National unity government
A national unity government, government of national unity, or national union government is a broad coalition government consisting of all parties in the legislature, usually formed during a time of war or other national emergency. A unity government according to the principles of consensus democracy lacks opposition, or opposition parties are too small and negligible.
By country
Afghanistan
Following the disputed 2014 presidential elections, a National Unity Government between both run-off candidates was formed with Ashraf Ghani as President of Afghanistan and Abdullah Abdullah in the new office of Chief Executive of Afghanistan. This power-sharing agreement broke apart after the 2019 Afghan presidential election, after which Ghani abolished the office of Chief Executive while Abdullah again refused to recognize Ghani's presidency and demanded the formation of a new government in northern Afghanistan. Both politicians lost power after the Taliban overthrew the Afghan government in 2021.Canada
During World War I, the Conservative government of Sir Robert Borden invited the Liberal opposition to join the government as a means of dealing with the Conscription crisis of 1917. The Liberals, led by Sir Wilfrid Laurier refused; however, Borden was able to convince many individual Liberals to join what was called a Union Government, which defeated the Laurier Liberals in the fall 1917 election.During World War II, the opposition Conservative Party ran under the name National Government in the 1940 election as a means of promoting their platform of creating a wartime national government coalition. The party was not successful in the election, which re-elected the Liberal government of William Lyon Mackenzie King, whose party continued to rule alone for the duration of World War II.
Newfoundland
The Dominion of Newfoundland had a National Government during World War I led by Edward Patrick Morris.China
In modern Chinese history, the Republic of China twice saw United Fronts forms to provide national unity in a time of civil conflict. The First United Front saw the Nationalists and Communists unite to end warlordism within the country, however since neither party was the centrally recognised Government of China at the time the First United Front cannot be viewed as a true example of a national unity government.Following the advent of the Second Sino-Japanese War, the KMT, the now solely recognised central party of the country, once again opted to form the Second United Front with the CCP – the two parties at this point had been engaged in an open civil war since the collapse of the First United Front. This new front acted as a national unity government for the extent of the war and represented the solely recognised government for China at the time, though the overall level of cooperation between the two parties – past the cessation of hostility – was mostly nominal.
Croatia
formed a national unity government in 1991 under prime minister Franjo Gregurić in response to the outbreak of the Croatian War of Independence. Even though the cabinet included ministers from minority parties, all heads of ministries were either from the majority Croatian Democratic Union or soon defected to it.Estonia
had national unity governments during the Estonian War of Independence and after the 1924 coup d'état attempt by the Communist Party of Estonia.Greece
A national unity government in Greece is often called ecumenical government:- 1926 under Alexandros Zaimis
- 1944 under Georgios Papandreou
- 1974 under Konstantinos Karamanlis
- 1989 under Xenophon Zolotas
- 2011 under Lucas Papademos
Hungary
- 1917–1918, during World War I
- 1919–1920, cabinet of Károly Huszár, restoration of the Kingdom of Hungary
- 1944–1945, during World War II, Government of National Unity
- 1944–1947, opposition government during World War II
- 1956, during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956
Ireland
Israel
has had several national unity governments, in which major rival parties formed a ruling coalition. Such coalitions were formed in the days leading up to the Six-Day War in 1967, in the late 1980s and amidst the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The 36th government, formed in 2021, was a national unity government that has been frequently described as the most diverse governments in Israeli history, consisting of right-wing, centrist, left-wing and one Arab Islamist political party. Following the October 7 attack by Hamas, the National Unity party became part of an Israeli war cabinet, joining the 37th government. The National Unity party left the war cabinet in June 2024, leading to the cabinet's dissolution.Italy
In the republican era, the first two cabinets, led by Alcide De Gasperi, were supported by all three of the following parties, the pro-American Christian Democrats and the pro-Soviet Italian Communist Party and Italian Socialist Party.Afterwards, the first government generally recognised as a national unity government was the third Andreotti Cabinet, also known as non-no confidence vote government, as the Italian Communist Party decided to not take part at the confidence vote. The communists voted in favour of the motion of confidence for the following cabinet, still led by Giulio Andreotti.
During the Eurozone crisis, the two main parties, The People of Freedom and the Democratic Party, along with other minor political forces, supported the Monti cabinet, and eventually, after the 2013 general election, formed a grand coalition in support of the Letta Cabinet, which, however, was opposed by a new major political force in parliament, the anti-establishment Five Star Movement.
The Draghi Cabinet, formed during the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic crisis, has been described as a national unity government. It comprises a mixture of independent experts as well as politicians from most of Italy's political parties: the Five Star Movement, Democratic Party, League, Forza Italia, Italia Viva, and Free and Equal.
The following is a list of national unity or grand coalition governments:
- De Gasperi II Cabinet
- De Gasperi III Cabinet
- Andreotti III Cabinet
- Andreotti IV Cabinet
- Ciampi Cabinet – Note: grand coalition support lasted only until 4 May 1993
- Monti Cabinet
- Letta Cabinet – Note: grand coalition support lasted only until 15 November 2013
- Draghi Cabinet
Kenya
Lebanon
Since Lebanon is a multireligious state and consensus democracy, having a national unity government is more favorable in this country. Unlike other democracies, no group in Lebanon can govern alone.Libya
, selected as Prime Minister of Libya by the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum on 5 February 2021, is required under the agreements made by the LPDF to nominate a cabinet of ministers to the House of Representatives by 26 February 2021, establishing the Government of National Unity.Luxembourg
has had two National Union Governments. The first was formed in 1916, during World War I. It was led by Victor Thorn and included all of the major factions in the Chamber of Deputies, but lasted for only sixteen months.The second National Union Government was formed in November 1945, in the aftermath of World War II, which had devastated Luxembourg. It was led by Pierre Dupong, who had been prime minister in the government in exile in the war, and included all four parties represented in the Chamber of Deputies. The government lasted until 1947, by which time, a normal coalition between two of the three largest parties had been arranged, thus maintaining the confidence of the legislature.
In addition, Luxembourg had a Liberation Government between November 1944 and November 1945, also under Dupong. It served a similar emergency role to a national government, but included only the two largest parties, the CSV and the LSAP.