Democratic Left Association

The party dates back to the conflict within the Democratic Left Alliance in 2021. The party's leader, Włodzimierz Czarzasty, was increasingly opposed by the regional branches of the party for his cooperation with Law and Justice as well as his talks with the social liberal party Wiosna for a merger. Most members of the Democratic Left Alliance opposed this decision, and when Czarzasty called for a party convention to announce the merger, the regional branches voted the convention down. Ultimately, the merger still took place despite the opposition. Democratic Left Alliance dissolved itself in 2021 to become the New Left together with Wiosna.{{cite web |url=https://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,27325498,chca-sie-pozbyc-czarzastego-narasta-bunt-w-nowej-lewicy-za.html |title=Chcą się pozbyć Czarzastego. Narasta bunt w Nowej Lewicy za konszachty z PiS |date=14 July 2021 |language=pl |website=Wyborcza |first=Iwona |last=Szpala}}

The MPs that came to create the Democratic Left Association were known as the 'reformist' faction within the SLD. They opposed Czarzasty's leadership and his decision to merge together Wiosna, which Czarzasty had been pursuing since 2019. Between July and September of 2021, Czarzasty sought to suppress this faction, given that it was blocking the merger with Wiosna. The reformist faction was also supported by influential figures within the SLD, such as former prime minister Leszek Miller and former president Aleksander Kwaśniewski, who both criticized Czarzasty's leadership. Consequently, Czarzasty suspended Tomasz Trela, Andrzej Rozenek, Bogusław Wontor and Joanna Senyszyn from the party. Czarzasty also had an open rivalry with Krzysztof Podgórski and Robert Kwiatkowski (who became the leader of Democratic Left Association).{{cite web |url=https://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,27528434,trwa-wojna-w-nowej-lewicy-kto-przejdzie-weryfikacje-czarzastego.html |title=Trwa wojna w Nowej Lewicy. Kto przejdzie weryfikację Czarzastego? |date=3 September 2021 |language=pl |website=Gazeta Wyborcza |first=Iwona |last=Szpala}}

According to Przegląd, Czarzasty had to force the merger despite the opposition within the party, writing: "SLD activists who did not agree to the merger of the SLD with Wiosna were "suspended, thrown out or were not allowed into the new party's headquarters". The Warsaw Council of the SLD, which was against it, was simply dissolved. As a result, several hundred SLD activists from Warsaw alone surrendered their party cards."{{cite web |url=https://www.tygodnikprzeglad.pl/dzialacze-sld-wskrzeszaja-sld/ |website=Przegląd |title=Działacze SLD wskrzeszają… SLD |date=27 June 2022 |first=Robert |last=Walenciak |language=pl}} In December 2021, the MPs of the Democratic Left Alliance who protested the decision entered the Polish Socialist Party and formed their own parliamentary group that came to be the Democratic Left Association.{{cite web |url=https://wiadomosci.wp.pl/rozpad-w-lewicy-opuszczaja-czarzastego-6715321496415072a |title=Rozłam w Lewicy. Opuszczają Czarzastego |date=14 December 2021 |language=pl |first=Violetta |last=Baran}} While formally representing the Polish Socialist Party, the parliamentary group was increasingly autonomous.{{cite web |url=https://www.euractiv.pl/section/demokracja/news/liberalny-gambit-parlamentarnych-socjalistow-bedzie-sojusz-z-tuskiem-czy-powrot-do-czarzastego/ |title=Liberalny gambit parlamentarnych socjalistów. Będzie sojusz z Tuskiem czy powrót do Czarzastego? |date=14 December 2022 |language=pl}}

The Democratic Left Association was registered on 7 March 2022. Jerzy Teichert became its chairman and MP Robert Kwiatkowski its secretary general.{{Cite web|url=https://ekrs.ms.gov.pl/web/wyszukiwarka-krs/strona-glowna/index.html|title=Stowarzyszenie Lewicy Demokratycznej|website=ekrs.ms.gov.pl |language=pl}} The party was founded by the MPs who were forming the parliamentary circle of the Polish Socialist Party since December 2021. Its co-founder was Joanna Senyszyn, the vice-chair of the Polish Socialist Party's Supreme Council.{{cite web |url=https://www.tysol.pl/a108658-teraz-ku-a-my-szokujace-wystapienie-senyszyn-w-sejmie |title=„Teraz, ku**a, my”. Szokujące wystąpienie Senyszyn w Sejmie |date=17 August 2023 |website=Tygodnik Solidarność |language=pl}} Its activities were inaugurated on 2 June 2022.{{cite web |url=https://wydarzenia.interia.pl/kraj/news-powstalo-stowarzyszenie-lewicy-demokratycznej-nazwa-i-skrot-,nId,6068984|title=Powstało Stowarzyszenie Lewicy Demokratycznej. Nazwa i skrót budzą kontrowersje|author=Sebastian Przybył|website=interia.pl|date=3 June 2022 |language=pl}} It presented itself as a "democratic association for truly leftist ideals" and denounced the leader of Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) Włodzimierz Czarzasty for his decison to dissolve the party and merge with Wiosna to form the New Left. The Democratic Left Association noted that the SLD had 24,000 members and had existed for 20 years, whereas Wiosna was a recent party that had about 500 members, and yet it nevertheless forced SLD to compromise its ideals. It accused Czarzasty of "lack of democracy, tyranny, unfair division of power" within the SLD.{{cite web |url=https://www.zawszepomorze.pl/artykul/3472,sld-wraca-czyli-powstalo-stowarzyszenie-lewicy-demokratycznej |title=SLD wraca, czyli powstało... Stowarzyszenie Lewicy Demokratycznej |date=2 June 2022 |language=pl}}

After 23 days, the party signed, similarly to the PPS, a cooperation agreement ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections together with Labour Union, Social Democracy of Poland, Freedom and Equality, as well as, among others, the association Working People's Movement and the activists of the former party Feminist Initiative, advocating for a ‘broad electoral agreement of the democratic opposition’.{{cite web |url=https://www.tvp.info/60947152/lewica-kontra-pis-4-partie-lewicowe-podpisaly-porozumienie|title=Cztery partie lewicowe chcą iść razem do wyborów|website=tvp.info|date=25 June 2022 |language=pl}} The Democratic Left Association includes, among others, former MP Zbyszek Zaborowski.{{cite web |url=https://www.wnp.pl/parlamentarny/wydarzenia/jesienia-stowarzyszenie-sld-powola-41-pelnomocnikow-na-przelomie-roku-zjazd-krajowy,595314.html|title=Jesienią stowarzyszenie SLD powoła 41 pełnomocników; na przełomie roku zjazd krajowy|website=wnp.pl|date=24 June 2022 }} and a councillor of the Lower Silesian Regional Assembly, former senator Mirosław Lubiński.{{cite web |language=pl |url=https://gazetawroclawska.pl/koniec-najkrotszej-historii-klubu-w-dolnoslaskiego-sejmiku-radny-rezygnuje-klub-przestaje-istniec-a-nazwa-w-sejmiku-zostaje/ar/c1-17120221|author=Maciej Rajfur|title=Koniec najkrótszej historii klubu w dolnośląskim sejmiku. Radny rezygnuje, klub przestaje istnieć, a nazwa w sejmiku zostaje|website=gazetawroclawska.pl|date=12 December 2022}}

At the time, the Democratic Left Association also considered a merger with Labour Union in order to revive the historical Democratic Left Alliance – Labour Union coalition.{{cite web |url=https://radiopoznan.fm/informacje/pozostale/sld-up-reaktywacja-tak-mozna-okreslic-nowe-porozumienie-na-lewicy |title=SLD-UP - reaktywacja. Tak można określić nowe porozumienie na Lewicy |date=24 October 2022 |language=pl |first=Łukasz |last=Kaźmierczak}} The party was later joined by the MEP and former Prime Minister Leszek Miller{{cite web|url=https://www.pap.pl/aktualnosci/news%2C1462527%2Clewica-o-nowej-lewicy-jest-partia-niedemokratyczna-i-woli-sztandar-teczowy|title=Lewica o Nowej Lewicy: jest partią niedemokratyczną i woli sztandar tęczowy|website=pap.pl|date=25 October 2022 |language=pl}}Leszek Miller's posts on Twitter with [https://twitter.com/LeszekMiller/status/1532958471401906177 4 June 2022] and [https://twitter.com/leszekmiller/status/1540593904386560002 25 June 2022] and Bogusław Wontor.{{cite web|date=25 October 2022 |language=pl |title=SLD wraca na polityczną scenę |url=https://zachod.pl/731707/sld-wraca-na-polityczna-scene/ |website=zachod.pl}} In November 2022, Democratic Left Association organized a 20th anniversary of the Democratic Left Alliance – Labour Union together with the leading Labour Union and Democratic Left Alliance politicians of the 2000s, such as Marek Pol, Waldemar Witkowski and Leszek Miller. Here the party was also described by the media as a danger to the New Left from the [further] left.{{cite web |url=https://www.rp.pl/publicystyka/art37422571-lewicy-grozi-okrazenie-z-lewej-strony |title=Lewicy grozi okrążenie z lewej strony |date=16 November 2022 |first=Jędrzej |last=Włodarczyk |language=pl |website=Rzeczpospolita}}

The association has set itself the goal of creating an alternative to New Left. By July 2022, Democratic Left Association was in an electoral coalition together with the Polish Socialist Party and Labour Union. The parties were planning to run together under the banner of the Polish Socialist Party. The SLD-PPS-UP coalition polled 2.5% in September 2022.{{cite web |url=https://wio.waw.pl/artykul/jak-tusk-wspolnie-z-n1362217 |title=Jak Tusk wspólnie z ideową lewicą zerują Czarzastego |date=13 October 2022 |language=pl |first=Łukasz |last=Perzyna}} On 5 February 2023, the executive council of the Polish Socialist Party withdrew from the agreement and instead passed a resolution on the party's intention to run together in the 2023 Polish parliamentary election with New Left as well as Left Together and Labour (in August, Social Democracy of Poland also joined the agreement),{{cite web|date=5 February 2023 |language=pl |title=Uchwała RN PPS ws. aktualnej sytuacji politycznej przed zbliżającymi się wyborami |url=https://ppspl.eu/2023/02/05/uchwala-rn-pps-ws-aktualnej-sytuacji-politycznej-przed-zblizajacymi-sie-wyborami/ |website=ppspl.eu}} and withdrew its consent for the Democratic Left Association parliamentary group to use the PPS name and symbol.{{cite web|url=https://wiadomosci.onet.pl/kraj/konflikt-w-pps-lider-partii-uderza-we-wlasne-kolo/s2f31fr|title=Konflikt w PPS. Lider partii uderza we własne koło|website=onet.pl|date=12 January 2023 |language=pl}}

The Polish Socialist Party explained that its decision was motivated by the Democratic Left Association, formally representing the parliamentary group of the PPS, was too autonomous and already acted as a de facto separate party; it also added that this decision was taken in order to enter the electoral lists of New Left.{{cite web |url=https://wpolityce.pl/polityka/633190-tylko-u-nas-kulisy-rozlamu-w-pps-znamy-przyczyny |title=TYLKO U NAS. Kulisy rozłamu w PPS. Wiemy, dlaczego do niego doszło. "Było poczucie wielkiej autonomii koła wobec partii" |date=6 February 2023 |language=pl}} On the same day, the MPs of the circle – with the exception of Wojciech Konieczny, who became an independent senator – therefore transformed the PPS parliamentary group into the Parliamentary Group of the Democratic Left.{{cite web |url=https://www.wnp.pl/parlamentarny/wydarzenia/powstalo-nowe-kolo-lewicy-demokratycznej,674449.html|title=Powstało nowe Koło Lewicy Demokratycznej|website=wnp.pl|date=6 February 2023 |language=pl}}{{cite web|url=https://www.senat.gov.pl/sklad/kluby-i-kola/|title=Kluby i koła|website=senat.gov.pl |language=pl}} In March 2023, the new party was banned from using the logo of the old SLD, and Joanna Senyszyn, the party's co-founder, was removed from the Supreme council of the PPS. In August 2023, members of the Democratic Left Association formally resigned their membership in the PPS, and formally renamed their parliamentary circle to Parliamentary Group of the Democratic Left.

In mid-August 2023, Senator Gabriela Morawska-Stanecka left the club and joined the parliamentary club of the Civic Coalition.{{cite web |title=Do klubu KO dołączyło pięcioro parlamentarzystów. Wśród nich m.in. były członek klubu PiS |author=Marcin Kozłowski |date=17 August 2023 |website=gazeta.pl |url=https://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/wiadomosci/7,114884,30090497,do-klubu-koalicji-obywatelskiej-dolaczylo-piecioro-parlamentarzystow.html |language=pl}} The party then abandoned its intention to create a broad left-wing coalition for the election, and instead wanted to unite left-wing parties to negotiate their way into the electoral lists of the Civic Coalition. This decision was harshly criticized by other left-wing movements, including New Left, whose MEP Krzysztof Śmiszek stated that the Democratic Left Association has become "social centre-right instead of social democracy". In response, the party wrote that the left should no longer consider centre-right Civic Platform its enemy, and called out the New Left's eventual cooperation with it.

In the 2023 Polish parliamentary election, only Andrzej Rozenek (from the Civic Coalition list) ran among the members of the party, but did not win a seat in parliament. Joanna Senyszyn registered her own committee for the Senate election, arguing that the Senate Pact 2023 did not allow the Democratic Left Association to democratically negotiate placing its candidates on the united opposition lists.{{cite web |url=https://www.pap.pl/aktualnosci/senyszyn-chce-wystartowac-do-senatu-przeciwko-wczesniejszym-ustaleniom-liderow-opozycji |title=Senyszyn chce wystartować do Senatu przeciwko wcześniejszym ustaleniom liderów opozycji |date=16 August 2023 |language=pl |first=Grzegorz |last=Bruszewski |website=Polish Press Agency}} However, the electoral commission rejected the registration of her candidacy.{{cite web |url=https://www.pap.pl/aktualnosci/joanna-senyszyn-nie-wystartuje-do-senatu-komisja-wyborcza-odmowila-rejestracji-jej |title=Joanna Senyszyn nie wystartuje do Senatu? Komisja Wyborcza odmówiła rejestracji jej kandydatury |date=8 September 2023 |language=pl |first=Aleksandra |last=Rebelińska |website=Polish Press Agency}} In September 2023, Senyszyn was sued for calling the cursed soldiers "not soldiers, but gangs of social outcasts, idlers and frustrated individuals waiting for World War III."{{cite web |url=https://gdynia.naszemiasto.pl/w-gdansku-rozpoczal-sie-proces-przeciwko-joannie-senyszyn/ar/c1-9465475 |title=W Gdańsku rozpoczął się proces przeciwko Joannie Senyszyn. Chodzi o wpisy o Żołnierzach Wyklętych |date=25 September 2023 |language=pl |first=Andrzej |last=Kowalski}} Zbyszek Zaborowski ran unsuccessfully for the Sejm from the KO list on behalf of the Democratic Left Association,{{cite web |url=https://sejmsenat2023.pkw.gov.pl/sejmsenat2023/pl/sejm/kandydat/29621/31/2744393?scrollSave&scroll=results%3E.kw&obszar=241405 |language=pl |year=2023 |title=Zaborowski Zbyszek |website=National Electoral Commission}} as did Andrzej Rozenek,{{cite web |url=https://sejmsenat2023.pkw.gov.pl/sejmsenat2023/pl/sejm/kandydat/29621/20/2742643?scrollSave&scroll=results%3E.kw&obszar=141705 |language=pl |year=2023 |title=Rozenek Andrzej Tadeusz |website=National Electoral Commission}} while Gabriela Morawska-Stanecka was re-elected to the Senate on behalf of the Civic Coalition.{{cite web |url=https://www.wnp.pl/polityka-i-sondaze/wydarzenia/gabriela-morawska-stanecka-ko-wygrala-w-okregu-nr-74-woj-slaskie,764590.html |title=Gabriela Morawska-Stanecka (KO) wygrała w okręgu nr 74 (woj. śląskie) |date=16 October 2023 |language=pl}} The party actively campaigned for its candidates on the KO lists, promoting policies such as grain embargo on Ukraine, embargo on imported coal, recognition of the Silesian language, restricting logging of Polish forests, restricted immigration, and modification of the Family 500+ program to provide more for the poorest and less for the wealthier families.

On 12 February 2024, the Court of Appeal in Warsaw dismissed the New Left's complaint regarding Democratic Left Association using the logo of the Democratic Left Alliance. In light of the court's decision, the National Electoral Commission accepted the party's logo on 15 February.{{cite web |url=https://www.sn.pl/aktualnosci/SitePages/Komunikaty_o_sprawach.aspx?ItemID=1189&ListName=Komunikaty_o_sprawach |date=16 February 2024 |language=pl |title=Sąd Najwyższy zamyka sprawę skargi komitetu wyborczego |first=Karolina |last=Truszczyńska}} The party started using the logo of the Democratic Left Alliance the same month.

The party stated its intention to run in the 2024 Polish local elections independently.{{cite web |url=https://archiwum.rp.pl/artykul/1511429-Wielki-powrot-SLD-na-wybory-lokalne.html |title=Wielki powrót SLD na wybory lokalne |date=28 February 2024 |language=pl |first=Wiktor |last=Ferfecki}} The party fielded its own list to the voivodeship sejmiks. It ran under the name of "SLD",{{cite web |url=https://ikc.pl/wybory-samorzadowe-2024-ostatni-moment-na-rejestracje-komitetow/ |title=Wybory samorządowe 2024. Ostatni moment na rejestrację komitetów |date=18 February 2024 |language=pl |first=Grzegorz |last=Skowron}} and used the logo of the Democratic Left Alliance. It won 13,169 votes (0.09% of the popular vote) and no seats.{{cite web |url=https://samorzad2024.pkw.gov.pl/samorzad2024/pl/sejmik_wojewodztwa/okregi |title=Wyniki w wyborach do Sejmików Województw |year=2024 |language=pl}} New Left, which lost roughly 25% of its seats and popular vote compared to the SLD's performance in the 2018 Polish local elections, blamed Democratic Left Association for splitting the left-wing electorate.{{cite web |url=https://gazetalubuska.pl/rekomendacja-do-zarzadu-wojewodztwa-bez-jednego-glosu-poparcia/ar/c3-18546001 |title=Rekomendacja do zarządu województwa bez jednego głosu poparcia |date=20 May 2024 |language=pl |first=Eliza |last=Gniewek-Juszczak}}

In January 2025, the chairwoman of the Democratic Left Association, Joanna Senyszyn, declared her candidacy for the 2025 Polish presidential election.{{cite web |url=https://businessinsider.com.pl/wiadomosci/joanna-senyszyn-zamierza-wystartowac-w-wyborach-prezydenckich/wyq1w5t |title=Znana polityczka wystartuje w wyborach prezydenckich. "Nie będę niczyim długopisem" |date=20 January 2025 |language=pl}} She became the official candidate of the party in the election,{{cite web |url=https://krotoszyn.naszemiasto.pl/kandydaci-na-prezydenta-rp-grzegorz-braun-i-slawomir-mentzen-odwiedza-krotoszyn/ar/c1p2-27275595 |title=Kandydaci na Prezydenta RP Grzegorz Braun i Sławomir Mentzen odwiedzą Krotoszyn |first=Łukasz |last=Cichy |date=17 February 2025 |language=pl |quote="Do 14 lutego zgłoszono, aż 22 kandydatów. W kolejności alfabetycznej są to: Magdalena Biejat (Lewica), Grzegorz Braun (Konfederacja Korony Polskiej), Katarzyna Cichos (Platforma Rozwoju Polski), Szymon Hołownia (Polska 2050), Dawid Jackiewicz, Marek Jakubiak (Wolni Republikanie), Dominika Jasińska, Wiesław Lewicki (Normalny Kraj), Maciej Maciak (Ruch Dobrobytu i Pokoju), Eugeniusz Maciejewski (PIAST - Jedność Myśli Europejskich Narodów i Świata), Sławomir Mentzen (Konfederacja Wolność i Niepodległość), Karol Nawrocki (popierany przez Prawo i Sprawiedliwość), Wojciech Papis (Bezpartyjni), Joanna Senyszyn (Stowarzyszenie Lewicy Demokratycznej)..."}} and on 27 March she gathered enough signatures to appear on the ballot box.{{cite web |url=https://businessinsider.com.pl/wiadomosci/byla-poslanka-sld-wystartuje-w-wyborach-prezydenckich-zlozyla-swoje-podpisy-w-pkw/pynjm5f |title=Była posłanka SLD wystartuje w wyborach prezydenckich. Złożyła swoje podpisy w PKW |date=27 March 2025 |language=pl |website=Business Insider}} On 11 April 2025, Senyszyn participated in a presidential debate in Końskie, where she wore the badge of the Democratic Left Association.{{cite web |url=https://www.polityka.pl/tygodnikpolityka/kraj/2296911,1,debata-w-wytworni-hejtu-bez-trzaska-ale-z-numerami.read?src=mt |title=Debata w wytwórni hejtu. Bez „Trzaska”, ale z „numerami” |date=15 April 2025 |language=pl |first=Jan |last=Hartman |website=Polityka |quote="Szczególnie miło i sympatycznie wypadła zrelaksowana tym razem Joanna Senyszyn. Jako wielka wrogini SLD i Czarzastego wystąpiła z plakietką SLD, ale nie „tego” SLD, lecz założonego przez siebie Stowarzyszenia Lewicy Demokratycznej. Aż by się człowiek chciał zapisać!"}}{{cite web |url=https://www.onet.pl/informacje/onetwiadomosci/tekturowy-trzaskowski-drewniany-nawrocki-i-mentzen-jako-katarynka-parodia-debaty-w/4dvznkz,79cfc278 |title=Tekturowy Trzaskowski, drewniany Nawrocki i Mentzen jako katarynka. Parodia debaty w Republice |language=pl |website=Onet.pl |date=15 April 2025 |first=Kamil |last=Dziubka |quote="A gwiazda debaty Republiki w Końskich Joanna Senyszyn wystąpiła z plakietką "SLD", która miała nawiązywać do partii, na której gruzach powstała kierowana przez Włodzimierza Czarzastego Nowa Lewica. Formalnie rozwinięcie tego skrótu brzmi obecnie "Stowarzyszenie Lewicy Demokratycznej"."}} Senyszyn declared herself to be the official candidate of the Democratic Left Association, calling it "the true left".{{cite web |url=https://wybrzeze24.pl/aktualnosci/joanna-senyszyn-wraca-pod-szyldem-sld-ale-jest-haczyk |title=Joanna Senyszyn wraca pod szyldem SLD. Ale jest haczyk |language=pl |date=15 April 2025}}

In the first round of the presidential election, Senyszyn won 1.09% of the popular amount, amounting to over 200,000 votes.{{cite web |url=https://www.radio.katowice.pl/zobacz,72297,Oficjalne-wyniki-I-tury-wyborow-prezydenckich.html |title=Oficjalne wyniki I tury wyborów prezydenckich |date=19 May 2025 |language=pl |website=Radio Katowice |location=Katowice}} After the first round, the Democratic Left Association endorsed Rafał Trzaskowski, the candidate of the Civic Platform, for the second round. On 25 May, Senyszyn participated in a march in Warsaw in support of Trzaskowski, where she gave his wife, Małgorzata Trzaskowska, her iconic red corals, asking her to take them to the presidential palace and offering Trzaskowski her endorsement.{{cite web |url=https://wiadomosci.onet.pl/wybory/wybory-prezydenckie/joanna-senyszyn-wykonala-symboliczny-gest-na-marszu-wzbudzila-euforie-tlumu/bd0xgjb |title=Euforia po słowach Joanny Senyszyn. Wykonała symboliczny gest |date=25 May 2025 |language=pl |website=onet.pl}}

After the election, on 3 June, Senyszyn announced the creation of a new socio-political assocation, "Senyszyn's Red Corals" ({{langx|pl|Czerwone Korale Senyszyn}}). The association is to be democratic and be based on her young followers that she gained in her presidential run. She criticized both Magdalena Biejat of the The Left and Adrian Zandberg of Razem parties, calling them "a certain left-wing faction whose slogan is: “PiS, PO – pure evil”". Senyszyn stressed that she wants to create a left which would not believe "that such an equation should be made".{{cite web |url=https://www.gazetaprawna.pl/wiadomosci/kraj/artykuly/9813726,czerwone-korale-senyszyn-nowa-inicjatywa-spoleczno-polityczna.html |language=pl |website=Gazeta Prawna |title="Czerwone Korale Senyszyn". Nowa inicjatywa społeczno-polityczna |date=3 June 2025 |first=Nina |last=Leszczyńska}}

The party is social democratic. It focuses on continuing the legacy of the Democratic Left Alliance, using its abbreviation and former party logo. It maintains SLD's policies, but it tries to get votes in areas that are considered right-leaning.{{Cite web |date=25 October 2022 |title=Robert Kwiatkowski: Stowarzyszenie SLD woli sztandar czerwony od tęczowego|url=https://www.gazetaprawna.pl/wiadomosci/swiat/artykuly/8575206,kwiatkowski-sld-sztandar-czerwony-teczowy.html|website=gazetaprawna.pl}}{{Cite web|url=https://wydarzenia.interia.pl/kraj/news-powstalo-stowarzyszenie-lewicy-demokratycznej-nazwa-i-skrot-,nId,6068984|title=Powstało Stowarzyszenie Lewicy Demokratycznej. Nazwa i skrót budzą kontrowersje|website=www.wydarzenia.interia.pl|date=3 June 2022}} It leans towards social conservatism, and argues that the Polish left must distance itself from issues like LGBT and abortion.{{cite web |url=https://zielonagora.wyborcza.pl/zielonagora/7,35182,29551070,drugie-zycie-sld-czarzasty-nas-nigdy-nie-pogrzebie.html |title=Drugie życie SLD. "Czarzasty nas nigdy nie pogrzebie" |date=12 March 2023 |language=pl |location=Zielona Góra |website=Wyborcza |first=Artur |last=Łukasiewicz}} In regards to feminism and LGBT issues, the party declares that it would "not put such slogans on its banners", arguing that these matters should be dismissed in favor of socioeconomic focus on funding public services and reducing unemployment. The party dismissed the socially liberal left as "pink-haired chicks", writing: "You can have fun with pink-haired chicks, but not do politics. Like with hippies..."

It describes itself as a front for centre-left and left-wing political views, and names "democracy, pro-Europeanism, the rule of law and social justice" as its basic values. In its first convention, the SLD declared that its objectives would be "expanding educational activities, undertaking initiatives to counteract unemployment, protecting the environment and promoting European integration."{{cite web |url=https://slaskaopinia.pl/2022/06/06/inauguracja-sld/ |title=Inauguracja SLD |date=6 June 2022 |language=pl}} It also describes itself as patriotic, stating that it fights for "democracy, freedom, self-government and patriotism."{{cite web |url=https://lci-lubuskie.pl/2023/03/11/sld-sie-organizuje-i-chce-odsunac-pis-od-wladzy-zdjecia/ |title=SLD się organizuje i chce odsunąć PiS od władzy (ZDJĘCIA) |date=11 March 2023 |language=pl |first=Michał |last=Iwanowski}} The party also describes itself as a "democratic left open to dialogue with the extra-parliamentary left". It strongly criticizes its rival party New Left, but also agrees with it in some areas like the Polish Constitution, the European Union, and the rule of law.{{cite web |url=https://www.portalsamorzadowy.pl/polityka-i-spoleczenstwo/sad-w-warszawie-zakazal-stowarzyszeniu-lewicy-demokratycznej-poslugiwanie-sie-logiem-sld,446189.html?mp=promo |title=Sąd w Warszawie zakazał Stowarzyszeniu Lewicy Demokratycznej posługiwanie się logiem SLD |date=9 March 2023 |language=pl}}

The Democratic Left Association is highly critical of promotion of sociocultural issues by other left-wing parties, dismissing the social liberalism as "culture war at its worst".{{cite web |url=https://rzg.pl/186291/b-wontor-o-stowarzyszeniu-lewicy-demokratycznej/ |title=B. Wontor o Stowarzyszeniu Lewicy Demokratycznej |date=2 August 2022 |language=pl |first=Marta |last=Czechowska}} The party declares that it would not slogans of abortion access and LGBT rights on its banners, and questions the seriousness of parties that priotitize such issues, dismissing them as 'pink-haired chicks". The party believes that other left-wing movements in Poland, especially the New Left, have abandoned social democracy in the name of 'rainbow' liberalism. It also argues that Polish left has a culture of sexism and authoritarianism in its way of organization.{{cite web |url=https://dorzeczy.pl/opinie/314905/spor-na-lewicy-joanna-senyszyn-tam-panuje-seksizm.html |title=Senyszyn: W Nowej Lewicy panuje seksizm i autorytaryzm |date=19 June 2022 |language=pl}} In its criticism of other left-leaning parties, Democratic Left Association criticizes the adoption of liberal positions on sociocultural and moral issues, and argues for the need to push back against the socially liberal and urbanite ("Varsovian") left and its domination in Poland.{{cite web |url=https://www.slazag.pl/zbyszek-zaborowski-na-liscie-ko-do-sejmu-rp-lewica-czarzastego-i-biedronia-przestala-mnie-interesowac |title=Zbyszek Zaborowski na liście KO do Sejmu RP. "Lewica Czarzastego i Biedronia przestała mnie interesować" |first=Patryk |last=Osadnik |date=27 September 2023 |language=pl}} It argues that the Polish left must choose "the red banner, the social democratic one" instead of the "rainbow flag of the Western left".

The Democratic Left Association has a positive assessment of the Polish People's Republic and references communist nostalgia; it also condemns Polish liberal and left-leaning parties for their anti-communism.{{cite web |url=https://www.tygodnikprzeglad.pl/czarzasty-biedron-maja-konkurencje/ |title=Czarzasty i Biedroń mają konkurencję |date=24 October 2022 |language=pl}} The party is also skeptical towards immigration, arguing that "the Polish authorities must first and foremost help the citizens of the Polish state". It also supports legal recognition of the Silesian minority, and wants to recognize the Silesian language as a regional language in Poland. It is sympathetic towards the Silesian Autonomy Movement, and described its leader Jerzy Gorzelik as a "staid regional politician". The party's proposals also include expanding the Silesian Opole Voivodeship, and reorganizing Polish voivodeships to reduce the domination of urban centres.

The party promotes left-wing patriotism, and together with the Polish Socialist Party it adopted a slogan "Poland's independence was won by the democratic left". The parties claimed that Józef Piłsudski, Ignacy Daszyński, Jędrzej Moraczewski and Gabriel Narutowicz were the "leaders of the democratic left" and named them the patrons of the political left-wing traditions. The Democratic Left Association stated that right-wing nationalist movements are wrongly trying to appropriate these figures and their tradition of Polish patriotism.{{cite web |url=https://dziennik.com/bohaterami-odzyskanej-niepodleglosci-sa-pilsudski-daszynski-narutowicz/ |title=Bohaterami odzyskanej niepodległości są Piłsudski, Daszyński, Narutowicz |date=11 November 2022 |language=pl |first=Tomasz |last=Więcławski}} The party aspires to unite various left-wing tendencies, such as "the anti-communist left, which recalls the traditions of Józef Piłsudski and Bolesław Limanowski, and the nostalgic supporters of the democratically renewed and pro-European post-communists."

In regards to the economy, the main proposal of the party includes expanding the welfare state to include special, additional pensions for uniformed and public workers. It criticized the construction of Camerimage building in Toruń instead of allocation funds to reduce the costs of energy to citizens.{{cite web |url=https://bydgoszcz.tvp.pl/64456262/stowarzyszenia-lewicy-demokratycznej-oraz-pps-rozpoczely-akcje-niepodleglosc-polski-wywalczyla-demokratyczna-lewica |title=Toruń odpowiada na zarzuty posła Roberta Kwiatkowskiego |date=10 November 2022 |language=pl |first=Aleksandra |last=Ciekot}} The party also supports the Family 500+ program, but argues that the pension should not be distributed equally, and the program should instead give more money to the poorest families and less to the more well-off ones. In a joint program signed together with Labour Union, Democratic Left Association also stated its commitment to establishing a 7-hour workday, and advocates solving the housing crisis by establishing state-managed housing cooperatives that would own apartments instead of private companies, and handle mortgages of its flats instead of making it the responsibility of individual tenants.{{cite web |url=https://www.tygodnikprzeglad.pl/praca-tak-wyzysk-nie/ |title=Praca – tak, wyzysk – nie |date=4 July 2022 |language=pl |website=Przegląd |first=Robert |last=Walenciak}} In regards to environmental issues, the party's main proposal is restricting logging of Polish forests.

While declaring pro-Europeanism, the party stated that it will pursue good relations with all of Poland's neighbours, including eastern ones such as Russia. It called the Russo-Ukrainian War "completely unnecessary", and argued that while Poland carries some responsibility for the war because it contributed to tensions between Russia and Ukraine. It also opposes Ukraine entering NATO.{{cite web |url=https://portalobronny.se.pl/geopolityka/polska-armia-wymaga-uporzadkowania-struktur-dowodczych-i-przywrocenia-jednolitego-dowodzenia-aa-StUe-3gNU-Zh6g.html |title=Zaborowski: Polska armia wymaga uporządkowania struktur dowódczych i przywrócenia jednolitego dowodzenia |date=13 September 2023 |language=pl |first=Andrzej |last=Bęben}} The party supported the decision of Law and Justice to implement an embargo on Ukrainian grain in September 2023, arguing that Polish farmers should be supported from foreign markets, and that Ukrainian agriculture is dominated by large industrial enterprises, which makes free trade with Ukraine serve "mainly the interests of large behemoths". It also supports an embargo on imported coal in order to develop the coal mining industry of Silesia; the party stated: "We import coal from all over the world of different quality, disregarding our jobs and our own energy security."{{cite web |url=https://dziennikzachodni.pl/leszek-miller-i-zbyszek-zaborowski-w-katowicach-decyzja-embarga-polskiego-rzadu-na-ukrainskie-zboze-jest-sluszna/ar/c1-17908777 |title=Leszek Miller i Zbyszek Zaborowski w Katowicach: Decyzja embarga polskiego rządu na ukraińskie zboże jest słuszna |date=20 September 2023 |language=pl |website=Dziennik Zachodni}}

The Democratic Left Association is highly critical of the New Left, describing it as a party that stands for the Western left and the 'rainbow flag', as opposed to "the red banner, the social democratic one" that the Democratic Left Association aspires to represent; it also accepts the Polish People's Republic and its legacy as an integral part of the Polish left, and criticizes the New Left for rejecting it. It is considered to be 'outflanking' New Left from further left. The party focuses on economic postulates, and believes that the reason for the decline of the Polish left is prioritizing cultural issues over socioeconomic ones. The Democratic Left Association also praises Law and Justice, describing it as "very democratic in comparison to New Left".{{cite web |url=https://wzielonej.pl/informacje/rozmowa-na-96-fm/posel-b-wontor-nowa-lewica-jest-mniej-demokratyczna-od-pis-u/ |title=Poseł B. Wontor: Nowa Lewica jest mniej demokratyczna od PiS-u |date=13 March 2023 |language=pl}}

However, despite initially striking a positive tone towards Law and Justice, the party later argued that "the most important thing is to remove PiS from power". The party states that it "believes in the project of social democracy in Poland", but that "it will not be created under the rule of Czarzasty and Biedroń." It stated its intention to work together with the Polish Socialist Party, Labour Union, Social Democracy of Poland, Feminist Initiative as well as trade unionists and also The Greens, arguing that The Greens are "drowned in the Civic Platform". Ultimately, the Democratic Left Association moderated itself and decided to run on the electoral lists of the neoliberal Civic Coalition, claiming that "whatever bad things we attribute to PO, it is the only party that has a chance to really fight PiS".{{cite web |url=https://www.polityka.pl/tygodnikpolityka/kraj/2168595,1,nieczarzasci-czyli-buntownicy-z-lewicy-kim-sa-czego-chca.read |title=Nieczarzaści, czyli buntownicy z lewicy. Kim są, czego chcą? |date=13 June 2022 |language=pl |website=Polityka |first=Malwina |last=Dziedzic}} Other left-wing parties criticized the Democratic Left Association for entering a coalition with the neoliberal Civic Platform, with Krzysztof Śmiszek writing: "They build a lifeboat in the form of the SLD to knock on Tusk's door and became social-centre-right instead of social democracy."{{cite web |url=https://gazetalubuska.pl/lewica-od-nowa-czy-tylko-ratunkowa-szalupa-sieroty-kontra-rozowe-czuby/ar/c3-17364991 |title=Lewica od nowa, czy tylko ratunkowa szalupa? Sieroty kontra różowe czuby |first=Robert |last=Bagiński |language=pl |website=Gazeta Lubuska}}

The party calls for a "mass uprising from the left side of the political scene to unite the forces of the democratic opposition" and a unity of "the parliamentary forces and the extra-parliamentary left". Its vice-chairman, Robert Kwiatkowski called an agreement of Christian democracy and left-wing forces his dream, arguing that "in fundamental matters there is not much that differs us... We have an equally strong attachment to matters related to the rule of law, to our place in the EU, to the defense policy that Poland should pursue, to economic policy..."{{cite web |url=https://bydgoszcz.tvp.pl/60558678/stowarzyszenie-lewicy-demokratycznej-jedna-lista-calej-opozycji |title=Robert Kwiatkowski o nowym projekcie Lewicy: Chcemy, aby ta lista miała ponad 40 proc. |website=Telewizja Polska |location=Bydgoszcz |date=3 June 2022 |language=pl}} Kwiatkowski also added that it is necessary to form coalitions with "liberals, conservatives, and members of the Polish People's Party. Because, figuratively speaking, you first have to beat D'Hondt in order to defeat PiS".{{cite web |url=https://wiadomosci.dziennik.pl/polityka/artykuly/8478709,lewica-porozumie-wybory-pps-unia-pracy-socjaldemokracja-polska-wolnosc-i-rownosc.html |title=Cztery partie lewicowe podpisały porozumie. Chcą iść razem do wyborów |date=25 June 2022 |language=pl |first=Olga |last=Papiernik}} The Democratic Left Association started as a parliamentary group of the Polish Socialist Party. However, some of the party members were criticized for lacking a strong attachment to socialism and seeking coalitions with liberal parties.

• Democratic Left Alliance
• Self-Defence of the Republic of Poland
• Labour Union
• Working People's Movement
• Democratic Party of the Left
• Reason Party
• Polish Labour Party - August 80
• Europa Plus

{{Reflist}}

{{Polish political parties}}

Category:2022 establishments in Poland

Category:Polish Socialist Party

Category:Political parties established in 2022

Category:Social democratic parties in Poland