ChristianUnion
Encyclopedia
The ChristianUnion abbreviated to CU, is a Dutch
Christian democratic
political party. A centrist
party, the CU's policies combine social conservatism
and soft euroscepticism with more centre-left
positions on economic, immigration, and environmental issues.
Founded in 2000 as a merger of the Reformed Political Alliance (GPV) and Reformatory Political Federation
(RPF), the ChristianUnion has five seats in the House of Representatives and four in the Senate. After doubling its seats in the 2006 elections
it became the smallest member of the newly formed fourth Balkenende cabinet
. In some elections, it forms an alliance with the more conservative Reformed Political Party
, which, unlike the CU, is a testimonial party
.
Primarily a Protestant
party, the CU bases its policies on the Bible
, and takes the theological principles of charity
and stewardship
as bases for its support for public expenditure and environmentalism
. The party seeks for government to uphold Christian morality, but supports freedom of religion
under the doctrine of sphere sovereignty
. The party is moderately Eurosceptic; it sits with the ECR
in the European Parliament
. It is a member of the European Christian Political Movement
.
(SGP) entered parliament in the 1922 election
as a split off from the Anti Revolutionary Party
, the Hervormd Gereformeerde Staatspartij
(HGS) entered parliament in the 1925 election
, a split from the Christian Historical Union
. The SGP did survive the war years
, but the HGS was unable to obtain seats in the 1946 elections
. In the 1963 election
the Reformed Political Alliance (GPV) entered parliament, although it was founded in 1948 as a split from the Anti Revolutionary Party over a religious issue within the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands
. In the 1981 election
, the Reformatory Political Federation
(RPF) entered parliament. It had split from the ARP over the formation of the Christian Democratic Appeal
.
The RPF explicitly stated in its manifesto of principles that it sought to unite all reformed parties in the Netherlands. The other two were less positive about cooperation however. The GPV which was only open to a specific current in reformed Protestantism, namely the Reformed Churches (liberated), did not want to cooperate with non-'liberated' reformed: it had rejected the entry of the group that was to become the RPF in the 1970s on religious grounds. The Reformed Political Party
had rejected cooperation with these parties because they had female members while the SGP consistently rejected female suffrage. The RPF, GPV and SGP were testimonial parties
, which chose to voice their concerns about government policy, while acknowledging that they are not big enough to force their opinion upon others.
In 1984 however the three parties cooperated in the European elections
and presented a common list in order to enter the European Parliament
. In the 1989 general election
they formed an electoral alliance in order to enhance their chances of obtaining seats. In 1995 informal talks were opened between the three parties. The GPV had opened itself to non-liberated members, but the SGP not to women. The discussions with the SGP were broken off and the GPV and RPF continued together. For a long time the GPV was not willing to enter a major internal debate with the RPF which also performed better electorally; it had won three seats in the 1998 elections
while the GPV received only two. From 1998 the two parliamentary parties cooperated with each other, held common meetings and appointed common spokespersons. In 1999 a group called "Transformatie" (Transformation) was set up by young people from both parties in reaction to the slow cooperation process: they tried to intensify the debate about cooperation. In the same year the cooperation talks were formalized and intensified, leading to the foundation of the ChristianUnion.
. In 2000 their youth organizations, GPJC and RPFJ fused completely, presenting an example to their mother organizations. In 2001 they formed a common parliamentary party in both the House of Representatives and Senate. In 2002
the alliance entered the elections for the first time. The party got four seats - one seat less than the 1998 election when they campaigned separately. It had polled much better, with some polling stations predicting seven or eight seats. The party's leader Kars Veling
stepped down. He had been good at keeping the peace internally in a party still somewhat divided along the old GPV and RPF blood lines, but had not appealed well enough to the population at large. With preference votes a woman, Tineke Huizinga
(positioned no. 7 on the CU candidate-list) was elected into parliament for the CU, becoming the first woman to enter parliament for the party or its predecessors. Because of her election, prominent party figure Eimert van Middelkoop
, who was no. 4 on the candidate-list, had to leave parliament. In the 2003
the party lost an additional seat, and was left with three seats. Again Huizinga (now no. 4 on the list) was elected with preference votes and this time former RPF leader Leen van Dijke
(no. 3) had to leave parliament. The decline of the CU in 2003 was probably due to party supporters voting for the Christian-democratic CDA, which was competing with the social-democratic PvdA, to become the largest party. The ChristianUnion was heavily involved in the formation of Balkenende II, but the liberal People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
(VVD) vetoed the formation of a CDA/VVD/CU/SGP cabinet and so the progressive liberal D66 became a part of the governing alliance instead. In 2004 the two organizations RPF and GPV officially ceased to exist, making the fusion into CU final.
In the 2006 elections
the party doubled its seats and joined the fourth cabinet Balkenende. CU-leader André Rouvoet
became minister without portfolio
for family and youth. Since the party has entered government, there has been some controversy about the conservative Christian ethical views of some of its members. In 2007 Yvette Lont, a CU municipal council member for Amsterdam
, expressed the view that homosexuals should not be admitted to representative functions within the party. Also in 2007, municipal council member Monique Heger decided to resign from office, because she had recently discovered that she was a lesbian, and she and her (female) partner moved in together.
point of view on ethical and foreign policy issues, with more centre left ideas on economic, asylum, social and environmental issues. Its conservative reformed ideals are reflected in its program of principles: It believes that the state is the swordmaiden of God
. It bases its politics directly on the Bible
. However, it sees separate duties for the state and the church in public life: the church should spread the Word of God, while the state should merely uphold public morality. The state should respect the religion of its citizens. Other Christian principles, like neighbourly love and stewardship
for the Earth, however have given the CU's political program a centre-left orientation.
Some of CU's conservative policies include:
More Center-left policies include:
* : elected on combined SGP/CU-lists (estimate).
the party has five representatives in the House of Representatives:
, the party has two representatives in the Senate:
, the party has one representative in the European Parliament
:
of Drenthe
, Gelderland
and Groningen
.
The following table below shows the election results of the 2007 provincial election in each province. It shows the areas where the ChristenUnie is strong, namely Groningen, Overijssel and Flevoland, provinces which have a traditional large conservative Protestant population. The party is especially weak in the southern Catholic provinces of Limburg and North Brabant and the more secular North Holland province.
* result of combined ChristianUnion/SGP lists; ** members of the CU (estimate) in combined ChristianUnion/SGP parliamentary parties.
". This includes cities like Tholen
, Staphorst
and Elburg
. The party cooperates in several local executives, both in the more conservative Bible Belt area, and in several larger cities like Leiden or Utrecht
where the CU is a small party but needed to form a majority. It has 71 aldermen. It has 398 members of local legislatures.
, the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands
, Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (Liberated) and the Dutch Reformed Church
. But members of newer churches such as the Evangelical
Church and the Pentecostal
community also supported this party. The electorate is concentrated in the smaller rural districts in the so-called "Bible Belt
" an area of more conservative Christian municipalities that reaches from Overijssel
, through the Veluwe
and the Biesbos to Zeeland
. The party also draws support from Christians with an immigrant background, who are mostly located in the large cities.
The party is also drawing support from a growing number of conservative Roman Catholics, dissatisfied with the, in their eyes, less Christian policies of the CDA
. Roman Catholics are welcome to become a member of the party although one of the foundations of the party is the Heidelberg Catechism
, known for its staunch anti-Catholicism. During the Provincial elections of 2007 the party fielded two Roman Catholic candidates on their shortlist of the province of Limburg. This process has alerted some prominent CDA politicians. CU-senator Egbert Schuurman has stated the CU will provide a shelter for everyone who actively believes in Jesus Christ but also said the CU will always be a Protestant party.
which was formed as a fusion of the two youth organizations of the CU's predecessors the GPJC and RPFJ. The party publishes the HandSchrift (HandWriting) six times a year. The party's scientific institute is the Mr. Groen van Prinsterer Foundation, which publishes the DenkWijzer (ThoughtWiser). The women's organization is Inclusief.
The CU participates in the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy
, a democracy assistance organisation of seven Dutch political parties.
. Its MEPs are seated in the European Conservatives and Reformists
group.
and the Reformatorisch Dagblad
, the Protestant broadcaster Evangelische Omroep
, several Reformed churches they constitute the conservative or orthodox Reformed pillar (Dutch zuil). While all four of the traditional Dutch pillars (socialists, liberals, Protestants and Catholics) have broken down since the 1960s, the orthodox reformatory pillar has actually strengthened in reaction to the process of secularization.
(SGP), with which it forms a single European parliamentary party ChristenUnie-SGP
and the Christian-Democratic Christian Democratic Appeal
, with which the ChristenUnie-SGP had an electoral alliance for the 2004 European Parliament elections. As an opposition party against the Second Balkenende cabinet
, the CU has gained sympathy from the left wing parties in parliament, the Dutch Labour Party, the Socialist Party
and the GreenLeft
, with which it cooperates in several local governments
after the 2006 municipal elections
.
is nearest to the ChristianUnion as a conservative Protestant party that is left wing in social matters, conservative in ethical matters and critical of the European Union.
Politics of the Netherlands
The politics of the Netherlands take place within the framework of a parliamentary representative democracy, a constitutional monarchy and a decentralised unitary state. The Netherlands is described as a consociational state...
Christian democratic
Christian Democracy
Christian democracy is a political ideology that seeks to apply Christian principles to public policy. It emerged in nineteenth-century Europe under the influence of conservatism and Catholic social teaching...
political party. A centrist
Centrism
In politics, centrism is the ideal or the practice of promoting policies that lie different from the standard political left and political right. Most commonly, this is visualized as part of the one-dimensional political spectrum of left-right politics, with centrism landing in the middle between...
party, the CU's policies combine social conservatism
Social conservatism
Social Conservatism is primarily a political, and usually morally influenced, ideology that focuses on the preservation of what are seen as traditional values. Social conservatism is a form of authoritarianism often associated with the position that the federal government should have a greater role...
and soft euroscepticism with more centre-left
Centre-left
Centre-left is a political term that describes individuals, political parties or organisations such as think tanks whose ideology lies between the centre and the left on the left-right spectrum...
positions on economic, immigration, and environmental issues.
Founded in 2000 as a merger of the Reformed Political Alliance (GPV) and Reformatory Political Federation
Reformatory Political Federation
The Reformatory Political Federation was a minor Protestant Christian political party in the Netherlands.-History:The RPF was founded in 1975 by three groups of orthodox Christians...
(RPF), the ChristianUnion has five seats in the House of Representatives and four in the Senate. After doubling its seats in the 2006 elections
Dutch general election, 2006
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on November 22, 2006. And followed the call for new elections after the fall of the Second Balkenende cabinet....
it became the smallest member of the newly formed fourth Balkenende cabinet
Fourth Balkenende cabinet
The fourth Balkenende cabinet or Balkenende IV is the previous Dutch coalition cabinet formed by the political parties Christian Democratic Appeal , Labour Party , and ChristianUnion . The cabinet succeeded the third Balkenende cabinet following the 2006 election, and was installed by Queen Beatrix...
. In some elections, it forms an alliance with the more conservative Reformed Political Party
Reformed Political Party
The Reformed Political Party is an orthodox Protestant Dutch political party. The term Reformed is not a reference to political reform, but is a synonym for Calvinist. The SGP is the oldest political party in the Netherlands in its current form, and for its entire existence has been in opposition...
, which, unlike the CU, is a testimonial party
Testimonial party
Testimonial party is a political party that focuses on its principles, instead of adapting them to local or temporal issues in the pursuit of coalition government participation...
.
Primarily a Protestant
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
party, the CU bases its policies on the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
, and takes the theological principles of charity
Charity (virtue)
In Christian theology charity, or love , means an unlimited loving-kindness toward all others.The term should not be confused with the more restricted modern use of the word charity to mean benevolent giving.- Caritas: altruistic love :...
and stewardship
Stewardship (theology)
Stewardship is a theological belief that humans are responsible for the world, and should take care of it. It can have political implications, such as in Christian Democracy.-Implications:...
as bases for its support for public expenditure and environmentalism
Environmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
. The party seeks for government to uphold Christian morality, but supports freedom of religion
Freedom of religion
Freedom of religion is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance; the concept is generally recognized also to include the freedom to change religion or not to follow any...
under the doctrine of sphere sovereignty
Sphere sovereignty
In Neo-Calvinism, sphere sovereignty is the concept that each sphere of life has its own distinct responsibilities and authority or competence, and stands equal to other spheres of life. Sphere sovereignty involves the idea of an all encompassing created order, designed and governed by God...
. The party is moderately Eurosceptic; it sits with the ECR
European Conservatives and Reformists
The European Conservatives and Reformists, abbreviated to ECR, is a conservative anti-federalist political group in the European Parliament. The group currently comprises 57 MEPs, making it the fourth-largest group in the European Parliament....
in the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
. It is a member of the European Christian Political Movement
European Christian Political Movement
The European Christian Political Movement, abbreviated to ECPM, is a political party at European level that unites national parties from across Europe that share Christian democratic politics. The member parties are generally more socially conservative and Eurosceptic than the European People's...
.
Before 2000
The Netherlands has a long tradition of small orthodox or conservative Protestant parties in parliament. The Reformed Political PartyReformed Political Party
The Reformed Political Party is an orthodox Protestant Dutch political party. The term Reformed is not a reference to political reform, but is a synonym for Calvinist. The SGP is the oldest political party in the Netherlands in its current form, and for its entire existence has been in opposition...
(SGP) entered parliament in the 1922 election
Dutch general election, 1922
A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands on July 5, 1922. It was the first election under universal suffrage, which became reality after the acceptance of a proposal by Marchant in 1919 that gave women full voting rights...
as a split off from the Anti Revolutionary Party
Anti Revolutionary Party
The Anti Revolutionary Party was a Dutch Protestant Christian democratic political party. The ARP is one of the predecessors of the Christian Democratic Appeal. After 1917 the party never received more than twenty percent of the vote.-History before 1879:The anti-revolutionary parliamentary caucus...
, the Hervormd Gereformeerde Staatspartij
Hervormd Gereformeerde Staatspartij
The Hervormd Gereformeerde Staatspartij was a Dutch orthodox Protestant political party during the interbellum...
(HGS) entered parliament in the 1925 election
Dutch general election, 1925
A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands on July 1, 1925.-National summary:-Parties:* Anti Revolutionary Party * Agrarians' League...
, a split from the Christian Historical Union
Christian Historical Union
The Christian Historical Union was a Dutch conservative Protestant political party. The CHU is one of the predecessors of the Christian Democratic Appeal.-History before 1908:...
. The SGP did survive the war years
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, but the HGS was unable to obtain seats in the 1946 elections
Dutch general election, 1946
A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands on May 17, 1946.After the German occupation of the Netherlands during World War II, parties that existed prior to the war underwent mergers and reorganizations.-National summary:-Parties:* Anti...
. In the 1963 election
Dutch general election, 1963
A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands on May 15, 1963.-National summary:-Parties:* Anti Revolutionary Party...
the Reformed Political Alliance (GPV) entered parliament, although it was founded in 1948 as a split from the Anti Revolutionary Party over a religious issue within the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands
Reformed Churches in the Netherlands
The Reformed Churches in the Netherlands was the second largest Protestant church in the Netherlands until it merged into the Protestant Church in the Netherlands in 2004.-History:...
. In the 1981 election
Dutch general election, 1981
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on May 26, 1981.-National summary:...
, the Reformatory Political Federation
Reformatory Political Federation
The Reformatory Political Federation was a minor Protestant Christian political party in the Netherlands.-History:The RPF was founded in 1975 by three groups of orthodox Christians...
(RPF) entered parliament. It had split from the ARP over the formation of the Christian Democratic Appeal
Christian Democratic Appeal
The Christian Democratic Appeal is a centre-right Dutch Christian democratic political party. It suffered severe losses in the 2010 elections and fell from the first to the fourth place...
.
The RPF explicitly stated in its manifesto of principles that it sought to unite all reformed parties in the Netherlands. The other two were less positive about cooperation however. The GPV which was only open to a specific current in reformed Protestantism, namely the Reformed Churches (liberated), did not want to cooperate with non-'liberated' reformed: it had rejected the entry of the group that was to become the RPF in the 1970s on religious grounds. The Reformed Political Party
Reformed Political Party
The Reformed Political Party is an orthodox Protestant Dutch political party. The term Reformed is not a reference to political reform, but is a synonym for Calvinist. The SGP is the oldest political party in the Netherlands in its current form, and for its entire existence has been in opposition...
had rejected cooperation with these parties because they had female members while the SGP consistently rejected female suffrage. The RPF, GPV and SGP were testimonial parties
Testimonial party
Testimonial party is a political party that focuses on its principles, instead of adapting them to local or temporal issues in the pursuit of coalition government participation...
, which chose to voice their concerns about government policy, while acknowledging that they are not big enough to force their opinion upon others.
In 1984 however the three parties cooperated in the European elections
European Parliament election, 1984 (Netherlands)
The European Parliament election of 1984 in the Netherlands was the election of MEP representing Netherlands constituency for the 1984-1989 term of the European Parliament. It was part of the wider 1984 European election. It was held on on June 14, 1984...
and presented a common list in order to enter the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
. In the 1989 general election
Dutch general election, 1989
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on September 6, 1989.-National summary:...
they formed an electoral alliance in order to enhance their chances of obtaining seats. In 1995 informal talks were opened between the three parties. The GPV had opened itself to non-liberated members, but the SGP not to women. The discussions with the SGP were broken off and the GPV and RPF continued together. For a long time the GPV was not willing to enter a major internal debate with the RPF which also performed better electorally; it had won three seats in the 1998 elections
Dutch general election, 1998
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on 6 May 1998.-Result:...
while the GPV received only two. From 1998 the two parliamentary parties cooperated with each other, held common meetings and appointed common spokespersons. In 1999 a group called "Transformatie" (Transformation) was set up by young people from both parties in reaction to the slow cooperation process: they tried to intensify the debate about cooperation. In the same year the cooperation talks were formalized and intensified, leading to the foundation of the ChristianUnion.
2000-present
The ChristianUnion was founded in January 2000 as an alliance between two conservative reformed parties: the Reformed Political Alliance and the Reformatory Political FederationReformatory Political Federation
The Reformatory Political Federation was a minor Protestant Christian political party in the Netherlands.-History:The RPF was founded in 1975 by three groups of orthodox Christians...
. In 2000 their youth organizations, GPJC and RPFJ fused completely, presenting an example to their mother organizations. In 2001 they formed a common parliamentary party in both the House of Representatives and Senate. In 2002
Dutch general election, 2002
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on May 15, 2002....
the alliance entered the elections for the first time. The party got four seats - one seat less than the 1998 election when they campaigned separately. It had polled much better, with some polling stations predicting seven or eight seats. The party's leader Kars Veling
Kars Veling
Kars Veling is rector of the Johan de Witt College in The Hague and former politician for the GPV and Christen Unie in the Dutch parliament.-Education:Veling followed the HBS-B education in Groningen, the town where he was born...
stepped down. He had been good at keeping the peace internally in a party still somewhat divided along the old GPV and RPF blood lines, but had not appealed well enough to the population at large. With preference votes a woman, Tineke Huizinga
Tineke Huizinga
Johanna Catharina Huizinga-Heringa is a former Dutch politician. She was a Member of Parliament for the ChristianUnion from 2002 to 2007. From 2007 till 2010 she was a Secretary of State and in 2010 Minister of Environment and Spatial Planning.Huizinga grew up in Amersfoort; both of her parents...
(positioned no. 7 on the CU candidate-list) was elected into parliament for the CU, becoming the first woman to enter parliament for the party or its predecessors. Because of her election, prominent party figure Eimert van Middelkoop
Eimert van Middelkoop
Eimert van Middelkoop is a Dutch politician of the ChristianUnion party.From 2007 till 2010 he was Minister of Defence in the Cabinet Balkenende IV...
, who was no. 4 on the candidate-list, had to leave parliament. In the 2003
Dutch general election, 2003
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on January 22, 2003.-Background:...
the party lost an additional seat, and was left with three seats. Again Huizinga (now no. 4 on the list) was elected with preference votes and this time former RPF leader Leen van Dijke
Leen van Dijke
Leendert Cornelis van Dijke is a Dutch manager and former politician and carpenter.As a member of the Reformatory Political Federation and its successor the ChristianUnion he was a member of the Dutch House of Representatives from 1994 to 2003 as well as Parliamentary leader from...
(no. 3) had to leave parliament. The decline of the CU in 2003 was probably due to party supporters voting for the Christian-democratic CDA, which was competing with the social-democratic PvdA, to become the largest party. The ChristianUnion was heavily involved in the formation of Balkenende II, but the liberal People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
The People's Party for Freedom and Democracy is a conservative-liberal political party located in the Netherlands. The VVD supports private enterprise in the Netherlands and is often perceived as an economic liberal party in contrast to the social-liberal Democrats 66 alongside which it sits in...
(VVD) vetoed the formation of a CDA/VVD/CU/SGP cabinet and so the progressive liberal D66 became a part of the governing alliance instead. In 2004 the two organizations RPF and GPV officially ceased to exist, making the fusion into CU final.
In the 2006 elections
Dutch general election, 2006
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on November 22, 2006. And followed the call for new elections after the fall of the Second Balkenende cabinet....
the party doubled its seats and joined the fourth cabinet Balkenende. CU-leader André Rouvoet
André Rouvoet
André Rouvoet is a former Dutch politician of the ChristianUnion . First as a member of the RPF until the party merged with the Reformed Political League to form the ChristianUnion. He served as a Member of the House of Representatives from May 17, 1994 until February 22, 2007...
became minister without portfolio
Minister without Portfolio
A minister without portfolio is either a government minister with no specific responsibilities or a minister that does not head a particular ministry...
for family and youth. Since the party has entered government, there has been some controversy about the conservative Christian ethical views of some of its members. In 2007 Yvette Lont, a CU municipal council member for Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, expressed the view that homosexuals should not be admitted to representative functions within the party. Also in 2007, municipal council member Monique Heger decided to resign from office, because she had recently discovered that she was a lesbian, and she and her (female) partner moved in together.
Ideology and issues
The CU calls itself a Christian social party. The party has its roots in orthodox Protestant parties, often referred to as the "small right". It combines a conservativeSocial conservatism
Social Conservatism is primarily a political, and usually morally influenced, ideology that focuses on the preservation of what are seen as traditional values. Social conservatism is a form of authoritarianism often associated with the position that the federal government should have a greater role...
point of view on ethical and foreign policy issues, with more centre left ideas on economic, asylum, social and environmental issues. Its conservative reformed ideals are reflected in its program of principles: It believes that the state is the swordmaiden of God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
. It bases its politics directly on the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
. However, it sees separate duties for the state and the church in public life: the church should spread the Word of God, while the state should merely uphold public morality. The state should respect the religion of its citizens. Other Christian principles, like neighbourly love and stewardship
Stewardship
Stewardship is an ethic that embodies responsible planning and management of resources. The concept of stewardship has been applied in diverse realms, including with respect to environment, economics, health, property, information, and religion, and is linked to the concept of sustainability...
for the Earth, however have given the CU's political program a centre-left orientation.
Some of CU's conservative policies include:
- Facilitation by government of a one-earner model, allowing one parent, usually the wife, to stay at home and take care of the children.
- Society should cherish its collective moments of rest, and leave Sunday a day of rest.
- AbortionAbortionAbortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
and euthanasiaEuthanasiaEuthanasia refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering....
-practices should be reduced and eventually replaced by adoptionAdoptionAdoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting for another and, in so doing, permanently transfers all rights and responsibilities from the original parent or parents...
and palliative carePalliative carePalliative care is a specialized area of healthcare that focuses on relieving and preventing the suffering of patients...
. - The Dutch policy of toleration of soft drugsDrug policy of the NetherlandsThe drug policy of the Netherlands officially has four major objectives:# To prevent recreational drug use and to treat and rehabilitate recreational drug users.# To reduce harm to users....
should be abandoned . - Combatting pornographyPornographyPornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
and prostitutionProstitution in the NetherlandsProstitution in the Netherlands is legal and regulated. Operating a brothel is also legal. In the last few years, a significant number of brothels and "windows" have been closed because of suspected criminal activity...
. - Allowing civil servants to refuse to perform gay marriageSame-sex marriageSame-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....
. - Defending the freedom of educationEducation in the NetherlandsEducation in the Netherlands is characterized by division: education is orientated toward the needs and background of the pupil. Education is divided over schools for different age groups, some of which are divided in streams for different educational levels...
(that is, to found religious schools), because of sphere sovereigntySphere sovereigntyIn Neo-Calvinism, sphere sovereignty is the concept that each sphere of life has its own distinct responsibilities and authority or competence, and stands equal to other spheres of life. Sphere sovereignty involves the idea of an all encompassing created order, designed and governed by God...
. - The Netherlands should remain an independent political entity within the European UnionEuropean UnionThe European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
. - Limiting the use of genetic manipulation.
More Center-left policies include:
- Public services of educationEducationEducation in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
, health careHealth careHealth care is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers...
and social security should remain state run, but on a smaller scale than is presently the case. - Increased budgets for development cooperation in order to address the poverty in the global southThird WorldThe term Third World arose during the Cold War to define countries that remained non-aligned with either capitalism and NATO , or communism and the Soviet Union...
. - A more open policy towards asylum seekers, especially those who are persecuted for religious reasons.
- A relatively green environmental policyNatural environmentThe natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....
. Based on its electoral promises on investment in green energy the Dutch branch of GreenpeaceGreenpeaceGreenpeace is a non-governmental environmental organization with offices in over forty countries and with an international coordinating body in Amsterdam, The Netherlands...
termed ChristenUnion the greenest political party.
Representation
This table shows the CU's results in elections to the House of Representatives, Senate, European Parliament and States-Provincial, as well as the party's political leadership: the fractievoorzitter is the chair of the parliamentary party and the lijsttrekker is the party's top candidate in the general election; these posts are normally taken by the party's leader. It also listed whether the CU was in government at the time. For further information the membership figure and the name of the party chairman of the CU are listed.| Year | House of Representatives | Senate | European Parliament European Parliament The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world... |
States-Provincial States-Provincial The States'-Provincial is the provincial parliament and legislative assembly in each of the Provinces of the Netherlands. It is elected for each province simultaneously once every four years and has the responsibility for matters of sub-national or regional importance... |
Leader in elections Lijsttrekker Lijsttrekker is a Dutch term for the top candidate of a party on a party list. He or she is almost always the party's political leader. After an election, this person usually leads the party's faction in the States-General, or serves in a senior position in the Cabinet if his party is part of... |
Parliamentary group leader Parliamentary group leader The leader or chairman of a parliamentary group holds an influential political post in a parliamentary system with strong party discipline... |
Cabinet Cabinet (government) A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :... |
Membership | Chair |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 37 | no elections | Leen van Dijke Leen van Dijke Leendert Cornelis van Dijke is a Dutch manager and former politician and carpenter.As a member of the Reformatory Political Federation and its successor the ChristianUnion he was a member of the Dutch House of Representatives from 1994 to 2003 as well as Parliamentary leader from... and Gert Schutte Gert Schutte Gerrit Jan Schutte is a former Dutch politician. He was a member of the Dutch House of Representatives for the Reformed Political League and in the end for the ChristianUnion.- Biography :... |
opposition | unknown | Thijs van Daalen |
| 2001 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 37 | no elections | Leen van Dijke and Gert Schutte | opposition | unknown | Thijs van Daalen |
| 2002 Dutch general election, 2002 The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on May 15, 2002.... |
4 | 4 | 2 | 37 | Kars Veling Kars Veling Kars Veling is rector of the Johan de Witt College in The Hague and former politician for the GPV and Christen Unie in the Dutch parliament.-Education:Veling followed the HBS-B education in Groningen, the town where he was born... |
Kars Veling | opposition | 27.250 | Thijs van Daalen |
| 2003 Dutch general election, 2003 The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on January 22, 2003.-Background:... |
3 | 2 | 2 | 26+3* | André Rouvoet André Rouvoet André Rouvoet is a former Dutch politician of the ChristianUnion . First as a member of the RPF until the party merged with the Reformed Political League to form the ChristianUnion. He served as a Member of the House of Representatives from May 17, 1994 until February 22, 2007... |
André Rouvoet | opposition | 27.000 | Thijs van Daalen |
| 2004 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 26+3* | no election | André Rouvoet | opposition | 25.074 | Thijs van Daalen |
| 2005 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 26+3* | no election | André Rouvoet | opposition | 24.235 | Peter Blokhuis Peter Blokhuis Peter Blokhuis is a Dutch politician. He is chairperson of the ChristianUnion.-References:*, Nieuwsbank.nl, February 3, 2005... |
| 2006 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 26+3* | André Rouvoet | André Rouvoet | opposition | 24.156 | Peter Blokhuis |
| 2007 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 35+3* | no election | Arie Slob Arie Slob Arie Slob is a Dutch politician and former history teacher. He has been a member of the Dutch House of Representatives for the ChristianUnion party since November 19, 2002. Since April 28, 2011 he has also been both Party leader and Parliamentary leader, in both cases succeeding André Rouvoet... |
Andre Rouvoet | 26.673 | Peter Blokhuis |
| 2008 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 35+3* | no election | Arie Slob | Andre Rouvoet | 27.683 | Peter Blokhuis |
| 2009 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 35+3* | no election | Arie Slob | Andre Rouvoet | 26.745 | Peter Blokhuis |
| 2010 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 35+3* | André Rouvoet André Rouvoet André Rouvoet is a former Dutch politician of the ChristianUnion . First as a member of the RPF until the party merged with the Reformed Political League to form the ChristianUnion. He served as a Member of the House of Representatives from May 17, 1994 until February 22, 2007... |
André Rouvoet | Andre Rouvoet | 26.441 | Peter Blokhuis |
| 2011 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 24 | no election | Arie Slob Arie Slob Arie Slob is a Dutch politician and former history teacher. He has been a member of the Dutch House of Representatives for the ChristianUnion party since November 19, 2002. Since April 28, 2011 he has also been both Party leader and Parliamentary leader, in both cases succeeding André Rouvoet... |
opposition | 25.480 | Peter Blokhuis |
Ministers
Currently the CU supplies two ministers and one state secretary:- Minister of DefenceMinistry of Defence (Netherlands)The Netherlands Ministry of Defence governs the Netherlands Armed Forces. The Minister is assisted by a State Secretary...
: Eimert van MiddelkoopEimert van MiddelkoopEimert van Middelkoop is a Dutch politician of the ChristianUnion party.From 2007 till 2010 he was Minister of Defence in the Cabinet Balkenende IV... - Minister of Environment, Spatial Planning and Housing: Tineke HuizingaTineke HuizingaJohanna Catharina Huizinga-Heringa is a former Dutch politician. She was a Member of Parliament for the ChristianUnion from 2002 to 2007. From 2007 till 2010 she was a Secretary of State and in 2010 Minister of Environment and Spatial Planning.Huizinga grew up in Amersfoort; both of her parents...
- Minister without portfolioMinister without PortfolioA minister without portfolio is either a government minister with no specific responsibilities or a minister that does not head a particular ministry...
for Youth and Families and Vice-Premier: André RouvoetAndré RouvoetAndré Rouvoet is a former Dutch politician of the ChristianUnion . First as a member of the RPF until the party merged with the Reformed Political League to form the ChristianUnion. He served as a Member of the House of Representatives from May 17, 1994 until February 22, 2007...
Members of the House of Representatives
After the 2010 electionsDutch general election, 2010
The 2010 Dutch general election was held on Wednesday, 9 June 2010. After the fall of the cabinet Balkenende IV on 20 February, Queen Beatrix accepted the resignation of the Labour Party ministers on 23 February...
the party has five representatives in the House of Representatives:
- Arie SlobArie SlobArie Slob is a Dutch politician and former history teacher. He has been a member of the Dutch House of Representatives for the ChristianUnion party since November 19, 2002. Since April 28, 2011 he has also been both Party leader and Parliamentary leader, in both cases succeeding André Rouvoet...
, Parliamentary group leaderParliamentary group leaderThe leader or chairman of a parliamentary group holds an influential political post in a parliamentary system with strong party discipline... - Cynthia Ortega
- Carola SchoutenCarola SchoutenC.J. Schouten is a Dutch politician. She is a member of the ChristianUnion and since May 18, 2011 also a member of the House of Representatives of the Netherlands, replacing André Rouvoet....
(since May 18, 2011, replacing André RouvoetAndré RouvoetAndré Rouvoet is a former Dutch politician of the ChristianUnion . First as a member of the RPF until the party merged with the Reformed Political League to form the ChristianUnion. He served as a Member of the House of Representatives from May 17, 1994 until February 22, 2007...
) - Joel VoordewindJoël VoordewindJoël Stephanus Voordewind is a Dutch politician and former development aid worker. As a member of the ChristianUnion he has been an MP since November 30, 2006...
- Esmé Wiegman
Members of the Senate
After the 2011 Senate electionsDutch Senate election, 2011
The elections of the Dutch Senate of 2011 were held on 23 May 2011, following the provincial elections on 2 March 2011. The 566 members of the twelve States-Provincial elected the 75 Senate members...
, the party has two representatives in the Senate:
- Roel KuiperRoel KuiperRoelof Kuiper is a Dutch historian, philosopher, ideologue, politician and university professor. He is a member of the Dutch Senate, and is professor of Reformational philosophy at the Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam in the name of the Association for Reformational philosophy, teaching Society...
, Senate group leaderParliamentary group leaderThe leader or chairman of a parliamentary group holds an influential political post in a parliamentary system with strong party discipline... - Peter Ester
Members of the European Parliament
After the 2009 European Parliament electionsEuropean Parliament election, 2009 (Netherlands)
The European Parliament election of 2009 in the Netherlands was the election of the delegation from the Netherlands to the European Parliament in 2009 and took place on June 4, 2009. Seventeen parties competed in a D'Hondt type election for 25 seats...
, the party has one representative in the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
:
- Peter van DalenPeter van DalenPeter van Dalen is a Dutch civil servant and politician. He is a member of the ChristianUnion party, a socially conservative Protestant party, and was formerly a member of the Reformatory Political Federation , which merged with the Reformed Political League to form the ChristianUnion...
Provincial government
Since the 2007 elections the ChristianUnion is part of the provincial executivesGedeputeerde Staten
The gedeputeerde staten are the executive councillors of a Dutch province. Together with the Queen's Commissioner they form the College van Commissaris van de Koningin en Gedeputeerde Staten, which is the executive council of the province. States Deputed are elected by the States Provincial, the...
of Drenthe
Drenthe
Drenthe is a province of the Netherlands, located in the north-east of the country. The capital city is Assen. It is bordered by Overijssel to the south, Friesland to the west, Groningen to the north, and Germany to the east.-History:Drenthe, unlike many other parts of the Netherlands, has been a...
, Gelderland
Gelderland
Gelderland is the largest province of the Netherlands, located in the central eastern part of the country. The capital city is Arnhem. The two other major cities, Nijmegen and Apeldoorn have more inhabitants. Other major regional centers in Gelderland are Ede, Doetinchem, Zutphen, Tiel, Wijchen,...
and Groningen
Groningen (province)
Groningen [] is the northeasternmost province of the Netherlands. In the east it borders the German state of Niedersachsen , in the south Drenthe, in the west Friesland and in the north the Wadden Sea...
.
The following table below shows the election results of the 2007 provincial election in each province. It shows the areas where the ChristenUnie is strong, namely Groningen, Overijssel and Flevoland, provinces which have a traditional large conservative Protestant population. The party is especially weak in the southern Catholic provinces of Limburg and North Brabant and the more secular North Holland province.
| Province | Votes (%) | Result (seats) |
|---|---|---|
| Groningen Groningen (province) Groningen [] is the northeasternmost province of the Netherlands. In the east it borders the German state of Niedersachsen , in the south Drenthe, in the west Friesland and in the north the Wadden Sea... |
10,3% | 4 |
| Friesland Friesland Friesland is a province in the north of the Netherlands and part of the ancient region of Frisia.Until the end of 1996, the province bore Friesland as its official name. In 1997 this Dutch name lost its official status to the Frisian Fryslân... |
8,2% | 3 |
| Drenthe Drenthe Drenthe is a province of the Netherlands, located in the north-east of the country. The capital city is Assen. It is bordered by Overijssel to the south, Friesland to the west, Groningen to the north, and Germany to the east.-History:Drenthe, unlike many other parts of the Netherlands, has been a... |
7,6% | 3 |
| Overijssel Overijssel Overijssel is a province of the Netherlands in the central eastern part of the country. The region has a NUTS classification of NL21. The province's name means "Lands across river IJssel". The capital city of Overijssel is Zwolle and the largest city is Enschede... |
10,3% | 5 |
| Flevoland Flevoland Flevoland is a province of the Netherlands. Located in the centre of the country, at the location of the former Zuiderzee, the province was established on January 1, 1986; the twelfth province of the country, with Lelystad as its capital... |
11,2% | 5 |
| Gelderland Gelderland Gelderland is the largest province of the Netherlands, located in the central eastern part of the country. The capital city is Arnhem. The two other major cities, Nijmegen and Apeldoorn have more inhabitants. Other major regional centers in Gelderland are Ede, Doetinchem, Zutphen, Tiel, Wijchen,... |
8,1% | 4 |
| Utrecht Utrecht (province) Utrecht is the smallest province of the Netherlands in terms of area, and is located in the centre of the country. It is bordered by the Eemmeer in the north, Gelderland in the east, the river Rhine in the south, South Holland in the west, and North Holland in the northwest... |
8,9% | 4 |
| North Holland North Holland North Holland |West Frisian]]: Noard-Holland) is a province situated on the North Sea in the northwest part of the Netherlands. The provincial capital is Haarlem and its largest city is Amsterdam.-Geography:... |
3,2%* | 2** |
| South Holland South Holland South Holland is a province situated on the North Sea in the western part of the Netherlands. The provincial capital is The Hague and its largest city is Rotterdam.South Holland is one of the most densely populated and industrialised areas in the world... |
6,9%** | 4 |
| Zeeland Zeeland Zeeland , also called Zealand in English, is the westernmost province of the Netherlands. The province, located in the south-west of the country, consists of a number of islands and a strip bordering Belgium. Its capital is Middelburg. With a population of about 380,000, its area is about... |
8,0% | 3 |
| North Brabant North Brabant North Brabant , sometimes called Brabant, is a province of the Netherlands, located in the south of the country, bordered by Belgium in the south, the Meuse River in the north, Limburg in the east and Zeeland in the west.- History :... |
2,7%* | 1** |
| Limburg Limburg (Netherlands) Limburg is the southernmost of the twelve provinces of the Netherlands. It is located in the southeastern part of the country and bordered by the province of Gelderland to the north, Germany to the east, Belgium to the south and part of the west, andthe Dutch province of North Brabant partly to... |
1,8 | 0 |
Municipal government
Eight of the 414 mayors of the Netherlands are members of the CU. CU tends to have mayors in smaller rural districts in the so-called "Bible beltBible Belt (Netherlands)
The Bible Belt is the name given to a strip of land in the Netherlands, which is inhabited chiefly by conservative Protestants...
". This includes cities like Tholen
Tholen
Tholen is a municipality in the southwest of the Netherlands. The municipality of Tholen has lent its name from the town of Tholen, which is the largest population center in the municipality....
, Staphorst
Staphorst
Staphorst is a municipality and a town in the eastern Netherlands.-History:The villages of Staphorst and its southern neighbour Rouveen came into existence as in the 13th century monks started to bring the bogs and swamps into culture. All the farms were built along the long road through the bog...
and Elburg
Elburg
Elburg is a municipality and a city in the province of Gelderland, Netherlands.-History:There is evidence of a Neolithic settlement at Elburg consisting of stone tools and pottery shards....
. The party cooperates in several local executives, both in the more conservative Bible Belt area, and in several larger cities like Leiden or Utrecht
Utrecht (city)
Utrecht city and municipality is the capital and most populous city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, and is the fourth largest city of the Netherlands with a population of 312,634 on 1 Jan 2011.Utrecht's ancient city centre features...
where the CU is a small party but needed to form a majority. It has 71 aldermen. It has 398 members of local legislatures.
Electorate
The CU was supported by orthodox Reformed of many denominations, such as the Christian Reformed ChurchesChristian Reformed Churches
The Christian Reformed Churches are a Protestant church in the Netherlands with about 75,000 members.The original name of the church was Christian Reformed Church in the Netherlands . The church was formed in 1869 by the merger of two churches, both separated from the Dutch Reformed Church in 1834...
, the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands
Reformed Churches in the Netherlands
The Reformed Churches in the Netherlands was the second largest Protestant church in the Netherlands until it merged into the Protestant Church in the Netherlands in 2004.-History:...
, Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (Liberated) and the Dutch Reformed Church
Dutch Reformed Church
The Dutch Reformed Church was a Reformed Christian denomination in the Netherlands. It existed from the 1570s to 2004, the year it merged with the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Kingdom of the Netherlands to form the Protestant Church in the...
. But members of newer churches such as the Evangelical
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
Church and the Pentecostal
Pentecostalism
Pentecostalism is a diverse and complex movement within Christianity that places special emphasis on a direct personal experience of God through the baptism in the Holy Spirit, has an eschatological focus, and is an experiential religion. The term Pentecostal is derived from Pentecost, the Greek...
community also supported this party. The electorate is concentrated in the smaller rural districts in the so-called "Bible Belt
Bible Belt (Netherlands)
The Bible Belt is the name given to a strip of land in the Netherlands, which is inhabited chiefly by conservative Protestants...
" an area of more conservative Christian municipalities that reaches from Overijssel
Overijssel
Overijssel is a province of the Netherlands in the central eastern part of the country. The region has a NUTS classification of NL21. The province's name means "Lands across river IJssel". The capital city of Overijssel is Zwolle and the largest city is Enschede...
, through the Veluwe
Veluwe
The Veluwe is a forest-rich ridge of hills in the province of Gelderland in the Netherlands. The Veluwe features many different landscapes including woodland, heath, some small lakes and Europe's largest sand drifts....
and the Biesbos to Zeeland
Zeeland
Zeeland , also called Zealand in English, is the westernmost province of the Netherlands. The province, located in the south-west of the country, consists of a number of islands and a strip bordering Belgium. Its capital is Middelburg. With a population of about 380,000, its area is about...
. The party also draws support from Christians with an immigrant background, who are mostly located in the large cities.
The party is also drawing support from a growing number of conservative Roman Catholics, dissatisfied with the, in their eyes, less Christian policies of the CDA
Christian Democratic Appeal
The Christian Democratic Appeal is a centre-right Dutch Christian democratic political party. It suffered severe losses in the 2010 elections and fell from the first to the fourth place...
. Roman Catholics are welcome to become a member of the party although one of the foundations of the party is the Heidelberg Catechism
Heidelberg Catechism
The Heidelberg Catechism is a Protestant confessional document taking the form of a series of questions and answers, for use in teaching Reformed Christian doctrine...
, known for its staunch anti-Catholicism. During the Provincial elections of 2007 the party fielded two Roman Catholic candidates on their shortlist of the province of Limburg. This process has alerted some prominent CDA politicians. CU-senator Egbert Schuurman has stated the CU will provide a shelter for everyone who actively believes in Jesus Christ but also said the CU will always be a Protestant party.
Organisational structure
The highest body in the CU is the Union Congress, formed by delegates from the municipal branches. It appoints the party board and decides the order of the candidates on the lists for elections to the Senate, House of Representatives and European Parliament and has the final say over the party program. A member congress has an important role in the formation of the CU's political direction.Members
The CU currently has 26.673 members (as of January 1, 2007). They are organized in over 200 municipal branches.Linked organisations
The youth organisation of the party is PerspectieFPerspectieF
PerspectieF – Young Christian Union is the youth wing of the ChristianUnion, a Christian democratic political party in the Netherlands. PerspectieF was founded on 23 September 2000 as a merger between the RPF-jongeren and GPJC, the youth organisations of the Reformatory Political Federation and...
which was formed as a fusion of the two youth organizations of the CU's predecessors the GPJC and RPFJ. The party publishes the HandSchrift (HandWriting) six times a year. The party's scientific institute is the Mr. Groen van Prinsterer Foundation, which publishes the DenkWijzer (ThoughtWiser). The women's organization is Inclusief.
The CU participates in the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy
Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy
The Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy is a democracy assistance organisation of political parties in the Netherlands for political parties in young democracies...
, a democracy assistance organisation of seven Dutch political parties.
International organisations
Internationally the CU is a member of the European Christian Political MovementEuropean Christian Political Movement
The European Christian Political Movement, abbreviated to ECPM, is a political party at European level that unites national parties from across Europe that share Christian democratic politics. The member parties are generally more socially conservative and Eurosceptic than the European People's...
. Its MEPs are seated in the European Conservatives and Reformists
European Conservatives and Reformists
The European Conservatives and Reformists, abbreviated to ECR, is a conservative anti-federalist political group in the European Parliament. The group currently comprises 57 MEPs, making it the fourth-largest group in the European Parliament....
group.
Orthodox-protestant (pillarized) organisations
The CU still has ideological strong links with so-called pillarized organizations. Together with conservative Protestant schools, papers like the Nederlands DagbladNederlands Dagblad
The Nederlands Dagblad is a Dutch newspaper, available throughout the country, with a daily circulation of about 33,000 issues in 2006. In 2000, the circulation was 32,000 issues....
and the Reformatorisch Dagblad
Reformatorisch Dagblad
The Reformatorisch Dagblad is a Dutch protestant newspaper with a circulation of around 60,000, headquartered in Apeldoorn. The conservative newspaper was founded in 1971 and is associated with the Reformed Political Party; it is one of only a handful daily national papers remaining in the...
, the Protestant broadcaster Evangelische Omroep
Evangelische Omroep
Evangelische Omroep is one of the twelve member-based broadcasting associations contributing to the Netherlands Public Broadcasting system. It has as its mission to bring people into contact with Jesus Christ and its statement of faith is a form of Evangelicalism...
, several Reformed churches they constitute the conservative or orthodox Reformed pillar (Dutch zuil). While all four of the traditional Dutch pillars (socialists, liberals, Protestants and Catholics) have broken down since the 1960s, the orthodox reformatory pillar has actually strengthened in reaction to the process of secularization.
Relationships to other parties
The Christian union has been in the opposition until 2006. It has good relations with the orthodox Reformed Political PartyReformed Political Party
The Reformed Political Party is an orthodox Protestant Dutch political party. The term Reformed is not a reference to political reform, but is a synonym for Calvinist. The SGP is the oldest political party in the Netherlands in its current form, and for its entire existence has been in opposition...
(SGP), with which it forms a single European parliamentary party ChristenUnie-SGP
ChristenUnie-SGP
Christian Union – Reformed Political Party was a parliamentary party in the European Parliament formed by two Dutch orthodox Protestant parties: the ChristianUnion and the Reformed Political Party...
and the Christian-Democratic Christian Democratic Appeal
Christian Democratic Appeal
The Christian Democratic Appeal is a centre-right Dutch Christian democratic political party. It suffered severe losses in the 2010 elections and fell from the first to the fourth place...
, with which the ChristenUnie-SGP had an electoral alliance for the 2004 European Parliament elections. As an opposition party against the Second Balkenende cabinet
Second Balkenende cabinet
The second cabinet of Jan Peter Balkenende of the Netherlands formed on 27 May 2003. It consisted of three political parties: People's Party for Freedom and Democracy , Christian Democratic Appeal , and Democrats 66 , which is the smallest of the three.On 29 June 2006, D66 dropped its support for...
, the CU has gained sympathy from the left wing parties in parliament, the Dutch Labour Party, the Socialist Party
Socialist Party (Netherlands)
The Socialist Party is a democratic socialist political party in the Netherlands. After the 2006 general election, the Socialist Party became one of the major parties of the Netherlands with 25 seats of 150, an increase of 16 seats. The party was in opposition against the fourth Balkenende cabinet...
and the GreenLeft
GreenLeft
GreenLeft is a green political party operating in the Netherlands.GreenLeft was formed on 1 March 1989 as a merger of four left-wing political parties: the Communist Party of the Netherlands, Pacifist Socialist Party, the Political Party of Radicals and the Evangelical People's Party...
, with which it cooperates in several local governments
College van Burgemeester en Wethouders
The college van burgemeester en wethouders is the executive board of a municipality in the Netherlands. This local government body plays a central role in municipal politics in the Netherlands. It consists of the mayor and the members of the municipal executive...
after the 2006 municipal elections
Dutch municipal elections, 2006
The Dutch municipal elections of 2006 were held on March 7, 2006. About 11.8 million people could vote in 419 municipalities. Due to local redistricting, 15 municipalities have already held elections in January 2006 and 24 municipalities will hold elections in November 2006...
.
International comparisons
The Evangelical People's Party of SwitzerlandEvangelical People's Party of Switzerland
The Evangelical People's Party of Switzerland is a political party in Switzerland.In questions of redistribution, education, environmentalism, immigration policy, the EVP stands rather center-left. In questions of euthanasia, abortion, and registered partnership and other typically Christian...
is nearest to the ChristianUnion as a conservative Protestant party that is left wing in social matters, conservative in ethical matters and critical of the European Union.
External links
- Introduction (in English)
- Website of the European Christian Political Movement, of which the ChristenUnie is a member
- ChristenUnie: http://www.christenunie.nl/ (in Dutch)