Democratic Party of Socialists

The Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) is a left-wing political party in Vorona. The party was founded in 3456 by Kratos Lyssarides. The party consists primarily of democratic socialists and neo-communists, and slightly smaller, more moderate groups of environmentalists and social democrats. The Socialists entered Parliament for the first time in 3457, with leader Lyssarides as their sole MP.

Ideology
Ideologically, the Democratic Party of Socialists claims to be a market socialist party, balancing economic co-operatism and public ownership of the means of production. Party founder Kratos Lyssarides at several occasions distanced himself and his party from self-described socialist states across Terra, accusing them of being state socialist. Despite this rejection of Stalinism, Lyssarides also critizised social democrats for what he called a lack of courage to change. However, social democracy still remains a major ideological faction internally within the party.

Aside from the party's economic policies, environmentalists, pacifists, feminists, LGBT activists and several other groups have assembled for other reasons within the Party of Socialists. Overall, the DPS is considered by far to be the most left-wing of the parties in the Voronese Parliament.

History
The Democratic Party of Socialists was founded as an electoral coalition of leftist parties in 3456 under the name 'United Left'. Only weeks later, the coalition was registered as a single party with its present name. Kratos Lyssarides, previously leader of the Communist Party of Vorona, who had served as the first head of the coalition, was elected party leader on its founding congress.

Electoral breakthrough (3456-present)
The local elections of 3456 gave the party ten representatives in local councils across West Vorona, and four in East Vorona. The following year Kratos Lyssarides was elected as the sole national Member of Parliament of the Party of Socialists in the 3457 elections.