Liberal Coalition Party

The Liberal Coalition Party (Swedish: Liberala samlingspartiet) was a Swedish political party founded in 1900 from a coalition of reform-minded parliamentarians. It quickly became influential, advocating for universal male suffrage and parliamentary democracy. Under leaders like Sixten von Friesen and later Karl Staaff, the party gained power and formed governments, working closely with the Social Democrats. Key reforms included constitutional changes and expanded voting rights, though internal disagreements—especially over defense policy and prohibition—eventually weakened the party.

After Staaff’s death in 1915, leadership passed to Nils Edén, who led a coalition government that implemented major democratic reforms. However, tensions between the party’s rural, pro-prohibition wing and its urban, culturally liberal faction deepened. These internal divisions culminated in a formal split in 1923. As a result, the Liberal Coalition Party dissolved, ending its role in Swedish politics.