In the 2002 Prague municipal election, the ED won 15 seats, finishing in second place and becoming the main opposition party.

The SNK Union of Independents was a small liberal-conservative party (registered as a 'movement' (hnutí) by the Czech authorities), founded in 2000 in order to help various non-party affiliated town mayors take part in regional assembly elections.

[citation needed] Merger negotiations began immediately after the positive results in the 2004 elections, and in February 2006 the two parties merged to become SNK European Democrats (SNK ED), a pro-European, liberal-conservative party.

[citation needed] The extended delay to the merger was because, according to Czech law, "if two parties unite to form a new party then they would lose their right to the money for their mandates" (950 000 CZK per senator per year and around 12 000 000 CZK for all their seats in Prague's municipal government), funds which were crucial for the forthcoming parliament elections.

[citation needed] Jana Hybášková, elected as an MEP, became the party's first regular chair.