Party Chair

Party Chair is the chairman of a political party. His or her position differs from country to country.

Belgium

In Belgium the chairman of a political party is the mightiest person within the party, controlling appointments etc. After the Prime Minister of Belgium the party chairmen are the most important figures in Belgian politics, sometimes characterized as a particracy.

Netherlands

In the Netherlands, in contrast to Belgium, the chairpersons are relatively weak, due to a separation of powers. Chairpersons of political parties merely control the party organization, the bureau, and its finances, while the political leader, often the chair of the parliamentary party, decides over the party's political course. Many party chairpersons go on to occupy more important posts. Ria Beckers for instance was chair of the Political Party of Radicals, before she became chair of its parliamentary party. There is one important exception to the above picture: Jan Marijnissen, political leader of the Socialist Party is both political leader of its parliamentary party and chairman of the party itself.

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom the term may refer to the holder of the office of Chairman of the Conservative Party or to a senior member of the Labour Party (not to be confused with the other Chairman of the Labour Party who chairs the NEC or the Chairman of the Parliamentary Labour Party elected solely by Labour MPs) in the UK. This title was given to Labour's Harriet Harman after she was elected Deputy Leader of the Labour Party in June 2007.

The current elected chair of the Liberal Democrats is Paul Holmes