A frivolous party or a joke party is a political party which has been created for the purposes of entertainment or political satire. Such a party may or may not have a serious point behind its activities. This is a list of frivolous political parties.

Some more serious political parties, such as the Rent Is Too Damn High Party, may use the same tactics and humorous approaches to politics as their more frivolous counterparts but aim to address legitimate sociopolitical issues, something that some frivolous parties do not do. By contrast, fake political parties try to resemble serious and genuine political parties for nefarious purposes, such as voter suppression, embezzlement of state funding, division and dilution of voter interest groups, et al. Some fake parties may actually model themselves after frivolous parties in an analogous fashion.

Australia

  • Deadly Serious Party (deregistered in 1988)
  • Imperial British Conservative Party (see also: Cecil G. Murgatroyd, defunct)
  • Party! Party! Party! (defunct)[1]
  • Sun Ripened Warm Tomato Party (1989–1991)
  • True Whig Party (disbanded 1970)
  • Lower Excise Fuel and Beer Party (2001–2005)

Austria

  • The Beer Party

Austria-Hungary, Czechoslovakia

  • Permanent Opposition to Democracy [cs] (Permanentní opozicí za demokracii, 1990 Czechoslovak parliamentary election)
  • The Party of Moderate Progress Within the Bounds of the Law (Jaroslav Hašek, 1911)

Belarus

  • Beer Lovers Party (defunct in 1998)

Canada

  • Canadian Extreme Wrestling Party (1999–2001, defunct)
  • Lemon Party (Parti Citron, 1987–2004, defunct)
  • None of the Above Direct Democracy Party[2][note 1] (2014–present)
  • Parti éléphant blanc de Montréal (White Elephant Party of Montreal, 1989–2009, defunct)
  • Pauper Party of Ontario (2011–2022, defunct)
  • Rhinoceros Party (2006–present)
  • The Canada Party (2012–present)
  • Absolutely Absurd Party[3][4] (2003–2004, defunct)

Czech Republic

Denmark

  • The baldy party (Skallepartiet, Jesu fødsel–present)
  • The Puppet Party (Dukkepartiet, 2014–present)
  • Union of Conscientiously Work-Shy Elements (defunct, 1979–1998)
  • Vodka Party[8] (Vodka Partiet, 2022–present)

Estonia

  • Royalist Party of Estonia (defunct)

Faroe Islands

  • Hin Stuttligi Flokkurin (The Funny Party, defunct)

France

Germany

  • APPD (Anarchist Pogo Party of Germany)
  • Die PARTEI ('The Party'; Party for Labour, Rule of Law, Protection of Animals, Promotion of Elites and Grassroot-Democratic Initiative) (represented in the European Parliament)

Greece

  • Greek Ecologists (Έλληνες Οικολόγοι, 1986–2023, defunct)
  • Smoking Groups for Art and Visual Composition [el] (Κ.Ο.Τ.Ε.Σ., Καπνιστικές Ομάδες για την Τέχνη και την Εικαστική Συγκρότηση)
  • Cynic Party of Greece-Diogenes[9][10] (Κυνικό Κόμμα Ελλάδος-Διογένης, 2019–2023, defunct)

Hungary

  • Hungarian Two Tailed Dog Party[11]

Iceland

  • Best Party (defunct)

Iran

  • Party of Donkeys (defunct)[12]

Italy

  • Love Party (Partito dell'Amore) (defunct)
  • Italian Nettist Party (Partito Nettista Italiano) (defunct)

Japan

  • No Party to Support (Shiji Seitō Nashi, 支持政党なし)
  • Happiness Realization Party[note 3] (Kōfuku Jitsugen Tō, 幸福実現党)
  • The Collaborative Party[13][note 4] (Minna de Tsukuru Tō, みんなでつくる党; commonly referred to as NHK Tō, NHK党)
  • Internet Breakthrough Party of Japan (Dennō Toppa Tō, 電脳突破党) (defunct)
  • Pirate Party Japan[14][note 5] (Nihon Kaizoku Tō, 日本海賊党) (defunct, 2006–2017)
  • Okinawa Pirate Party[15] (Okinawa Kaizoku Tō, 沖縄海賊党)
  • Tokyo Tea Party[16][17][note 6] (Tokyo Chakai, 東京茶会) (defunct, 2010–2013)
  • Love and Peace Party[18][note 7] (Love & Peace Tō, ラブ＆ピース党) (2022, 2024 local elections)[19]
  • Sports and Peace Party (Supōtsu Heiwa Tō, スポーツ平和党) (defunct, 1989–2006)
  • Watch My Cute Political Broadcast[20][21] (Kawaii Watashi no Seiken Hōsō o Mite ne, カワイイ私の政見放送を見てね) (2024 Tokyo gubernatorial election, affiliated with NHK Party)
  • We Are[22][23][note 8] (Wareware-dan, 我々団) (2007-present)

Kosovo

  • Strong Party (Partia e Fortë) (defunct)

Lithuania

  • Party of Bread Eaters (1993 presidential election)

New Zealand

  • Bill and Ben Party (defunct)
  • Imperial British Conservative Party (defunct)
  • McGillicuddy Serious Party (defunct)
  • The Civilian Party (defunct)

Netherlands

  • Party of the Future or The Party Party (defunct)
  • Provo (defunct)
  • Rapaille Partij (defunct)

Norway

  • Beer Unity Party (defunct)
  • The Political Party (defunct)

Poland

  • Polish Beer-Lovers' Party (defunct)
  • Polish Party of the Bald[24][25] (1993–1994, defunct)

Romania

  • Partidul Liber-Schimbist (defunct)

Russia

  • Against Everyone [ru][26][note 9] (1991–2020, outlawed, continues to function)
  • Beer Lovers Party (1993–1998, reformed in 2024)[27]
  • Party of the Dead (2017–2022, outlawed, founder Maxim Evstropov declared a wanted fugitive as of December 2022)
  • Party of crooks and thieves[note 10] (Партия жуликов и воров, the ruling United Russia party)

Serbia

  • Sarmu probo nisi: leader Ljubiša Preletačević came third with 9.44% of the vote in the 2017 Serbian presidential election

Singapore

  • National Solidarity Party (Singapore)
  • People's Power Party (Singapore) (registered in 2015)
  • Peoples Voice (Singapore)
  • Reform Party (Singapore)
  • Red Dot United (registered in 2020)
  • Singapore United Party (registered in 2020 after internal conflicts with Reform Party members)
  • People's Alliance for Reform (formed in 2023)

Slovenia

  • None of the Above (Nič od tega) (registered in 2024)

Spain

  • Coordinadora Reusenca Independent
  • Partido del Karma Democrático, PKD ("Party of the Democratic Karma")

Sweden

  • Donald Duck Party
  • Evil Chicken Party[28][29] (Ond Kyckling Partiet, 2021–present)
  • Least Awful Party[29]
  • Chill Party[29]

Switzerland

  • Anti-PowerPoint Party

Taiwan

  • Can't Stop This Party (defunct)
  • Taiwan Mahjong Greatest Party[30][31]

Ukraine

  • Darth Vader Bloc[32][33] (2015–present) (see also: Darth Vader in Ukrainian politics)
  • Internet Party of Ukraine (defunct, 2007–2020)
  • Satirical-Democratic Party of Ukraine[34][35][36] (defunct, 2013–2014)
  • Ukrainian Anarchist Union[37][note 11] (Союз Анархістів України, 1999–present) (uk)
  • Ukrainian Beer Lovers Party (defunct, 1991–2001)
  • Ukrainian Cossack Party [uk][38] (2008–present)

United Kingdom

  • Adam Lyal's Witchery Tour Party (defunct)
  • Church of the Militant Elvis Party, also known as the Bus Pass Elvis Party (defunct)
  • The Eccentric Party of Great Britain (defunct)
  • Fancy Dress Party (defunct)
  • New Millennium Bean Party
  • Official Monster Raving Loony Party
  • Raving Loony Green Giant Party (defunct)
  • Rock 'n' Roll Loony Party (defunct)
  • The Blah! Party[note 12] (defunct)
  • Teddy Bear Alliance (defunct)
  • Rainbow Dream Ticket[note 13] (1984–2009, defunct)
  • Count Binface Party, created by comedian Jonathan David Harvey
  • Gremloids[39][note 14] (1987, 1992, 2017 elections)
  • Recyclons[note 15] (2021, 2024 elections)
  • Give Me Back Elmo[40][41][42]
  • Dungeons, Death, & Taxes Party[43] (2005 UK general election, defunct)
  • Happening Happy Hippy Party[44] (1997–2002, defunct)
  • Nude and Proud[45] (2021 Senedd election)
  • Citizens for Undead Rights and Equality[46] (2010–2012, defunct)
  • Miss Great Britain Party[44][25] (2008–2009, defunct)
  • Al-Zebabist Nation of OOOG[47] (2014–2017, defunct)
  • Blancmange Throwers Party[48][49][50][note 16] (1987 UK general election, Windsor and Maidenhead)
  • The Mitre TW9[51][52] (2024 UK general election, Richmond Park)
  • Creek Road Fresh Bread Party[39] (1987 UK general election, Havant)
  • The Gold Party[39][53] (1987 UK general election, Finchley)
  • The Space Navies Party[54][55] (2006–2021, defunct)
  • The Moon and Serpent Party[56][note 17] (2018–present)

United States

  • Guns and Dope Party
  • OWL Party
  • Surprise Party
  • Undecided Cow Party
  • Birthday Party[57]
  • All-Night Party[note 18] (1976 presidential election)[58]
  • Rent Is Too Damn High Party

Uruguay

  • The Concordance Party (Spanish: La Concordancia)[59] (led by Domingo Tortorelli; 1938, 1942, 1950 general elections)

See also

  • Lists of political parties
  • List of fictional political parties
  • List of practical joke topics
  • Jedi census phenomenon
  • Non-human electoral candidates
  • Novelty candidate

Notes

  1. ^ Mostly a legitimate protest movement, the None of the Above Direct Democracy Party uses humor and satire as part of their platform and has fielded at least one perennial joke candidate, Above Znoneofthe.
  2. ^ The full party name is "YES, A BETTER CZECH REPUBLIC WITH ALIENS AND MOTORIST CITIZENS - (more affordable housing, free fares for schoolchildren and students, road repairs, rural development from subsidies, medical and dental emergencies in districts, enough kindergartens, enough free parking for Central Bohemians on the outskirts of Prague)". The aliens being referred to are not aliens in the legal sense, but rather actual extraterrestrials.
  3. ^ On multiple occasions, the Happiness Realization party has fielded the perennial joke candidate Yoshiro Nakamatsu. The party platform includes sensationalist and extremist views.
  4. ^ Founded by Takashi Tachibana in 2013, initially as The Party to Protect the People from the NHK (NHK kara Kokumin o Mamoru Tō, NHKから国民を守る党), to oppose the license fees for the national broadcasting organization NHK stipulated by the 1950 Broadcasting Law [ja]. The party has changed its name repeatedly since then. Its candidates and officeholders possess a record of extensive controversy, and the party has used humor and satire enough to be labeled a frivolous party by its detractors. For example, Tachibana has claimed that NHK license fee collectors have yakuza connections, and Yoshikazu Higashitani, who was elected into the House of Councillors as part of the NHK Party in 2022, refused to enter Japan serve in his duty due to concerns of being a wanted fugitive. In 2023, two former members formed a new party with the previous name, which focuses on the core issue of scrambling NHK and ending TV license fees.
  5. ^ Most pirate parties do not qualify as frivolous parties. However, due to strict laws regarding media piracy in Japan, Japanese pirate party initiatives have resorted to satire, entertainment, and pop culture references rather than direct advocacy for law reform.
  6. ^ Founded by Yuya Watase [ja] in 2010, the Tokyo Tea Party initially began as an anti-tax movement, then gradually retooled itself as a satirical parody of the American Tea Party movement following the 2009 nationwide income tax protests. The party lost its momentum after 2012, ceased operations after 2013, and may have existed in some form until the end of 2019.
  7. ^ Party of perennial joke candidate Teruki Gotō; other parties claimed by him have included "Teruki Goto and the Party that Changes the World", "A Sugar That Makes Shinshu Nagano Prefecture Chino City Healthy", "Opposition to Charging for Household Waste Party", et al.
  8. ^ Party of perennial joke candidate Koichi Toyama. The candidate originally ran as an independent, beginning in 2007, establishing his unofficial party the same year. The party platform consists of an internally incongruous combination of extreme left, anarchist, nationalist, and fascist views.
  9. ^ In equal part a legitimate protest movement and a frivolous party lacking any membership; between 1991 and 2006, Russian election ballots included a box titled "Against Everyone", which was removed in 2006 and the associated frivolous party (ru) was liquidated in 2020. The party continues to exist anonymously. Adherents are instructed to vote for everyone, filling in all boxes on election ballots "to avoid inflaming inter-party differences", i.e. defacing the ballots.
  10. ^ While not strictly an extant party, the Party of Crooks and Thieves has had a satirical official logo, banners, and advertisements designed, and has been lampooned at protests as though it were a real party.
  11. ^ Despite the serious history of anarchism, in recent years the Ukrainian Anarchist Union has organized fake and comedic protests where they promote the caricature version of anarcho-capitalism, accuse all government officials of corruption for reasons including that they accept salaries, demand the abolition of government and police, and simultaneously criticize the government for underfunding social programs.
  12. ^ Merged into Official Monster Raving Loony Party in 2007; reclassified itself as a protest group in 2008.
  13. ^ Party of perennial fringe candidate Rainbow George Weiss who claimed to have been psychically inspired to enter politics by an extraterrestrial named Sterling Silver. Originally founded as Rainbow Alliance, thereafter known as Rainbow Dream Ticket or Vote for Yourself Dream Ticket. Reached peak popularity during the 1997 UK general election, was renamed Make Politicians History in 2005, and was disbanded in 2009.
  14. ^ Party of perennial joke candidate Lord Buckethead, played by Jonathan David Harvey. Also associated with the Official Monster Raving Loony Party. The character of Lord Buckethead was retired after 2019 due to a copyright dispute.
  15. ^ Party of perennial joke candidate Count Binface, played by Jonathan David Harvey.
  16. ^ Represented by candidate Pamela Stephenson during its only electoral bid in 1987. The Blancmange Throwers Party existed until at least 1989; in the 1987 election, it was registered as the I Want to Drop a Blancmange Down Terry Wogan's Y-Fronts Party.
  17. ^ Known by multiple other variations on its name; originally known as the Psychedelic Future Party.
  18. ^ Fictional party featuring Marvel Comics character Howard the Duck as candidate.

References

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Further reading

  • Adrian Room, Brewer's Dictionary of Modern Phrase & Fable, ISBN 0-304-35871-1