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60-487: The CU was founded in 2000 as a merger of the Reformed Political League (GPV) and Reformatory Political Federation (RPF). After doubling its seat tally in the 2006 Dutch general election , it became the smallest member of the fourth Balkenende cabinet , and since that time has been likewise part of the third Rutte cabinet and the fourth Rutte cabinet . In some elections it forms an alliance with

120-464: A common parliamentary party in both the House of Representatives and Senate . In 2002 the alliance entered the election for the first time. The party obtained four seats, one seat less than in 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

180-408: A congress Amersfoort . Former ARP MP Albertus Zijlstra chaired the congress, and also led the party in its early years. The party was specifically linked to the liberated Reformed Church. Membership of the church was a pre-requisite for membership of the party. This dogmatic position isolated the party. The party participated, without success in the 1948 , 1952 and 1956 general elections . After

240-726: 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 formalised and intensified, leading to the foundation of the Christian Union. The Christian Union was founded in January 2000 as an alliance between the RPF and GPV. Later in that year, their youth organisations, GPJC and RPFJ, fused completely, presenting an example to their mother organisations. In 2001, they formed

300-764: A majority in the Senate , reached a budgetary agreement with the CU, the Reformed Political Party (SGP) and the Democrats 66 (D66). This occasional coalition was nicknamed "purple with the Bible" ( Paars met de Bijbel ) as it included the secular parties VVD, PvdA and D66 plus the religiously-oriented parties Christian Union and SGP. The term "purple with the Bible" had already been used in February that year, when

360-499: A part of the governing alliance instead. In 2004 the two organisations RPF and GPV officially ceased to exist, making final the fusion into the CU. In the 2006 election the party doubled its seat count and joined the fourth Balkenende cabinet . CU leader André Rouvoet became Deputy Prime Minister and minister without portfolio for family and youth , while Middelkoop became Minister of Defence and Huizinga junior minister ( staatssecretaris ) of Transport and Water management. Since

420-807: A single European parliamentary party CU-SGP until 2022 and the Christian Democratic Appeal , with which the ChristenUnie-SGP had an electoral alliance for the 2004 European Parliament elections . As an opposition party against the centre-right second Balkenende cabinet , the CU has gained sympathy from the left wing parties in parliament, the Labour Party , the Socialist Party , and the GroenLinks , with which it cooperates in several municipal executives after

480-495: A slow process of cooperation between the GPV and the RPF, another orthodox Protestant party. From the 1998 general election onwards, the two parliamentary parties began to cooperate, holding common meanings and appointing common spokespersons. The fact that the GPV had only two seats and the RPF three inhibited the cooperation. In 1999, their parliamentary parties in the Senate officially merged, forming one parliamentary party. In 2001,

540-476: Is left of centre on issues such as social policy , asylum policy , development aid , green environmental policy and the economy . The party supports Dutch membership of the European Union to ensure peace and prosperity, and to counter the influence of Russia and China, while simultaneously being critical of several EU policies which it claims are undemocratic and "mainly benefits large companies and

600-831: The 1922 election and the Hervormd Gereformeerde Staatspartij (HGS) entered parliament in the 1925 election . The SGP survived the war years , but the HGS was unable to obtain seats in the 1946 election . In 1948, the Reformed Political Alliance (GPV) split off from the Anti-Revolutionary Party over a religious issue within the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands , but it took until 1963 for

660-461: The 1977 general election , Jongeling was replaced by Verbrugh and the party lost one seat. Before the 1981 general election , Verbrugh was replaced by Schutte, who would lead the party until 2001. He was able to retain the one seat in 1981, 1982 and 1986 general elections , and he won a second seat in 1989 . In the 1994 general election the party retained its two seats. In 1993 the GPV officially opened itself to non-liberated members. This started

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720-512: The 2006 municipal elections . The Evangelical People's Party of Switzerland is nearest to the Christian Union as a conservative Protestant party that is left wing in social matters, conservative in ethical matters and critical of the European Union. [REDACTED] Media related to ChristenUnie at Wikimedia Commons Reformed Political League The Reformed Political League ( Dutch : Gereformeerd Politiek Verbond , GPV)

780-415: The Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), after being in opposition for the first time in its history, also lost seats, and also failed to secure the most votes in the country's southernmost provinces North Brabant and Limburg for the first time ever. The two parties for the elderly AOV and Union 55+ and the right-wing populist CD did not return to parliament. The formation resulted in the continuation of

840-712: The Dutch Bible belt it also held some representation in Groningen . It never cooperated in any provincial executives . The party had several mayors in small municipalities in the Dutch Bible belt. In the same region the party cooperated in local executives . The GPV's electorate was almost entirely made up out of members of the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (Liberated) . These were concentrated in Gelderland, Utrecht and South Holland, which form part of

900-902: The European Christian Political Movement . Its MEPs were seated in the European Conservatives and Reformists Group . Until 2019 when the CU joined the EPP Group The CU still has ideological strong links with so-called pillarised organisations . Together with conservative Protestant schools , papers like the Nederlands Dagblad and the Reformatorisch Dagblad , the Protestant broadcaster Evangelische Omroep , several Reformed churches they constitute

960-711: The European Parliament (of which it had been a founding member) arguing that the ECR was moving too far to the right by including MEPs of far-right parties such as the Dutch Forum for Democracy and the Sweden Democrats . The party instead joined the European People's Party Group . In January 2023, Mirjam Bikker succeeded Segers as the party leader. During the 2023 Dutch general election

1020-487: The Netherlands on 6 May 1998. The elections saw the purple coalition of social democrats and liberals ( left and right ) strengthen its majority. Both the social democratic Labour Party (PvdA) and the conservative liberal People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) won considerably, much at the cost of their junior coalition partner, the social liberal Democrats 66 (D66). Political observers attributed

1080-636: 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

1140-565: 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 less Christian policies of the CDA . Roman Catholics are welcome to become a member of the party although one of the foundations of

1200-443: The 1956 elections, the number of seats in parliament was extended; therefore, the number of votes needed to obtain a seat was decreased from one percent of vote to two-thirds of one percent of vote. In the 1959 general election it appeared that the GPV had won a seat. Its sole MP, Laning, was asked to visit the queen to advise her on the formation of a new cabinet. After the results were calculated exactly, however, it became clear that

1260-487: The CU supplied two ministers and one state secretary in the fourth Balkenende cabinet : Starting in 2017, the CU has once again supplied two ministers and one state secretary in the third Rutte cabinet : The following CU members served in the fourth Rutte cabinet between 2021 and 2024: The CU was supported by orthodox Reformed of many denominations, such as the Christian Reformed Churches ,

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1320-605: The CU will always be a Protestant party. The party's congress, held on 13 June 2015, replaced the Heidelberg Catechism with Nicean Creed. 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

1380-449: The CU's political program a centre-left orientation. Some of CU's socially conservative policies include: More centre-left policies include: The CU describes itself as "Christelijk-sociaal" (Social Christian) and explicitly distance themselves from the labels Christian socialism or Christian right . "Social Christian" describes a Christian democracy ideology that is more right-wing than Christian socialism and more left-wing than

1440-550: The Calvinist Reformed Political Party (SGP), 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 . It seeks for government to uphold Christian morality, but supports freedom of religion under

1500-507: The Christian Union lost two of their five seats, getting 2% of the votes. The CU describes itself as a Christian social party. The party has its roots in orthodox Protestant (i.e. mostly Reformed ) parties, often referred to as the "small right". It combines a conservative 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

1560-515: The Christian right and social conservatism. Described as centrist and Orthodox Protestant , it has an emphasis on the community, social solidarity, support for a welfare state, and support for some regulation of market forces but is more conservative on some social issues opposition to euthanasia , embryonic stem cell research , same-sex marriage , abortion , and some elements of the EU . The party

1620-635: The Dutch Bible belt, and Groningen The highest organ of the GPV was the congress, it is formed by delegates from the municipal branches. It convenes once every year. It appoints the party board and decides the order of candidates on electoral lists for the Senate, House of Representatives and European Parliament, and has the last word on the party program. The party secretariat was located in Dordrecht and later in Amersfoort . The party published Ons Politeuma ("Our citizenship"). It scientific institute

1680-524: The GPV had obtained too few votes for a seat. In 1963 the party finally entered the House of Representatives in the person of Pieter Jongeling, who was made top candidate on advice of prominent professor of theology J. Kamphuis. In the 1967 general elections , they were able to retain their one seat. During the early 1970s, a group called Nationaal Evanglisch Verbond (NEV) had left the ARP because they thought

1740-638: 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 organisation is Inclusief. The CU participates in the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy , a democracy assistance organisation of seven Dutch political parties. Internationally the CU is a member of

1800-408: The Netherlands as a Protestant nation, which should be defended. In practice, this meant that the GPV took the following stances: This table shows the GPV's results in elections to the House of Representatives, Senate and European Parliament, 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

1860-548: The Reformed Church, because they disagreed with Abraham Kuyper 's view that God had created multiple branches of Christianity (Catholicism, Protestantism etc.), each with their own sphere. In 1948, adherents of the Reformed Church in the Netherlands (Liberated) left the Anti-Revolutionary Party , the party linked to the Reformed Church in the Netherlands. On 1 April 1948, they founded the GPV during

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1920-603: The SGP or RPF or both. In 1984, the party entered in the European elections with a combined list the RPF and SGP. It won only one seat. In 1994. they were more successful and won two seats, one of which was taken by the GPV. In 1993, the party allowed non-liberated to become member of the party, this started a slow cooperation process with the RPF which resulted in the fusion in the Christian Union in 2003. Internationally

1980-404: 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 election , 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

2040-551: The VVD, CDA and D66. The party has three representatives in the current cabinet: minister Carola Schouten for the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality , Arie Slob , Minister for Primary Education, Secondary Education and Media and Paul Blokhuis , State Secretary for Health, Welfare and Sports . Following the 2019 European Parliament election , the Christian Union left the European Conservatives and Reformists Group in

2100-449: 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 reformed pillar has actually strengthened in reaction to the process of secularisation. The Christian Union had been in the opposition until 2006. It has good relations with the orthodox Reformed Political Party (SGP), with which it formed

2160-478: The doctrine of sphere sovereignty . The party is moderately Eurosceptic; it was formerly in the European Parliament with the European Conservatives and Reformists Group (ECR) and European People's Party group (EPP). It is a member of the European Christian Political Movement . The Netherlands has a long tradition of small orthodox or conservative Protestant (i.e., mostly Reformed ) parties in parliament. The Reformed Political Party (SGP) entered parliament in

2220-473: The final say over the party program. A member congress has an important role in the formation of the CU's political direction. The CU currently has 25,170 members (as of 1 January 2019). They are organised in over 200 municipal branches. The youth organisation of the party is PerspectieF which was formed as a fusion of the two youth organisations of the CU's predecessors the GPJC and RPFJ . The party publishes

2280-643: The general election, these posts are normally taken by the party's leader. The membership of the GPV is also represented. *: in a combined parliamentary party with the RPF ; **: in a combined parliamentary party with the Reformatory Political Federation and the Political Reformed Party . The party had some representatives in the provincial legislatives of Gelderland , Utrecht and South Holland , which form part of

2340-421: The knowledge and conscience of its MPs was respected throughout parliament. After 1981, the party began to cooperate with more with other parties, especially with the orthodox Protestant Political Reformed Party (SGP) and Reformatory Political Federation (RPF). In 1981, the GPV allowed municipal branches to cooperate with branches of other parties, this led to the formation of several combined lists with either

2400-440: 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

2460-537: 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 stated the CU would provide a shelter for everyone who actively believes in Jesus Christ but also said

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2520-417: The party to enter parliament. In the 1981 election , the Reformatory Political Federation (RPF) entered parliament. It had split off from the ARP six years earlier over the formation of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA). The RPF explicitly stated in its manifesto of principles that it sought to unite all reformed parties in the Netherlands. However, the GPV and SGP were somewhat less receptive. The GPV

2580-704: The party was comparable to the American Christian Right and the small Protestant parties of Scandinavia, such as the Christian Democratic Party of Norway , the Swedish and Danish Christian Democrats . The party has never been in a government coalition however, instead it has chosen to voice its concerns with government policy, while acknowledging that they are not big enough to force their opinion upon others. 1998 Dutch general election General elections were held in

2640-518: The party's alliance with the Catholic People's Party was wrong. They asked the board of the GPV whether they could join their party. This was rejected by the board of the GPV, who said that the party was open only to members of the liberated Reformed Church. This group would later become the Reformatory Political Federation (RPF). In the 1971 general election , the party was able to obtain a second seat, which it managed to retain in 1972 . In

2700-412: The party's political leadership: the fractievoorzitter is the chair of the parliamentary party and the lead candidate 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. From 2007 to 2010

2760-450: The peace internally in a party still somewhat divided between the old GPV and RPF memberships, but had not appealed well enough to the population at large. With preference votes a woman, Tineke Huizinga (positioned seventh 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

2820-465: The same happened in the House of Representatives . In 2002 general election the GPV and RPF presented a common electoral list of candidates for the House of Representatives, entering the elections as the Christian Union : they obtained four seats. In 2003, the GPV officially disbanded, making its merger into the Christian Union final. The GPV chose the name Gereformeerd Politiek Verbond (Reformed Political Alliance), because it wanted to convey that it

2880-419: The same parties reached an agreement on modernising the housing market. Although the cabinet was quite unpopular and the VVD and PvdA lost many municipal seats during the municipal elections of 19 March 2014 , the parties that provided tactical support to the government won many seats. After the 2017 general election , the Christian Union became part of the third Rutte cabinet , as a minor coalition partner to

2940-523: 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

3000-410: The three parties cooperated in the European election 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

3060-464: The upper middle classes." The CU instead calls for more transparency within the EU, for domestic decision making of EU member states to be respected and wants reforms made to the Eurozone . The CU is also against the accession of Turkey to the European Union . This table shows the CU's results in elections to the House of Representatives, Senate, European Parliament and provincial councils, as well as

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3120-422: The win to the economic performance of the coalition, including the reduction of unemployment and the budget deficit, steady growth and job creation, combined with wage freezes and trimming of the welfare state, together with a policy of fiscal restraint. The two small left opposition parties, the green GroenLinks , and the Socialist Party , were rewarded for their 'quality opposition'. The major opposition party,

3180-523: Was a lesbian, and she and her (female) partner moved in together. After the collapse of the Balkenende cabinet, the Christian Union no longer had representatives in government; Rouvoet returned to parliament as leader of the CU parliamentary group until he left politics in April/May 2011. Arie Slob succeeded him as the party leader. In October 2013, the second Rutte cabinet (VVD and PvdA), lacking

3240-435: Was a reformed party, and that its organisation was decentralised: the GPV was primarily an alliance of local branches. In its first years, the GPV did not have a separate election manifesto or manifesto of principles. Instead it claimed to base its policy directly on the bible. In 1967, the first manifesto of principles was published, in which the party again stressed that the Bible was the basis of their policy. The party saw

3300-413: Was an orthodox Protestant political party in the Netherlands . The GPV is one of the predecessors of the Christian Union . The party was a testimonial party . The GPV was founded in 1948 as the result of a theological conflict within the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands , which led to the creation of the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (Liberated) . In 1944 a group of orthodox Protestants left

3360-407: Was competing with the social democratic Labour Party (PvdA), to become the largest party. The Christian Union was heavily involved in the formation of the second cabinet Balkenende , along with the SGP. However, the liberal People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) vetoed the formation of a cabinet that included the two conservative Reformed parties, and so the progressive liberal D66 became

3420-479: Was no. 4 on the candidate-list, had to leave parliament. In the 2003 general election 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

3480-627: Was only open to a specific current in reformed Protestantism, namely the Reformed Churches (Liberated) , and did not wish to cooperate with non-'liberated' reformed: it had rejected on religious grounds the entry of the group that in the 1970s was to become the RPF. The SGP had rejected cooperation with these parties because they had female members; the SGP consistently rejected female suffrage until 2006. The RPF, GPV and SGP were testimonial parties , which chose to voice their concerns about government policy, while acknowledging that they were not big enough to force their opinion upon others. In 1984, however,

3540-625: Was the Groen van Prinsterer Stichting ("Groen van Prinsterer Foundation") and its education institute was Mandaat - Gereformeerd Politiek Vormingswerk ("Mandate, Reformed Political Education work"). Its youth organisation was the Gereformeerde Politieke Jongeren Club ("Reformed Political Youth Club"), which published Plein ("Square") and Stand-By . The party had a small liberated Reformed pillar around, consisting out of like minded organisations. Most prominent

3600-456: Was the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (Liberated) . The paper Nederlands Dagblad was closely linked to the GPV, until 1974 Pieter Jongeling, who also led the parliamentary party, led the paper. The Kampen Theological University of the Reformed Church (Liberated) was also linked to the liberated Reformed Church. Before 1981, the party was very isolated, this was caused by their own dogmatic position on non-liberated Christians. Nonetheless

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