Editing Democratic Party – demokraci.pl (section)

==Ideology==
The party was a direct successor of the [[Freedom Union (Poland)|Freedom Union]] and attempted to extend the original voter coalition of the Freedom Union by left-leaning voter groups.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bankier.pl/wiadomosc/Demokraci-pl-polaczyli-sie-z-ED-tworzac-Partie-Europejskich-Demokratow-3613569.html |title=Demokraci.pl połączyli się z ED, tworząc Partię Europejskich Demokratów |date=12 November 2016 |website=bankier.pl |language=pl}}</ref> The party wanted to appeal to the urban, liberal middle class, and its proposals included a creation of a special metropolitan voivodeship for Warsaw.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://samorzad.pap.pl/kategoria/archiwum/demokraci-chca-stworzyc-metropolie-warszawska |title=Demokraci chcą stworzyć Metropolię Warszawską |date=9 September 2005 |language=pl |website=pap.pl}}</ref> At the same time, it worked with social democratic parties, such as the Democratic Left Alliance and Social Democracy of Poland, although there were few proposals all three parties agreed to, such as the need to bail out indebted hospitals and to build an anti-missile shield in Poland.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://wiadomosci.wp.pl/lewica-i-demokraci-stworza-wspolny-program-6031615814652545a |title=Lewica i Demokraci stworzą wspólny program |website=wp.pl |language=pl |date=5 February 2007}}</ref> The Democratic Party however also stressed its distance to centre-left parties, and stressed its ideological centrism.<ref name="wp1">{{cite web |url=https://wiadomosci.wp.pl/brygida-kuzniak-nowa-przewodniczaca-partii-demokratycznej-6037105855026305a |title=Brygida Kuźniak nową przewodniczącą Partii Demokratycznej |date=10 January 2009 |language=pl |website=wp.pl}}</ref><ref name="wp2">{{cite web |url=https://wiadomosci.wp.pl/onyszkiewicz-demokraci-beda-wspolpracowac-z-sdpl-6037544688575617a |title=Onyszkiewicz: Demokraci będą współpracować z SdPl |date=21 April 2008 |language=pl |website=wp.pl}}</ref>

Key proposals of the party include:
*Support for the [[European constitution]] in the [[Polish referendum on the European Constitution|referendum in October 2005]]
*Tax cuts, introduction of an 18% [[flat tax]] on incomes
*Reduction of non-wage labour costs, tax remissions for business starters
*Creation of new jobs, e.g. through a first-year exemption from social security contributions for graduate entrants
*Appointment of an ombudsman to represent entrepreneurs damnified by fiscal or other authorities
*Increased spending on education
*Studentship funds for rural youth
*Compulsory education starting at age 6 (presently 7), popularisation of instruction in two foreign languages at primary school level
*Improvement and nationwide standardisation of health services
*Establishment of a public hospital network not subject to privatisation
*Reduction in telecommunication costs to facilitate Internet access