Christian Union (Netherlands)

"ChristianUnion" redirects here. For other uses, see Christian Union (disambiguation).

Christian Union
ChristenUnie
AbbreviationCU
LeaderMirjam Bikker (list)
ChairmanMarco Vermin
Leader in the SenateTineke Huizinga
Leader in the House of RepresentativesMirjam Bikker
Founded22 January 2000 (2000-01-22)
Merger ofReformed Political League
Reformatory Political Federation
HeadquartersPartijbureau ChristenUnie
Johan van Oldebarneveltlaan 46, Amersfoort
Youth wingPerspectieF
Think tankMr. G. Groen van Prinsterer Stichting
Membership (January 2025)Decrease 23,975[1]
Ideology
Political position
ReligionOrthodox Protestant[note 1]
European affiliationEuropean Christian Political Party
European Parliament groupECR Group (2009–2019)
EPP Group (2019–2024)
Benelux Parliament groupChristian Group[10]
Colours  Sky blue
  Dark blue
SloganGeef geloof een stem
('Give faith a voice/vote')
Senate
3 / 75
House of Representatives
3 / 150
European Parliament
0 / 31
Provincial councils
21 / 570
King's Commissioners
1 / 12
Benelux Parliament
2 / 21
Website
christenunie.nl

The Christian Union (Dutch: ChristenUnie [ˌkrɪstənˈyni, -təˈʔy-], CU) is a Christian democratic[11] political party in the Netherlands. The CU is a centrist party, maintaining more progressive stances on economic, immigration and environmental issues[12][13][14] while holding more socially conservative positions on issues, such as opposing abortion and euthanasia.[15] The party describes itself as "social Christian".[16]

The CU was founded in 2000 as a merger of the Reformed Political League (GPV) and Reformatory Political Federation (RPF).[12] 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.[12] In some elections it forms an alliance with 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 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 Group) and European People's Party Group (EPP Group). It is a member of the European Christian Political Party.

History

Precursors

The predecessors of the CU: the Reformed Political League and the Reformatory Political Federation

Along with the larger Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP), the Netherlands has a long tradition of small orthodox or conservative Protestant (i.e., mostly Reformed) parties in parliament, including the Reformed Political Party (SGP), founded in 1918. After a group of Reformed Churches members formed the Reformed Churches (Liberated) over a religious disagreement, the Reformed Political Alliance (GPV) split off from the ARP in 1948.[17] It took until 1963 for 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.[17]

Ideology

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 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, such as neighbourly love and stewardship for the Earth, however have given the CU's political program a centre left orientation. The party has also been described as centre-left or left-wing overall.[18]

Some of CU's socially conservative policies include:[19]

More centre-left policies include:

Social issues

The CU describes itself as Christelijk-sociaal ('social Christian') and explicitly distance themselves from the labels Christian socialism or Christian right.[21][2] "Social Christian" describes a Christian democracy ideology that is more right-wing than Christian socialism and more left-wing than 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 is left of centre on issues such as asylum policy, development aid, green environmental policy and the economy.[16][22]

In May 2019, the Christian Union voted against banning gay conversion therapy.[23]

On immigration, the CU supports a work permit scheme for immigrants with integration requirements such as learning Dutch to prevent what the party calls a "parallel society". It calls for a humane asylum policy, especially for those fleeing religious persecution and for the creation of asylum centres outside of Europe to combat human trafficking. It seeks a faster processing measure for asylum seekers.[24]

Foreign policy

The CU supports Dutch membership of the European Union while simultaneously being critical of several EU policies which it claims are undemocratic and "mainly benefits large companies and the upper middle classes". The CU instead calls for more transparency within the EU, for domestic decision making of EU member states to be complied with and wants reforms made to the Eurozone. The CU is also against the accession of Turkey to the European Union.[25]

In the Middle East, the CU platform expresses support for Israel and its right to exist on the basis that "Christians feel a biblical connection to the Jewish people" and supports moving the Dutch embassy to Jerusalem while stating that civilians on both sides should be protected, with the party highlighting Palestinian Christians as a concern. The party condemned the 2023 October 7 attacks and maintained Israel has a right to defend itself against terrorism while appealing to both sides to respect international law and for the allowance of humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians. The CU says it supports recognition of a Palestinian state with an economic recovery and investment plan for Gaza on the conditions of the release of Israeli hostages and the dismantling of Hamas with no extremist organizations playing a role in Palestinian governance.[26]

The party supports international recognition of the Armenian Genocide.[27]

Election results

House of Representatives

Election Lead candidate List Votes % Seats +/– Government
2002 Kars Veling List 240,953 2.54 Decrease 1 Opposition
2003 André Rouvoet List 204,649 2.12 Decrease 1 Opposition
2006 List 390,969 3.97 Increase 3 Coalition
2010 List 305,094 3.24 Decrease 1 Opposition
2012 Arie Slob List 294,586 3.13 Steady Opposition
2017 Gert-Jan Segers List 356,271 3.39 Steady Coalition
2021 List 350,523 3.37 Steady Coalition
2023 Mirjam Bikker List 212,532 2.04 Decrease 2 Opposition
2025 List 201,361 1.90 Steady TBA

Senate

Election Votes % Seats +/–
1999 Increase 2
2003 Decrease 2
2007 Increase 2
2011 Decrease 2
2015 32 Increase 1
2019 33 5.03 Increase 1
2023 23 3.73 Decrease 1

European Parliament

Election List Votes % Seats +/– EP Group
2004[a] List 279,880 5.87 New IND/DEM
2009[a] List 310,540 6.82 Steady 0 ECR
Steady 0
2014[a] List 364,843 7.67 Steady 0
2019[a] List 375,660 6.83 Steady 0 EPP
Steady 0
2024 List 180,060 2.89 Decrease 1 –
  1. ^ a b c d In a joint list with Reformed Political Party.

Notes

  1. ^ "Orthodox Protestantism" is a term which is used in the Netherlands to refer to conservative forms of Protestantism in contrast to liberal or free-thinking forms of Protestantism. This includes conservative branches of the Dutch Reformed Church and the Reformed Churches of the Netherlands (now united in the Protestant Church of the Netherlands), but also to independent forms of Reformed Protestantism, such as the Reformed Churches (Liberated) or other more conservative forms of Protestantism, such as the certain branches of Baptism like Reformed and Primitive Baptists. It is unrelated to the Eastern Orthodox Church.

References

  1. ^ "Ledentallen Nederlandse politieke partijen per 1 januari 2025" [Membership of Dutch political parties as of 1 January 2025]. University of Groningen (in Dutch). Documentation Centre Dutch Political Parties. 10 March 2025. Retrieved 7 April 2025.
  2. ^ a b c Nordsieck, Wolfram (2021). "Netherlands". Parties and Elections in Europe. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  3. ^ Terry, Chris (11 May 2014). "ChristianUnion (CU) & Political Reformed Party (SGP)". The Democratic Society. Archived from the original on 13 December 2019.
  4. ^ [2][3]
  5. ^ Jort Statema; Paul Aarts. "The Netherlands: Follow Washington, Be a Good European". In Timo Behr; Teija Tiilikainen (eds.). Northern Europe and the Making of the EU's Mediterranean and Middle East Policies. note on p. 237.
  6. ^ "Netherlands – Political parties". European Election Database. Norwegian Centre for Research Data. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
  7. ^ Oomkes, Lex (15 August 2012). "Uitersten in politiek landschap winnen terrein". Trouw (in Dutch). Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  8. ^ [6][7]
  9. ^ Rudy B. Andeweg; Galen A. Irwin (2014). Governance and Politics of the Netherlands (4th ed.). Palgrave Macmillan. p. 74.
  10. ^ "Politieke fracties". Benelux Parliament (in Dutch). Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  11. ^ Peter Starke; Alexandra Kaasch; Franca Van Hooren (2013). The Welfare State as Crisis Manager: Explaining the Diversity of Policy Responses to Economic Crisis. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 193. ISBN 978-1-137-31484-0.
  12. ^ a b c Joop W. Koopmans, ed. (2015). Historical Dictionary of the Netherlands. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 71–72. ISBN 978-1-4422-5593-7.
  13. ^ "Links en rechts". Parlement.com.
  14. ^ Rudy B. Andeweg; Galen A. Irwin (2014). Governance and Politics of the Netherlands (4th ed.). Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 74, 78.
  15. ^ "Election watch: the lowdown on the main Dutch political parties". DutchNews. 22 February 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
  16. ^ a b (in Dutch) ChristenUnie Parlement & Politiek
  17. ^ a b Vroegindeweij, Gerard (4 January 2025). "Een kwarteeuw ChristenUnie: van de marge naar de macht en weer terug" [A quarter century Christian Union: From the fringes to power and back]. Reformatorisch Dagblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  18. ^
  19. ^ "Standpunten". ChristenUnie.nl.
  20. ^ (in Dutch) ChristenUnie op 1 in energiebarometer Greenpeace Christian Union
  21. ^ Andeweg, R. and G. Irwin Politics and Governance in the Netherlands, Basingstoke (Palgrave) p.49
  22. ^ (in Dutch) CU is niet meer 'christelijk-sociaal' Trouw
  23. ^ "Waarom René Peters, ooit dé roze wethouder van Oss, tegen een verbod op 'homogenezing' stemde". Brabants Dagblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 27 June 2025.
  24. ^ "Asielmigratie". Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  25. ^ "Europa - ChristenUnie.nl".
  26. ^ "Midden-Oosten". Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  27. ^ "Erken de Armeense genocide". Retrieved 13 December 2025.
allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_Christian