National unity government

{{Short description|Broad coalition government involving all or most parties}} {{More citations needed|date=July 2016}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}} {{basic forms of government}} {{party politics}} A '''national unity government''', '''government of national unity''' ('''GNU'''), or '''national union government''' is a broad [[coalition government]] consisting of all parties (or all major 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 Afghan presidential election|2014 presidential elections]], a National Unity Government (NUG) 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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.afghanistan-analysts.org/en/resources/afghan-government-documents/the-government-of-national-unity-deal-full-text/|title=The 'National Unity Government' (NUG) deal (full text)|date=20 September 2014|website=Afghanistan Analysts Network - English}}</ref> 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]] [[2021 Taliban offensive|overthrew the Afghan government in 2021]].

=== Canada === During World War I, the [[Conservative Party of Canada (historical)|Conservative]] government of Sir [[Robert Borden]] invited the [[Liberal Party of Canada|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 ''[[Unionist Party (Canada)|Union Government]]'', which defeated the Laurier Liberals in the fall [[1917 Canadian federal election|1917 election]].

During [[World War II]], the [[parliamentary opposition|opposition]] [[Conservative Party of Canada (historical)|Conservative Party]] ran under the name [[Conservative Party of Canada (historical)#National Government label|National Government]] in the [[1940 Canadian federal election|1940 election]] as a means of promoting their platform of creating a wartime national government coalition (evocative of the previous war's ''[[Unionist Party (Canada)|Union government]]''). The party was not successful in the election, which re-elected the [[Liberal Party of Canada|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]] (not to be part of Canada for another three decades) had a National Government during [[World War I]] led by [[Edward Patrick Morris, 1st Baron Morris|Edward Patrick Morris]].

=== China === In modern Chinese history, the [[Republic of China (1912–1949)|Republic of China]] twice saw United Fronts forms to provide national unity in a time of civil conflict. The [[First United Front]] (1923–1927) saw the [[Kuomintang|Nationalists]] (KMT) and [[Chinese Communist Party|Communists]] (CCP) unite to [[Northern Expedition|end warlordism]] within the country, however since neither party was the [[Beiyang government|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 [[Chinese Civil War|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.<ref name="Buss">Buss, Claude Albert. (1972). Stanford Alumni Association. The People's Republic of China and Richard Nixon. United States.</ref>

=== Croatia === [[Croatia]] formed a [[cabinet of Franjo Gregurić|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 [[Ministry (government department)|ministries]] were either from the majority [[Croatian Democratic Union]] or soon defected to it.

=== Estonia === [[Estonia]] had national unity governments during the [[Estonian War of Independence]] (Päts I–III Provisional cabinets) and after the [[1924 Estonian coup d'état attempt|1924 coup d'état attempt]] by the [[Communist Party of Estonia]] (Jaakson cabinet).

=== Greece ===

A national unity government in [[Greece]] is often called '''ecumenical government''': * 1926 under [[Alexandros Zaimis]] * 1944 under [[Georgios Papandreou]] ( {{ill|Greek Government of National Unity (1944)|el|Κυβέρνηση Γεωργίου Παπανδρέου Εθνικής Ενότητος 1944}}) * 1974 under [[Konstantinos Karamanlis]] * 1989 under [[Xenophon Zolotas]] * 2011 under [[Lucas Papademos]]

=== Hungary === There are five periods in Hungary when national unity governments emerged: * 1917–1918, during [[World War I]] ([[Móric Esterházy]] and [[Sándor Wekerle]] cabinets) * 1919–1920, cabinet of [[Károly Huszár]], restoration of the [[Kingdom of Hungary (1920–46)|Kingdom of Hungary]] * 1944–1945, during [[World War II]], [[Government of National Unity (Hungary)|Government of National Unity]] ([[Ferenc Szálasi]] cabinet) * 1944–1947, opposition government during [[World War II]] ([[Béla Miklós]]) and after following [[Zoltán Tildy]] and [[Ferenc Nagy]] cabinets) * 1956, during the [[Hungarian Revolution of 1956]] (third cabinet of [[Imre Nagy]])

===Ireland===

A national unity government, following the failure of government formation after the [[2020 Irish general election|2020 general election]], was suggested to deal with the [[COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland|COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/eamon-ryan-why-we-need-a-national-unity-government-1.4213875|title=Eamon Ryan: Why we need a national unity government|first=Eamon|last=Ryan|newspaper=The Irish Times}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/labour-td-says-party-should-consider-taking-part-in-government-1.4215242|title=Labour TD says party should consider taking part in government|first=Harry|last=McGee|newspaper=The Irish Times}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/pat-leahy-five-reasons-a-government-of-national-unity-is-a-bad-idea-1.4213945|title=Pat Leahy: Five reasons a government of national unity is a bad idea|first=Pat|last=Leahy|newspaper=The Irish Times}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thejournal.ie/readme/national-unity-government-5054863-Mar2020/|title=Opinion: We need a national unity government immediately to battle Covid-19|first=Ciarán|last=Cuffe|website=TheJournal.ie|date=26 March 2020 }}</ref> Instead, a [[Fianna Fáil]]–[[Fine Gael]]–[[Green Party (Ireland)|Green]] coalition was formed, creating the [[32nd government of Ireland]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.rte.ie/news/politics/2020/0625/1149711-programme-for-government|title=FF, FG and Green Party agree historic coalition deal|publisher=[[RTÉ News and Current Affairs]]|date=26 June 2020|access-date=26 June 2020}}</ref>

=== Israel === [[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 [[Thirty-fifth government of Israel|2020]]. The [[Thirty-sixth government of Israel|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 [[Islamism|Islamist]] political party. Following the [[October 7 attack]] by [[Hamas]], the [[National Unity (Israel)|National Unity]] party became part of an [[Israeli war cabinet]], joining the [[37th government of Israel|37th government]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/lawmakers-approve-new-emergency-cabinet-after-jewish-and-arab-mks-spar-in-plenum/|title=Lawmakers approve new emergency cabinet, after Jewish and Arab MKs spar in plenum|website=The Times of Israel |date=12 October 2023|accessdate=12 October 2023}}</ref> The National Unity party left the war cabinet in June 2024, leading to the cabinet's dissolution.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Breuer |first1=Eliav |last2=Lazaroff |first2=Tovah |date=2024-06-17 |title=Israel's war cabinet 'dissolved' in wake of Benny Gantz departure |url=https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-806556 |access-date=2025-05-20 |website=The Jerusalem Post |language=en}}</ref>

=== Italy === {{further|De Gasperi II Cabinet|De Gasperi III Cabinet|Historic Compromise|Ciampi Cabinet|Monti Cabinet|Letta Cabinet|Grand coalition (Italy)}} In the [[Italian Republic|republican era]], the first two cabinets, led by [[Alcide De Gasperi]], were supported by all three of the following parties, the pro-American [[Christian Democracy (Italy)|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 [[Andreotti III Cabinet|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 [[Andreotti IV Cabinet|following cabinet]], still led by [[Giulio Andreotti]].

During the [[European debt crisis|Eurozone crisis]], the two main parties, [[The People of Freedom]] and the [[Democratic Party (Italy)|Democratic Party]], along with other minor political forces, supported the [[Monti Cabinet|Monti cabinet]], and eventually, after the [[2013 Italian general election|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 impact of the COVID-19 pandemic|economic crisis]], has been described as a national unity government.<ref>[https://www.corriere.it/politica/21_febbraio_09/governo-draghi-berlusconi-governo-unita-nazionale-non-nascera-maggioranza-politica-5ead2ca6-6ae7-11eb-8b10-8eef7b7ae281.shtml Governo Draghi, Berlusconi: «Governo di unità nazionale, non nascerà una maggioranza politica»], ''Corriere della Sera''</ref> It comprises a mixture of [[Technocratic government (Italy)|independent experts]] as well as politicians from most of Italy's political parties: the Five Star Movement, Democratic Party, [[Lega Nord|League]], [[Forza Italia (2013)|Forza Italia]], [[Italia Viva]], and [[Free and Equal (Italy)|Free and Equal]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Horicka|first=Martin|date=2021-02-22|title=Populists, Super Mario, and Italy's Last Hope|url=https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/populists-super-mario-and-italy%E2%80%99s-last-hope-178599|access-date=2021-03-03|website=The National Interest|language=en}}</ref>

The following is a list of national unity or [[grand coalition]] governments: *[[De Gasperi II Cabinet]] (14 July 1946 – 2 February 1947) *[[De Gasperi III Cabinet]] (2 February 1947 – 1 June 1947) *[[Andreotti III Cabinet]] (29 July 1976 – 11 March 1978) *[[Andreotti IV Cabinet]] (11 March 1978 – 20 March 1979) *[[Ciampi Cabinet]] (28 April 1993 – 10 May 1994) – <small>Note: grand coalition support lasted only until 4 May 1993</small> *[[Monti Cabinet]] (16 November 2011 – 28 April 2013) *[[Letta Cabinet]] (28 April 2013 – 22 February 2014) – <small>Note: grand coalition support lasted only until 15 November 2013</small> *[[Draghi Cabinet]] (13 February 2021 – 22 October 2022)

===Kenya=== From 2008 to 2013, Kenya was governed by [[Government of National Unity (Kenya)|Government of National Unity]] between the rival [[Party of National Unity (Kenya)|Party of National Unity]] of [[Mwai Kibaki]] and the [[Orange Democratic Movement]] of [[Raila Odinga]] following the [[2007 Kenyan presidential election|2007 presidential election]] and subsequent [[2007–2008 Kenyan crisis|violence]]. This was due to the ODM winning the majority of seats in the [[National Assembly of Kenya|National Assembly]], but controversially losing the presidential election by a margin that has since been called into question for its validity.

===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=== [[Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh]], selected as Prime Minister of Libya by the [[Libyan Political Dialogue Forum]] (LPDF) on 5 February 2021,<ref name="lb5feb" /> is required under the agreements made by the LPDF to nominate a [[Cabinet of Libya|cabinet]] of ministers to the [[House of Representatives (Libya)|House of Representatives]] (HoR) by 26 February 2021, establishing the [[Government of National Unity (Libya)]].<ref name="LibHerald_continue_meetings" />

=== Luxembourg === [[Luxembourg]] has had two ''National Union Governments''. [[National Union Government (1916)|The first]] was formed in 1916, during [[World War I]] (in which Luxembourg was [[neutral country|neutral]], but occupied by [[German Empire|Germany]] nonetheless). It was led by [[Victor Thorn]] and included all of the major factions in the [[Chamber of Deputies of Luxembourg|Chamber of Deputies]], but lasted for only sixteen months.

[[National Union Government (1945)|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 of Luxembourg|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 (political science)|confidence]] of the legislature.

In addition, Luxembourg had a ''[[Liberation Government (Luxembourg)|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 [[Christian Social People's Party|CSV]] and the [[Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party|LSAP]].

=== Malaysia === {{Main| 2022 Malaysian general election}}

For the first time in Malaysian history, a [[hung parliament]] occurred when no political party managed to command a simple majority in the [[Dewan Rakyat]] from the 15th general election (GE15). Upon the [[King of Malaysia|Yang di-Pertuan Agong]]'s call to form a unity government, both [[Pakatan Harapan]] and [[Barisan Nasional]] agreed to join forces, with [[Anwar Ibrahim]] elected as the Prime Minister while [[Perikatan Nasional]] decided to be the opposition party.

=== Myanmar === {{Main| National Unity Government of Myanmar}}

After the [[2021 Myanmar coup]], on 16 April 2021, the exiled [[Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw]] (CRPH) announced the formation of a National Unity Government ({{langx|my|အမျိုးသား ညီညွတ်ရေး အစိုးရ}}), pursuant to the Federal Democracy Charter released on 31 March 2021. The National Unity Government re-introduced the position of Prime Minister, and consists of CRPH members and other ethnic leaders.

=== Namibia === {{Main|Transitional Government of National Unity (Namibia)}}

=== Nepal === Following the devastating [[April 2015 Nepal earthquake]], top political parties in [[Nepal]] have decided to form a national unity government in order to handle the crisis and draft a constitution that's been long overdue. The major political parties and unified political fronts have agreed to settle the disputed issues of the constitution drafting process by 3 June and to form a national unity government.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://setopati.net/politics/6831/ |title=Top parties agree to form national unity govt |website=setopati.net |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150603144937/http://setopati.net/politics/6831/ |archive-date=2015-06-03}}</ref>

=== Palestine === {{Main|Palestinian Unity Government of June 2014}} The Palestinian Unity Government of June 2014 was a national unity government of the [[Palestinian National Authority]] under Palestinian President [[Mahmoud Abbas]] formed on 2 June 2014 following the [[Fatah–Hamas reconciliation process|Fatah-Hamas Reconciliation Agreement]] that had been signed on 23 April 2014. The ministers were nominally independent, but overwhelmingly seen as loyal to President Abbas and his [[Fatah]] movement or to smaller leftist factions, none of whom were believed to have close ties to [[Hamas]]. However, the Unity Government was not approved by the [[Palestinian Legislative Council]], leading to its legitimacy being questioned. The Unity Government dissolved on 17 June 2015 after President Abbas said it was unable to operate in the [[Gaza Strip]].

=== Poland === In the [[1989 Polish parliamentary election]], Poland's first semi-free election since World War II, candidates backed by the [[Solidarity (Polish trade union)|Solidarity movement]] won all 161 seats up for free election. The ruling Communist-dominated [[Patriotic Movement for National Rebirth]]—comprising the Communist [[Polish United Workers' Party]] (PZPR), the [[United People's Party (Poland)|United People's Party]] (ZSL), and the [[Alliance of Democrats (Poland)|Democratic Party]] (SD)—broke down soon after, as the ZSL and SD formed an alliance with Solidarity. This forced President [[Wojciech Jaruzelski]] to appoint the [[Cabinet of Tadeusz Mazowiecki]] on 12 September 1989, Poland's first government since World War II with a non-Communist majority. It was a national unity government of Solidarity-endorsed ministers alongside the PZPR, ZSL, and SD, with the Communists still controlling the [[Ministry of National Defence (Poland)|Defense]] and [[Ministry of the Interior (Poland)|Interior]] ministries. The PZPR was dissolved on 29 January 1990 and its former ministers resigned on 6 July.

=== Portugal === A national unity government (known as the '''''Sacred Union Government'''''; [[portuguese language|Port.]]: ''Governo da União Sagrada'') was in place during the first year of [[Portugal during World War I|Portuguese participation]] in [[World War I]], led by the [[Evolutionist Party]] president [[António José de Almeida]] from 15 March 1916 to 25 April 1917, and with the participation of the [[Democratic Party (Portugal)|Democratic Party]] of [[Afonso Costa]].

=== Rwanda === After [[Rwandan genocide]] in 1994, the [[Rwandan Patriotic Front]] (RPF), has ruled Rwanda using tactics which have been characterized as [[authoritarian]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Stroh |first1=Alexander |title=Electoral rules of the authoritarian game: undemocratic effects of proportional representation in Rwanda |journal=Journal of Eastern African Studies |date=2010 |volume=4 |issue=1 |pages=1–19 |doi=10.1080/17531050903550066|s2cid=154910536 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Matfess |first1=Hilary |title=Rwanda and Ethiopia: Developmental Authoritarianism and the New Politics of African Strong Men |journal=African Studies Review |date=2015 |volume=58 |issue=2 |pages=181–204 |doi=10.1017/asr.2015.43|s2cid=143013060 |doi-access=free }}</ref> Elections are manipulated in various ways including banning opposition parties, arresting or assassinating critics, and [[electoral fraud]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Waldorf |first1=Lars |editor1-last=Themnér |editor1-first=Anders |title=Warlord Democrats in Africa: Ex-Military Leaders and Electoral Politics |date=2017 |publisher=Bloomsbury Academic / [[Nordic Africa Institute]] |isbn=978-1-78360-248-3 |url=http://files.webb.uu.se/uploader/1576/Warlord-Democrats-in-Africa.pdf#page=79 |language=en |chapter=The Apotheosis of a Warlord: Paul Kagame |archive-date=27 November 2023 |access-date=15 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231127084243/http://files.webb.uu.se/uploader/1576/Warlord-Democrats-in-Africa.pdf#page=79 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===South Africa=== {{redirect|Government of National Unity (South Africa)|the government formed in 1994|Cabinet of Nelson Mandela|the government formed in 2024|Third Cabinet of Cyril Ramaphosa}} The [[Interim Constitution (South Africa)|interim constitution]] negotiated by the multi-party [[Negotiations to end apartheid in South Africa|negotiations to end apartheid]] that started in 1990 allowed all parties that gained more than 5% of the vote<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Segal |first1=Lauren |title=One Law, One Nation |last2=Cort |first2=Sharon |publisher=Jacana Media |year=2011 |pages=118}}</ref> to participate in a [[Cabinet of Nelson Mandela|Government of National Unity]]. The new government that was elected in the [[1994 South African general election|1994 general election]] therefore had members from many political parties in the cabinet. This government of national unity lasted until the [[1999 South African general election|1999 general election]], although it was dominated by the [[African National Congress]] (ANC) and a reported lack of shared decision-making prompted the second-largest party, the [[National Party (South Africa)|National Party]], to withdraw from the GNU in 1996.

In the [[2024 South African general election]], support for the ruling ANC party significantly declined. The ANC remained the largest party but lost the parliamentary majority that it had held since the inaugural post-apartheid election in 1994, which required [[2024 South African government formation|negotiations between parties on the formation of a government]]. On 14 June 2024, the ANC, the [[Democratic Alliance (South Africa)|Democratic Alliance]] (DA), the [[Inkatha Freedom Party]] (IFP) and the [[Patriotic Alliance]] (PA), agreed to form a coalition which they referred to as a '[[Third Cabinet of Cyril Ramaphosa|Government of National Unity]]' (GNU), led by the ANC's [[Cyril Ramaphosa]] who was re-elected [[President of South Africa]] with the support of the parties who then formed part of the GNU.<ref name="ancda">{{cite news |last1=Chothia |first1=Farouk |last2=Kupemba |first2=Danai Kesta |last3=Plett-Usher |first3=Barbra |date=14 June 2024 |title=ANC and DA agree on South Africa unity government |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8007w4vqveo |accessdate=14 June 2024 |publisher=BBC News}}</ref><ref name="ramaphosare-elected">{{cite news |date=14 June 2024 |title=South Africa's National Assembly re-elects Cyril Ramaphosa as president |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/south-africas-national-assembly-re-elects-cyril-ramaphosa-president-2024-06-14/ |accessdate=14 June 2024 |work=Reuters}}</ref> A further six parties subsequently joined the GNU to form a [[grand coalition]] of ten parties,<ref name="JAMA">{{cite web |url=https://www.algoafm.co.za/politics/gnu-now-comprises-ten-political-parties |title=GNU now comprises ten political parties |publisher=Algoa FM |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240623073826/https://www.algoafm.co.za/politics/gnu-now-comprises-ten-political-parties |access-date=5 July 2024|archive-date=23 June 2024 }}</ref> with jointly [[Cabinet of South Africa#Current cabinet|287 seats]] in the 400 seat parliament (72%). The additional parties which joined towards the end of June 2024 were the GOOD Party; [[Rise Mzansi]]; [[Al Jama-ah]]; the [[Pan Africanist Congress of Azania]] (PAC), the [[United Democratic Movement]] (UDM) and the [[Freedom Front Plus]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=South Africa's Government of National Unity grows to 10 as cabinet reshuffle looms |url=https://businesstech.co.za/news/government/778384/south-africas-government-of-national-unity-grows-to-10-as-cabinet-reshuffle-looms/ |access-date=2025-03-31 |language=en-US}}</ref> These members of the GNU signed a statement of intent with the African National Congress.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://businesstech.co.za/news/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/93080_gnu_statement_of_intent_and_modalities_14_june_2024.pdf | title=Statement of intent of the 2024 government of national unity | website=businesstech.co.za}}</ref>

===Sri Lanka=== Following the fall of the [[Mahinda Rajapaksa]] regime, the [[United National Party]] who won the 2015 elections formed a National Unity Government with the main opposition [[Sri Lanka Freedom Party]] Under [[Maithripala Sirisena]] and [[Ranil Wickramasinghe]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2015/03/25/sril-m25.html|title=Sri Lankan president forms a "national government"|first=K.|last=Ratnayake|website=wsws.org|date=25 March 2015 }}</ref>

===Sweden=== {{Main|Hansson III Cabinet}} Sweden has only had one national unity government; The [[Hansson III Cabinet]] during [[World War II]]. The government was made up of all parties in the parliament except the [[Left Party (Sweden)|Communist party]] which was considered to be pro-Soviet and hence unreliable. The government consisted of six ministers from the [[Swedish Social Democratic Party|Social Democratic party]] (including prime minister [[Per Albin Hansson]]), three from the [[Moderate Party|Right Wing party]], three from the [[Liberals (Sweden)|Liberal People's party]], three from the [[Centre Party (Sweden)|Farmer's League]] and two nonpartisan politicians. The ultimate goal of this government's policy was to keep Sweden out of the war, which they also succeeded with. The Hansson government introduced [[censorship]] of press, literature and culture, which was applied to both pro-nazi and pro-communist propaganda. The government also approved departures from the neutrality policy to keep Sweden out of the war.

=== United Kingdom === {{Main|National Government (United Kingdom)}} [[First-past-the-post voting]], the British electoral system, has long increased the likelihood of a single party gaining a majority of [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Members of Parliament]], who have run most departments and the government legislation of the country since the early 20th century.

After the formation of clear political parties in the Lords and Commons, the first national unity government came in response to the [[Napoleonic Wars]]. [[William Pitt the Younger]] offered to replace Prime Minister [[Henry Addington]]'s government with a cabinet including all of the major parliamentary leaders such as himself, [[Charles James Fox]], and [[William Grenville, 1st Baron Grenville|Lord Grenville]]. This proved impossible because of irreconcilable policy differences between the factions (including Fox's opposition to the war in general), Fox's intense animosity towards Pitt the Younger, and King [[George III]]'s refusal to appoint a government including Fox. After the death of Pitt the Younger in 1806, King George finally acquiesced and allowed Grenville and Fox to form a new "[[Ministry of All the Talents]]."<ref>{{Cite book |last=Campbell |first=John |url=http://archive.org/details/pistolsatdawntwo0000camp |title=Pistols at Dawn: Two Hundred Years of Political Rivalry from Pitt and Fox to Blair and Brown |date=2010 |publisher=Vintage |others=Internet Archive |isbn=978-1-84595-091-0 |location=London |pages=49–63 |ref=none}}</ref> This ministry had cross-party support, ranging from very [[social conservatism|socially conservative]] [[Tory (British political party)|Tories]], and the broad range of [[Whig (British political party)|Whigs]] (among them [[Charles James Fox]] and the [[Foxite]]s as well as [[Grenvillite]]s), selected for their combined broad political support in both Houses of Parliament and known capabilities in a time of crisis. However, the ministry was frustrated in its attempts to make peace with the [[First French Empire]], and despite one major legislative success (the [[Slave Trade Act 1807]] banning the [[Atlantic slave trade]] in the [[British Empire]]), it fell apart in 1807 over the question of [[Catholic emancipation|Catholic Emancipation]] and was replaced following a general election by a Tory ministry led by the [[William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland|Duke of Portland]].

The world wars and the long recovery to the [[Great Depression]] would be the only further instances of National Governments. The next major government representing all parties came during [[World War II]] after the [[Norway Debate]], in which Prime Minister [[Neville Chamberlain]] and his cabinet were condemned for their handling of the war and faced a [[Motion of no confidence|vote of no confidence]] in which members of his own party voted with the Opposition against him. The debate also revealed that [[Winston Churchill]], an early opponent of [[Nazi Germany]] and [[appeasement]], would be the only Conservative minister under which both Labour and Conservative MPs would join a government. Churchill agreed to form a new government after Chamberlain resigned. The subsequent [[Churchill war ministry]] included Churchill as [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|prime minister]], Labour Party Leader [[Clement Attlee]] as [[Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|deputy prime minister]], Conservative Party Leader Chamberlain as [[Lord President of the Council]], and Liberal leader [[Archibald Sinclair, 1st Viscount Thurso|Archibald Sinclair]] as [[Secretary of State for Air]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Two days in the Commons Chamber that took Churchill to No.10: the Norway Debate of May 1940 |url=https://www.hansardsociety.org.uk/blog/two-days-in-the-commons-chamber-that-took-churchill-to-no-10-the-norway |access-date=2022-06-14 |website=hansardsociety.org.uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Winston Churchill - Leadership during World War II |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Winston-Churchill/Leadership-during-World-War-II |access-date=2022-06-14 |website=Encyclopædia Britannica |language=en}}</ref>

====Quasi-national governments==== After [[Liberal government, 1905–1915|10 years of rule]] by the [[Liberal Party (UK)|Liberal Party]], Prime Minister [[H. H. Asquith]] agreed to form a new coalition ministry with the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] in response to [[World War I]] in 1915. However, the government remained dominated by the Liberals with few Conservatives in important Cabinet posts. Asquith resigned as Conservatives refused to serve in his government in 1916, and [[David Lloyd George]] and Conservative Party Leader [[Bonar Law]] formed a new coalition government from Conservatives and a minority of Liberals opposed to Asquith's handling of the war, which was opposed by Asquith's Liberals. In the 1918 general election held after the end of the war, [[Coalition Coupon|Coalition]]-endorsed candidates won a large majority. Thereafter [[Lloyd George ministry|a coalition that faced few opposition MPs]] under [[David Lloyd George]] lasted until 1922 when, at the [[Carlton Club meeting]], Conservative backbenchers declared that the party would fight the forthcoming election with its own leader and programme.

During the [[Great Depression]] the first of four consecutive ''National Governments'' was formed in 1931 by [[Ramsay MacDonald]] ([[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]]/[[National Labour Organisation|National Labour]]) succeeded by [[Stanley Baldwin]] ([[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]]) with their largest opponent and the [[Liberal Party (UK)|Liberals]]. Most members of the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] and [[Liberal Party (UK)|Liberal]] Parties rejected the government, however, and moved to the opposition benches leaving MacDonald's supporters to rival mainstream party candidates in many cases as [[National Labour Organisation|National Labour/National Labour Organisation]] or in the [[National Liberal Party (UK, 1931)|Liberal National Party]]. Notably candidates styled in this way contested the [[United Kingdom general election, 1935|1935 election]]; this long period of quasi-national government took in broader support and widened its selections of ministers in the [[World War II|war years]], and its fourth transmutation persisted until the [[United Kingdom general election, 1945|general election of 1945]].

In 2019, the idea of a government of National Unity was proposed by politicians including Labour leader [[Jeremy Corbyn]] and [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]] leader [[Jo Swinson]] to stop a [[no-deal Brexit]] spearheaded by Prime Minister [[Boris Johnson]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Colson |first1=Thomas |last2=Payne |first2=Adam |title=Remainer MPs are plotting to bring down Boris Johnson's government, install a 'unity' prime minister, and delay Brexit |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/remainer-mps-plot-national-unity-government-report-2019-8 |work=Business Insider |access-date=26 August 2019}}</ref>

====Northern Ireland====

The [[Belfast Agreement]], which sets out the workings of the [[Northern Ireland Assembly]], effectively enforces all-party governments in [[Northern Ireland]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://cain.ulster.ac.uk/othelem/organ/num/num71a.htm|title=CAIN: Politics: New Ulster Movement (1971) 'The Reform of Stormont'|website=cain.ulster.ac.uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/governing-without-ministers/|title=Governing without ministers: Northern Ireland power-sharing should be a priority for the UK government|first=Jane Morrice|last=says|date=27 September 2019}}</ref> All governments formed since the foundation of the [[Northern Ireland Executive]] in 1999 have contained ministers from the five main parties ([[Sinn Féin]], [[Democratic Unionist Party]], [[Ulster Unionist Party]], [[Social Democratic and Labour Party]] and [[Alliance Party of Northern Ireland|Alliance]]), with seats allocated using the [[d'Hondt method]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/silos-secrecy-and-quiet-deals-how-dysfunction-became-stormont-s-norm-1.3756468|title=Silos, secrecy and quiet deals: How dysfunction became Stormont's norm|first=Sam|last=McBride|newspaper=The Irish Times|date=13 January 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sluggerotoole.com/2016/05/12/the-benefits-of-an-official-opposition-and-the-rush-to-claim-the-title/|title=The benefits of an official Opposition and the rush to claim the title.|website=Slugger O'Toole|date=24 May 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/politics/sam-mcbride-alliance-tells-its-members-it-wants-end-mandatory-coalition-and-four-other-things-we-learned-week-3040310|title=Sam McBride: Alliance tells its members it wants to end mandatory coalition (and four other things we learned this week)|website=newsletter.co.uk|date=19 November 2020 }}</ref>

=== United States === In hopes of bridging partisan politics during the [[American Civil War]], Republican [[Abraham Lincoln]] ran for his second term under the new [[National Union Party (United States)|National Union Party]] with Democrat [[Andrew Johnson]] as his running mate. The National Union Party allowed members to retain affiliations with other political parties.

Since the Civil War, there has never been a "national unity" government in the United States in the traditional sense. There have been several instances, however, during national disasters or wars, that the two parties have briefly "rallied around the President". Such instances include the [[attack on Pearl Harbor]], the [[assassination of John F. Kennedy]], and the [[September 11 attacks]], all of which not only had a worldwide effect, but preceded a massive spike in the approval rating of the sitting president.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.people-press.org/2011/09/01/united-in-remembrance-divided-over-policies/|title=United in Remembrance, Divided over Policies|publisher=Pew Research Center|date=1 September 2011|access-date=27 April 2020}}</ref>

=== Zimbabwe === {{main|2008 Zimbabwean political negotiations|Zimbabwe Government of National Unity of 2009}} The 2008–2009 Zimbabwean political negotiations between the opposition [[Movement for Democratic Change – Tsvangirai|Movement for Democratic Change]] (led by [[Morgan Tsvangirai]]), its small splinter group, the [[Movement for Democratic Change – Ncube|Movement for Democratic Change – Mutambara]] (led by [[Arthur Mutambara]]), and the ruling [[ZANU–PF|Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front]] (led by [[Robert Mugabe]]) created a framework for a power-sharing executive government between the two parties. These negotiations followed the [[2008 Zimbabwean presidential election|2008 presidential election]], in which Mugabe was controversially re-elected, as well as the 2008 parliamentary election, in which the MDC won a majority in the [[House of assembly of zimbabwe|House of Assembly]]. The new national unity government, including Tsvangirai, was sworn in on 11 February 2009.

==See also== * [[Grand coalition]] * [[Unity ticket]] * [[Cabinet of Franjo Gregurić]] in Croatia * [[Government of National Unity (Hungary)]] * [[Polish National Government (disambiguation)|Polish National Government]] * [[Puntofijo Pact]]

==References== {{Reflist|refs=

<ref name="lb5feb">{{cite news |url=https://www.libyaherald.com/2021/02/05/breaking-new-libya-government-selected-by-lpdf-in-geneva |title=BREAKING: New unified Libyan government selected by LPDF in Geneva |first=Sami |last=Zaptia |newspaper=[[Libya Herald]] |date=5 February 2021 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210205184239/https://www.libyaherald.com/2021/02/05/breaking-new-libya-government-selected-by-lpdf-in-geneva/ |archive-date=2021-02-05 |url-status=live |accessdate=5 February 2021}}</ref>

<ref name="LibHerald_continue_meetings">{{cite news | last1= Zaptia | first1= Sami | title= Aldabaiba and Menfi continue to hold meetings ahead of government formation and approval by parliament | date= 2021-02-15 |newspaper= [[Libya Herald]] | url= https://www.libyaherald.com/2021/02/15/aldabaiba-and-menfi-continue-to-hold-meetings-ahead-of-government-formation-and-approval-by-parliament |access-date=2021-02-17 |archive-url= https://archive.today/20210216232346/https://www.libyaherald.com/2021/02/15/aldabaiba-and-menfi-continue-to-hold-meetings-ahead-of-government-formation-and-approval-by-parliament/ |archive-date=2021-02-16 |url-status=live }}</ref>

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