Union of the Democratic Centre
Unión del Centro Democrático |
|
---|---|
Abbreviation | UCeDé |
Chairperson | Andrés Passamonti |
Founder | Álvaro Alsogaray, Sr. |
Founded | 1982 |
Headquarters | Buenos Aires |
Youth wing | Juventud UCeDé |
Membership (2014) | 62,255 |
Ideology |
Liberalism Conservatism Liberal conservatism |
Political position | Centre-right |
International affiliation | Liberal International |
Colours | Blue, white |
Chamber of Deputies |
0 / 257
|
Senate |
0 / 72
|
Buenos Aires Legislature |
0 / 60
|
Website | |
www |
The Union of the Democratic Centre (Spanish: Unión del Centro Democrático, UCD or UCeDé) is a centre-rightconservative and economically liberal political party in Argentina. It was founded in 1982 by Álvaro Alsogaray who unsuccessfully stood for the Party in the 1983 and 1989 presidential elections, and represented the conservative elite, technocrats, as well as classical liberals. By 1989, the UceDé had emerged as the third political force nationwide, after the traditional major parties (Justicialist Party, PJ, and Radical Civic Union, UCR).
Carlos Menem, an exponent of the growing pro-market wing within the formerly Peronist PJ, won the election of 1989. UCeDé concluded an alliance with the Justicialist-led administration which had only a narrow majority in the Chamber of Deputies and gave important support to its policies of privatization and liberal economic reforms. Alsogaray, who had been an opponent of traditional Peronism, became the administration's chief policy advisor and his daughter María Julia secretary of natural resources and the main responsible for the privatization of the public telecommunications company ENTel. In the subsequent presidential election, the UCeDé endorsed Carlos Menem.
As of 2015, the UCeDé has disbanded as a national party, but is still active in Buenos Aires, where it was incorporated into the PRO party and the electoral alliance of Cambiemos.