This article lists political parties in Costa Rica. Costa Rica used to have a two-party system, which meant that there were two dominant political parties, the Social Christian Unity Party and the National Liberation Party, with extreme difficulty for anybody to achieve electoral success under the banner of any other party. After the 2002 elections and the strong showing of the brand-new Citizens' Action Party, it was considered very likely that the old two-party system was on the verge of giving way to a multi-party system. Several other parties have gained prominence since then, and the 2006 elections made it clear that Costa Rica is now a multi-party system.

Starting in the 2000s, disagreement about many of the neo-liberal policies promoted by the dominant PLN caused the traditional party system of alliances among a few parties to fracture.[1] Although still a stable country, the shift toward many political parties and away from PUSC and PLN is a recent development.[2] Various elected positions within the country, such as mayors and city council members, are held by many different national and local political parties.

Party Lists

Parliamentary fractions of the Legislative Assembly, 2022-2026

Political Parties in Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica, 2018-2022
Party Abbr. Founded Deputies Ideology Position
 National Liberation Party
Partido Liberación Nacional		 PLN 1951
19 / 57
 Social democracy,
Third Way,
Figuerism		 Centre to centre-left
 Social Democratic Progress Party
Partido Progreso Social Democrático		 PPSD 2018
10 / 57
 Social democracy,
Social conservatism,
Economic liberalism		 Centre to centre-right
 Social Christian Unity Party
Partido Unidad Social Cristiana		 PUSC 1983
9 / 57
 Christian democracy,
Liberal conservatism,
Economic liberalism		 Centre-right
 New Republic Party
Partido Nueva República		 PNR 2019
7 / 57
 Conservatism,
Social conservatism,
Christian right		 Right-wing to far-right
 Liberal Progressive Party
Partido Liberal Progresista		 PLP+ 2016
6 / 57
 Libertarianism,
Classical liberalism		 Centre-right
 Broad Front
Frente Amplio		 FA 2004
6 / 57
 Democratic socialism,
Socialism of the 21st century,
Progressivism		 Left-wing

Extra-parliamentary parties

Nationally Unrepresented Political Parties
Party Name (English) Party Name (Spanish) Ideology Position Historic Notes
 Accessibility without Exclusion Partido Accesibilidad sin Exclusión (PASE) Single issue, rights for people with disabilities, Social conservatism Right-wing Founded 2001.
 Citizens' Action Party
 Partido Acción Ciudadana (PAC) Progressivism, social democracy, Christian democracy Centre-left to left-wing
(with some centre-right factions)		 Founded 2001. Held power between 2014 and 2022.
 Christian Democratic Alliance Alianza Demócrata Cristiana (ADC) Conservativism, Christian democracy, provincial (Cartago) Right-wing Founded in 2012.
 Costa Rican Renewal Party Partido Renovación Costarricense (PRC) Christian politics,
Social conservatism		 Right-wing Founded in 1995.
 Democratic Force Fuerza Democrática Socialism Left wing Founded in 1994. Held three seats from 1998-2002. Defunct as of 2006. Refounded in 2021 but unable to nominate candidate.
 Libertarian Movement Partido Movimiento Libertario (PML) Classical liberalism, Liberal conservatism, Libertarianism (originally) Right-wing Founded 1994.
 National Restoration Party Partido Restauración Nacional (PREN) Christian politics, social conservatism Right-wing to far-right Founded 2005
 National Integration Party Partido Integración Nacional (PIN) Social conservatism, economic nationalism Right-wing Founded 1998
 New Generation Party Partido Nueva Generación (PNG) Economic liberalism, social conservatism, anti-immigration Centre-right to right-wing Founded in 2012.
 Social Christian Republican Party Partido Republicano Social Cristiano (PRSC) Conservatism, Christian democracy, classical liberalism Centre-right Founded 2014

Local

Local parties
Party Name (English) Party Name (Spanish) Canton Historic Notes
 Party of the Sun Partido del Sol Santa Ana Founded in 1997. Originally single issue to oppose trash dump construction. Controlled Santa Ana City Council for four consecutive terms.
 21st Century Curridabat Curridabat Siglo 21 Curridabat Founded in 1997, controlled Curridabat Mayoralty and City Council for four consecutive terms
 Escazu's Progressive Yoke Yunta Progresista Escazuseña Escazu Founded in 1996, controlled Escazu Mayoralty and City Council for three consecutive terms.
 Cartago Green Party Partido Verde de Cartago Cartago Founded in 2004.

Defunct/Inactive Political Parties

Defunct Political Parties
Party Name (English) Party Name (Spanish) Ideology Historic Notes
 National Union Party Partido Unión Nacional (PUN) Conservatism, Center-right Founded in 1901. Has existed in various forms and coalition parties until 2010. Won the presidency four times (1902, 1928, 1948, 1958, 1966). 1948 election was unrecognized. Defunct as of 2010.
 National Rescue Party Partido Rescate Nacional (PRN) Center-left, Moderate socialist Founded in 1996. Held one legislative seat in 2006. Defunct as of 2010.
 Popular Vanguard Party Partido Vanguardia Popular (PVP) Marxist–Leninist, Far-left Founded in 1931. Existed as The Workers' and Farmers' Party and Communist Party of Costa Rica.
 National Unification Party Partido Unificación Nacional Center-right, liberal-conservative Founded in 1966 as joint of National Republican and National Union. Defunct as of 1978.
 National Republican Party Partido Republicano Nacional Centrist, personal Founded in 1901. Often called "Calderonistas." Joined Unity Coalition in 1978, which later became PUSC. Defunct as of 1978.
 Agrarian Labour Action Party Partido Acción Laborista Agrícola (PALA) Agrarian, Provincial Alajuela Founded in 1990. Held one seat in 1998. Defunct as of 2007.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Booth, John A.; yes (January 2008). Paul Webb and Stephen White (ed.). Political Parties in Costa Rica: Democratic Stability and Party System Change in a Latin American Context (1 ed.). Oxford: Oxford Scholarship Online. ISBN 9780199289653. Retrieved 2 April 2014.
  2. ↑ McPhaul, John (8 February 2014). "Costa Rica elections demonstrate country's democratic stability". The Tico Times. Retrieved 2 April 2014.
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