National Progressive Front الجبهة الوطنية التقدمية | |
|---|---|
.png) | |
| President | Bashar al-Assad |
| Vice-President | Mohammad al-Shaar[1] |
| Founder | Hafez al-Assad |
| Founded | 1972; 53 years ago (1972) |
| Banned | 29 January 2025; 9 months ago (2025-01-29) |
| Headquarters | Damascus |
| Ideology | Neo-Ba'athism Arab nationalism Arab socialism Pan-Arabism Secularism Socialism Anti-Zionism |
| Political position | Left-wing[2] Factions: Centre-left tofar-left[3] |
| Website | |
| pnf.org.sy | |
TheNational Progressive Front (Arabic:الجبهة الوطنية التقدمية,romanized: al-Jabha al-Waṭaniyyah al-Taqaddumiyyah,NPF) was aBa'athist Syrian state controlled coalition ofleft-wing parties that supported theArab nationalist andArab socialist orientation of the now defunctAssad regime and accepted the "leading role" of the rulingSyrian Ba'ath party. The coalition was modelled after thepopular front system used in theCommunist Bloc, through which the Syrian Ba'ath party governed the country while permitting nominal participation of smaller, satellite parties. The NPF was part of the Ba'ath party's efforts to expand its support base and neutralize prospects for any sustainableliberal or left-wing opposition, by instigating splits within independent leftist parties or repressing them.[4][5][6][7][8] The coalition was officially outlawed by theSyrian transitional government on 29 January 2025 after thecollapse of theBa'athist regime.
The NPF model was created by the Ba'athist system to enforce a highly centralizedpresidential system.[9] The satellite parties within the NPF had smaller political power and largely functioned as networks for mobilizing loyalty to the government.Student activism and political activities inarmed forces were strictly prohibited for non-Ba'athist parties in the NPF, amongst other restrictions.[10][11]
The NPF was established in 1972 by Syrian presidentHafez al-Assad to provide for a limited degree of participation in government by political parties other than the ruling Ba'ath Party.[12] While the NPF had little influence in central bodies such as thePeople's Assembly, it was given more say at the local level, where non-Ba'athists and independent candidates were fielded. While the Ba'ath Party controlled the vast majority of votes in the central committees, several seats in the local were allotted for members of other NPF parties and independents. These minorparties were legally required to accept the leadership of the Ba'ath Party. The non-Ba'athist parties in the Progressive Front, for example, were not allowed to canvass for supporters in the army or the student body which were "reserved exclusively for the Ba'ath."[13]
From 1972 to 2011, only parties participating in the NPF were legally permitted to operate in Syria. The Legislative Decree on Parties law of 2011,[14] Legislative Decree on General Elections Law of 2011[15] and the newSyrian constitution of 2012[16] introduced multi-party system in Syria.
After previously being a part of NPF, theSyrian Social Nationalist Party joined the opposition'sPopular Front for Change and Liberation for theMay 2012 parliamentary election. However, in theJune 2014 presidential election, the SSNP supported the re-election of Bashar al-Assad and subsequently rejoined the front.[17]
Following thefall of the Assad regime in December 2024, the Ba'ath Party indefinitely halted all activities,[18][19] and theSyrian Communist Party (Unified), theNational Covenant Party and the SSNP attempted to distance themselves fromneo-Ba'athist rule.[20][21][22] The NPF and its member parties were dissolved by theSyrian transitional government on 29 January 2025 and prohibited from re-forming.[23][24]
The NPF was composed of the following political parties and associated organisations:
| Election | Seats | +/– | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | 186 / 186 | New | 1st |
| 1977 | 195 / 195 |  9 |  1st |
| 1981 | 195 / 195 | | 1st |
| 1986 | 195 / 195 | | 1st |
| 1990 | 250 / 250 | 55 | 1st |
| 1994 | 250 / 250 | | 1st |
| 1998 | 250 / 250 | | 1st |
| 2003 | 250 / 250 | | 1st |
| 2007 | 250 / 250 | | 1st |
| 2012 | 168 / 250 |  82 | 1st |
| 2016 | 200 / 250 | 32 | 1st |
| 2020 | 183 / 250 | 17 | 1st |
| 2024 | 185 / 250 | 2 | 1st |
For instance, the National Progressive Front is known for its socialist and leftist ideology, while entities like the Syrian National Council and the National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces unite various Syrian opposition parties under a shared goal of opposing the Assad regime, regardless of their individual ideological beliefs.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
