View source for Sociaal-Liberale Partij

{{More citations needed|date=May 2007}}
{{Infobox political party
| name             = Sociaal-Liberale Partij
| native_name      = 
| logo             = Logo spirit.png
| leader           = [[Geert Lambert]]
| foundation       = {{Start date|2001}} (as Spirit)
| split            = [[People's Union (Belgium)|People's Union]]
| dissolution      = {{End date|2009}}
| merged           = [[Groen (political party)|Groen]]
| headquarters     = National secretariat <br />Woeringenstraat 21 Brussels
| ideology         = {{nowrap|[[Social liberalism]]<ref name=Nordsieck>{{cite web|url=http://www.parties-and-elections.eu/flanders.html|last=Nordsieck|first=Wolfram|year=2009|title=Flanders/Belgium|website=Parties and Elections in Europe|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130728095304/http://parties-and-elections.eu/flanders.html|archive-date=28 July 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref><br>[[Green liberalism]]<br>[[Social democracy]]<br>[[Regionalism (politics)|Flemish regionalism]]<ref name=Nordsieck/>}}
| position         = [[Centrism|Centre]] to [[Centre-left politics|centre-left]]
| international    = 
| european         = [[European Free Alliance]]
| europarl         = 
| website          = {{URL|www.s-lp.be}}
| country          = Belgium
| colorcode        = purple
}}

'''Sociaal-Liberale Partij''' ({{IPA|nl|soːˈɕaːlibəˌraːlə pɑrˈtɛi|-|Nl-Sociaal-Liberale Partij.ogg}}, abbr. '''SLP'''; [[Dutch language|Dutch]] for '''Social Liberal Party''') was a [[Belgium|Belgian]] [[Flanders|Flemish]] political party formed after dissolution of the moderate nationalist [[People's Union (Belgium)|People's Union]] (''Volksunie'') party. Prior to 19 April 2008 it was known as '''Spirit''', and intermediately as '''Flemish Progressives''' ('''VlaamsProgressieven''').<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.e-f-a.org/news.php?id=408 |title=European Free Alliance |publisher=E-f-a.org |access-date=2012-11-25 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120208035413/http://www.e-f-a.org/news.php?id=408 |archive-date=2012-02-08 }}</ref> The party merged with [[Groen (political party)|Groen]] in the end of 2009, ceasing to exist.<ref>{{cite web|author=Auteur: loa, sdg |url=http://www.standaard.be/artikel/detail.aspx?artikelid=DMF20091219_022 |title=SLP fuseert met Groen! - De Standaard |publisher=Standaard.be |date=2009-12-19 |access-date=2012-11-25}}</ref>

== History ==
The People's Union split up into two parties, the [[social liberalism|social liberal]] Spirit and the centre-right [[New-Flemish Alliance]] (N-VA), which formed an [[electoral alliance]] with the [[Christian Democratic and Flemish]] (CD&V) party. The formation of the alliances was seen as a way in which Spirit and N-VA could guarantee their influence and position in [[Flanders|Flemish]] and [[Belgium|Belgian]] politics. This led the liberal wing to initially opt for an Alliance with [[Flemish Liberals and Democrats]].

==Abbreviation==
Spirit was the abbreviation for 
*'''S'''ociaal (Social)
*'''P'''rogressief (Progressive)
*'''I'''nternationaal (International)
*'''R'''egionalistisch (Regional)
*'''I'''ntegraal-democratisch (Completely democratic)
*'''T'''oekomstgericht (Future oriented)

==2007 elections==

In the 10 June 2007 [[2007 Belgian general election|general elections]], the Social Liberal party was in an electoral alliance with [[Socialist Party Different]] ('''sp.a''') and won 14 out of 88 Flemish seats in the [[Belgian Chamber of Representatives|Chamber of Representatives]] and 4 out of 40 Flemish seats in the [[Belgian Senate|Senate]].

In the autumn of 2008, following a scandal causing its leader, [[Bettina Geysen]] to step down, the Social Liberal Party ended its cooperation with SP.A. [[Geert Lambert]] was elected the new leader. Many prominent party members, including cofounder [[Bert Anciaux]], left the party.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=deredactie.be |title=Ook Bert Anciaux stapt uit VlaamsProgressieven |url=http://www.deredactie.be/cm/de.redactie/politiek/081204_Bertanciaux |date=4 December 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081206004136/http://www.deredactie.be/cm/de.redactie/politiek/081204_Bertanciaux |archive-date=2008-12-06 }}</ref>

==See also==
*L² - The youth organization of Vl.Pro

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Official website|http://www.s-lp.be/ }}

{{Belgian political parties}}
{{Members of the European Free Alliance}}

[[Category:Defunct political parties in Belgium]]
[[Category:Flemish Movement]]
[[Category:Flemish political parties in Belgium]]
[[Category:Green liberalism]]
[[Category:Social liberal parties]]
[[Category:Political parties disestablished in 2009]]
[[Category:2009 disestablishments in Belgium]]


{{Belgium-party-stub}}