mean that you can lose your face. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. Try to avoid going between the conflicts of your coalition partner Despite the complicated nature of Belgian politics, • (Belgium, Open VLD): and opposition. Public criticism of your coalition partner does not help. an exit of a government party is a rare occasion. If it does happen, it most- If there are more than two parties in the government, the situation may ly relates to fundamental disagreements between the coalition partners. If become more complex, but if you see that being in the game is more dam- decisions are not taken during the coalition negotiations and are left to the aging than being out of the game, you should consider getting out. Don’t government to decide, lengthy discussions might dominate the govern- forget - in politics it’s almost always “not what you say, but what others ment’s work, until a point is reached in which a decision would be forced hear”. You also shouldn’t rely on emotions. Leaving government is a de- without the approval of one of the parties. In that case, that party has to cision to be taken with pragmatism and careful consideration. Opposition make a trade-off between staying in government and having to defend an has its benefits, but you should always consider other factors: timing, when unpopular decision for its party base, and a government exit. are the next elections, if you leave, how

many other possible partners there are Case in point is the government exit of Open Vld in 2010. After to take over your seat, what will other the coalition agreement in 2007 had left the institutional reforms coalition partners do? to the government in order to temporarily defuse the situation, Voters expect parties were faced with the necessity to conclude these reforms to “ Despite the long us to govern, • (Finland, Keskusta): a point where the opposition would use them to bash the ineffec- history of coalition continuity in Finland, tiveness of the federal government coalition. As these institution- the possibility of dissolving a govern- al talks within the government also deteriorated the relations be- not to gable. ment still exists and can happen if an- tween the parties, other important social and economic reforms other side breaks the government deal did not take off as Open Vld anticipated. Therefore, after another Open VLD, Belgium VVD, Netherlands or one party decides to resign due to round of institutional talks had failed, the leadership of Open Vld an individual case. This has happened

Liberals in Coalition | International Office | UK Liberal Democrats 36 37

in Finland in the past, when one of the smaller parties has left the coalition government. However, trust is the basis of our coalition. Remember, parties (Netherlands, D66): Leaving coalition is not easy. You have to plan and strate- are not committed to continuing co-operation after elections. In 2007, for gize each step in the end game like a military operation, there is no room for example, our government partner changed from Social Democratic Party to surprises. Try to keep party unity, divisions cost votes and credibility. It’s crucial National Coalition Party, from left to right. to define your breaking points internally beforehand and don’t let other parties do that for you, make sure they are communis opinio (life or death issues). If • (Croatia, HNS): The only issues that could constitute red lines for us are you eventually decide on leaving, keep control of your message and repeat it fundamental issues that we, as a liberal party, have been advocating for until long after the coalition has fallen. Lastly, don’t be rude or indecent, even years. In the case that the largest coalition partner insisted on putting to- if others are - you may be in the same coalition boat next month. Few things to gether or forcing through the legislation that would be against our core remember in this crucial junction are: values and ideas, it could mean the termination of the coalition. • Elections are not won on past results, but on promises for • (Slovenia, Civic List): Red lines are always relative, but there are certain the future. situations where we, as liberals, have to leave the coalition. Matters of mo- • Everything you did wrong in government can and will be rality, equality and fairness that we all represent have to take priority. We held against you, everything you achieved will be claimed found that we could not be in the government led by the Prime Minister by the other party. Don’t get upset, that’s life in power. accused of corruption - this was our red line and we decided to ‘leave the • The opposition will start to sense when your electoral man- room’ and distance ourselves from the corrupt officials. date has run thin, before you do and will use all in its power to accelerate the process. After one year of governing, the Civic List was faced with the de- • You can only bring down your government once. cision to stay or leave the ruling coalition. The national anti-corruption commission issued a report that made serious corruption allegations against the heads of the two leading parties, including Prime Minister Mr. Janez Janša, who did not want to resign. To the Civic List the anti-corruption commission’s report meant crossing the red line and so the party left the coalition immediately afterwards. Party’s leadership gained full support for that decision from Civic List, Slovenia the Council of the Civic List, the party’s highest executive body beside the congress (also responsible to make this kind of decisions). As the leaders of most parliamentary political parties at that time preferred forming a new government instead of early election, the Civic List afterwards signed another coalition agreement with a centre-left coalition and gained the position of the minister for interior, minister for justice and minister for infrastructure and spatial planning. These three positions in the government were crucial for the Civic List to implement programme priorities.

Paun, Akash (2010) United We Stand? Coalition Government in UK; Institute for Government

Liberals in Coalition | International Office | UK Liberal Democrats 38 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 39

The Party would like to express the grat- A very special thanks to Iain Gill - Head itude to many experienced members of of Liberal Democrats International Office the Liberal Parties across Europe and for guidance and scrupulous oversight, the wider world who made this publica- Sir Andrew Stunell MP - for being a sup- tion happen by sharing their experiences portive member of this project since the and providing contributions. In particular, beginning and for providing invaluable in- many thanks to Lousewies van der Laan sight into this publication, Baroness Alison from the D66, Lennart Salemink, Friso Rip Suttie - for helping in editorial work and and Wouter Schroer from the VVD - Neth- providing valuable insight, Anne Sullivan - erlands, Klaus Frandsen and his team at for extra editorial help and support. the Radikale Venstre - Denmark, Iva Žutić from the Croatian People’s Party, Vesna We would like to thank Akash Paun from Alaber from the Civic List - Slovenia, Airis the Institute for Government for providing Meier from the Reform Party - Estonia, extensive background research and letting Andreas Pauker from the FDP - Germa- us use the statistical graphs in the publi- ny, Andreas Elfving from the SFP, Jannika cation. Ranta and Timo Laaninen from the Ke- skusta - Finland, Sir Andrew Stunell MP, We must also acknowledge the support of Austin Rathe and Baroness Alison Suttie the International Office of the Dutch VVD from the Liberal Democrats - UK, Jean- for contributions made towards this pro- Philippe Rousseau from the Mouvement ject, and regional offices of the Friedrich Réformateur, Hilde Vautmans and Thomas Naumann Foundation for Liberty in Geor- Leys from the Open VLD - Belgium, Mila gia and Moldova for support throughout Segervall from the Swedish Centerpartiet, the programme. Corinne Weis from the DP - Luxembourg, and finally Mohamed Tamaldou from the Union Constitutionnelle in Morocco.

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