Major party

A major party is a political party that holds substantial influence in a country's politics, standing in contrast to a minor party. It should not be confused with majority party.

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary:

Major party: a political party having electoral strength sufficient to permit it to win control of a government usually with comparative regularity and when defeated to constitute the principal opposition to the party in power.

— Merriam-Webster Dictionary online

Major parties hold a significant percentage of the vote in elections and claim higher membership than minor parties. Typically, major parties have the most donors, best-organized support networks and excellent funding for elections. Their candidates for political positions are closely watched since they have the highest chance of being elected to office because of the high membership, recognition and donations that these parties are able to generate.

Two major parties can lead to a two-party system. If there is only one major party, then it is a dominant-party system. In a multi-party system, a major party is one that occasionally controls the presidency or premiership and is the most influential party in a coalition government.

List of major parties

Country	Centre-left/Left-wing major party	Centre-right/Right-wing major party	Other major party	Notes
Albania	Socialist Party of Albania	Democratic Party of Albania
Algeria	National Liberation Front	National Rally for Democracy
Andorra	Social Democratic Party	Democrats for Andorra
Angola	MPLA	UNITA
Argentina	Radical Civic Union	Republican Proposal	Justicialist Party	The Justicialist Party has produced both leftist and rightist presidents; Néstor Kirchner (2003–2007) and Cristina Fernández (2007–2015) were leftist, while fellow Justicialist Carlos Menem (1989–1999) was seen as neoliberal.
Armenia		Prosperous Armenia	Republican Party of Armenia
Australia	Australian Labor Party	Liberal Party of Australia
Austria	Social Democratic Party of Austria	Austrian People's Party	Freedom Party of Austria
Azerbaijan		New Azerbaijan Party
The Bahamas	Progressive Liberal Party	Free National Movement
Bangladesh	Bangladesh Awami League	Bangladesh Nationalist Party	Jatiya Party
Barbados	Barbados Labour Party	Democratic Labour Party
Bosnia and Herzegovina	Alliance of Independent Social Democrats	Party of Democratic Action
Brazil	Workers' Party	Brazilian Social Democracy Party	Brazilian Democratic Movement Party
Bulgaria	Bulgarian Socialist Party	Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria
Cape Verde	African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde	Movement for Democracy
Cambodia		Cambodia National Rescue Party	Cambodian People's Party
Canada	Liberal Party of Canada	Conservative Party of Canada	New Democratic Party
Colombia	Colombian Liberal Party	Colombian Conservative Party	Social Party of National Unity
Costa Rica	Citizens' Action Party (PAC)	National Liberation Party (PLN)	Broad Front	PLN defines itself as "centrist" but is generally considered to be more right-wing than PAC.
Croatia	Social Democratic Party of Croatia	Croatian Democratic Union
Czech Republic	Czech Social Democratic Party	Civic Democratic Party	ANO 2011
Cyprus	Progressive Party of Working People	Democratic Rally
Denmark	Social Democrats	Venstre	Danish People's Party	The Danish People's Party is second largest party.
East Timor	National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction		Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor
Ecuador	PAIS Alliance	Creating Opportunities
El Salvador	Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front	Nationalist Republican Alliance	Unity Movement
Estonia	Estonian Centre Party	Estonian Reform Party
European Union	Party of European Socialists	European People's Party
Faroe Islands	Republic Social Democratic Party	Union Party People's Party
Finland	Social Democratic Party of Finland	National Coalition Party	Centre Party Finns Party
France	Socialist Party	The Republicans
Georgia	Georgian Dream	United National Movement
Germany	Social Democratic Party of Germany	Christian Democratic Union		The Free Democratic Party was a major party, having been in coalition with the ruling parties for most of the post-war era. However, the party failed to meet the election threshold at the German federal election, 2013 and is not currently represented in the Bundestag.
Greece	Coalition of the Radical Left (Syriza)	New Democracy		Until the 2012 legislative election, Pasok was the major party of the centre-left.
Gibraltar	Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party	Gibraltar Social Democrats
Hong Kong	Democratic Party	Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong
Hungary	Hungarian Socialist Party	Fidesz – Hungarian Civic Union	Jobbik
Iceland	Social Democratic Alliance	Independence Party	Progressive Party
India	Indian National Congress	Bharatiya Janata Party	All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Khazgam
Indonesia	Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle	Golkar Party	Gerindra Party and Democratic Party
Ireland	Labour Party	Fine Gael	Fianna Fáil	Fianna Fáil received the largest share of the vote in Ireland from 1932 to 2011, when it was returned in third place with just 17.4% of the vote.
Israel	Israeli Labor Party	Likud
Iran	Reformists	Conservatives
Italy	Democratic Party	Forza Italia	Five Star Movement	Until 1992 the major party was Christian Democracy, which had been in government for five decades; the second party was the Italian Communist Party.
Japan	Democratic Party	Liberal Democratic Party
Jamaica	People's National Party	Jamaica Labour Party
Kazakhstan			Nur Otan
Kirgyzstan	Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan	Ata-Zhurt
Kosovo		Democratic League of Kosovo	Democratic Party of Kosovo
South Africa	African National Congress	Democratic Alliance
South Korea	Democratic United Party	Saenuri Party
Latvia	Social Democratic Party "Harmony"	Unity	Union of Greens and Farmers
Liechtenstein		Progressive Citizens' Party, Patriotic Union
Lithuania	Lithuanian Social Democratic Party	Homeland Union	Labour Party
Luxembourg	Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party	Christian Social People's Party	Democratic Party
Macedonia	Social Democratic Union of Macedonia	VMRO-DPMNE
Malaysia	Pakatan Rakyat	Barisan Nasional
Malta	Labour Party	Nationalist Party
Mexico	Institutional Revolutionary Party	National Action Party	Party of the Democratic Revolution
Monaco		Rally & Issues	Union Monégasque
Moldova	Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova	Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova
Mongolia	Mongolian People's Party	Democratic Party
Montenegro	Democratic Party of Socialists	Democratic Front
Mozambique	FRELIMO	RENAMO
Nagorno Karabakh	Armenian Revolutionary Federation	Free Motherland	Democratic Party of Artsakh
Nepal	Communist Party of Nepal (Union Marxist Leninist)	Nepali Congress	Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist)
Netherlands	Labour Party	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	Christian Democratic Appeal
New Zealand	Labour Party	National Party
Nigeria	All Progressives Congress	People's Democratic Party
Northern Cyprus	Republican Turkish Party	National Unity Party
Norway	Labour Party	Conservative Party	Progress Party
Pakistan	Pakistan People's Party	Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz)
Paraguay		Colorado Party	Authentic Radical Liberal Party
Peru	Peru Wins	Popular Force
Puerto Rico	Popular Democratic Party	New Progressive Party		Puerto Rico is the only territory within the jurisdiction of USA with different major parties from the rest of the USA.
Poland		Civic Platform	Law and Justice
Portugal	Socialist Party	Social Democratic Party
Republic of China	Democratic Progressive Party	Kuomintang
Romania	Social Democratic Party	National Liberal Party
Russia	Communist Party of Russia	United Russia
San Marino	Party of Socialists and Democrats	Sammarinese Christian Democratic Party
Serbia	Socialist Party of Serbia	Serbian Progressive Party
Seychelles	People's Party	Seychelles National Party
Singapore	Workers' Party of Singapore	People's Action Party
Slovakia	Direction – Social Democracy	Freedom and Solidarity
Slovenia	Modern Centre Party	Slovenian Democratic Party
Spain	Spanish Socialist Workers' Party	People's Party	Podemos
Sri-Lanka	United National Party	United People's Freedom Alliance	Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna & Tamil National Alliance
Sudan		National Congress
Suriname	National Democratic Party	Progressive Reform Party
Sweden	Swedish Social Democratic Party	Moderate Party
Switzerland	Social Democratic Party of Switzerland	Swiss People's Party	Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland & FDP.The Liberals	The magic formula system means that these parties are guaranteed representation in the Swiss Federal Council
Thailand	Pheu Thai Party	Democrat Party
Trinidad and Tobago	People's National Movement		United National Congress
Turkey	Republican People's Party	Justice and Development Party
Ukraine	Opposition Bloc	Petro Poroshenko Bloc "Solidarity"	People's Front
United Kingdom (Great Britain)	Labour Party	Conservative Party	Liberal Democrats Plaid Cymru (major party in Wales) Scottish National Party (major party in Scotland) United Kingdom Independence Party (major party in England and Wales)	From the 17th through mid-19th century, the Whigs and the Tories were the major parties. Nationalist movements have major party status within the Home Nations of the UK.
United Kingdom (Northern Ireland)	Sinn Féin (republican)	Democratic Unionist Party (unionist)	Alliance Party (non-sectarian) Social Democratic and Labour Party (republican) Ulster Unionist Party (unionist)	Despite being part of the UK, the main parties in Northern Ireland differ from those in Great Britain. Sinn Féin does not take its seats in the House of Commons.
United States	Democratic Party	Republican Party		At various times during the 18th and 19th centuries, the Federalist Party, Democratic-Republican Party, and Whig Party were all major.
Uruguay	Broad Front	National Party

See also

• Minor party