Christian Democratic Appeal

The Christians Democratisch Appèl (CDA, German Christian Democratic call, because of the Dutch race of het Appèl actually " CDA ") is a Christian democratic party in the Netherlands. Since 1967, there had been efforts to increase collaboration between three confessional parties. In the parliamentary election in 1977 for the first time took on a CDA list. CDA was formally established on 11 October 1980.

Since 1977, the center-right party with Dries van Agt ( 1977-1982 ), Ruud Lubbers ( 1982-1994 ) and Jan Peter Balkenende (2002-2010) for the longest time led the Dutch government. She suffered a severe defeat in 2010 and fell to 13.6 percent from the first to fourth place. However, she appeared as a junior partner in the tolerated by the right-wing populist party PVV minority government of Prime Minister Mark Rutte ( right-wing liberal VVD). After the coalition in April 2012, the CDA lost in the early parliamentary elections in September 2012 with a decline of 5.1 percentage points significantly again consent. Since then, the party is in opposition.

5.1 Party leader
5.2 Group leaders in the Second Chamber
5.3 Party Chairman

History

Concentration and time of Van Agt and Lubbers

The CDA emerged from the merger of two Protestant and one Catholic party, which were originally the three major Christian parties in the country. These classic government parties often formed a joint coalition and presented since 1918 usually the prime minister. It was to be:

The anti- revolutionists Partij (Anti - Revolutionary Party, ARP ) of 1879, she represented the strictly religious Calvinists and had a more democratic and popular character; it had arisen from the view out that Calvinism in its pure form could no longer continue to dominate the whole country, but had to maintain in its own subculture;
The Christelijk - Historic Unie (Christian- Historical Union, CHU ) from 1908 was less radical religious and spoke as more classic notabilities more the upper class;
The Catholic Katholieke Volkspartij ( Catholic People's Party, CIP) by 1945. She was of the three, by far the largest and competed with the Social Democrats to the largest chamber fraction.

In addition to these three parties, there have been other Christian parties. The oldest of them, the conservative and ultracalvinistische State Kundig Gereformeerde Partij, is represented in Parliament since 1918. For a time there were more left- Christian Christian Democratic Partein; of these had joined in 1946 the left Partij van de Arbeid the Christelijk - Democratic Unie. 2002 merged two strengcalvinistische, but otherwise rather middle - oriented parties to ChristianUnion. This was in 2007-2010 in a coalition with the CDA and the PvdA.

As an architect of the CDA - merger from 1980 is Piet Steenkamp. Considerations of a merger of three parties but there were already since 1967 and ( Groep van Achttien ) were performed within a cross-party working group. Here, the main point of discussion was the definition of Christian politics. These discussions led first to a common electoral program of the three parties in 1971, followed by a basic program for the future CDA in 1972. In 1973, the first party congress of the future CDA took place in the elections to the Second Chamber of Parliament ( Tweede Kamer Staten Generaal ) in 1977 for the first time you stepped on a common list. The merger was completed formal was finally appointed to a special party conference in October 1980, on which Steenkamp honorary chairman of the CDA.

Since 1977, the CDA under the Prime Minister Dries van Agt and Ruud Lubbers, together with various coalition partners the government. The epoch Lubbers ended in 1994 with a major electoral defeat; This was due, among other disputes between Lubbers and his designated successor Elco Brinkman.

Opposition period 1994-2002 and Balkenende cabinets

Between 1994 and 2002, the CDA was the largest opposition faction during the tenure of the Social Democratic Prime Minister Wim Kok. In 2001, the Group chaired by Jaap de Hoop Scheffer Jan Peter Balkenende. The government Kok came at the end of their tenure in troubled waters: The labor market reforms did not seem to grab and Islamism was after September 11, 2001 at a great theme, together with longer simmering questions about immigration policy. This grabbed the Rechstpopulist Pim Fortuyn on sent and won in the polls much attachment. Ultimately joined coke government because of a scathing final report on the case of Srebrenica, a few months before the expiry of its term returns. The historian Balkenende presented itself during the election campaign as a relatively new face in politics and as a moderate on immigration critical.

In the elections of 15 May 2002, the CDA the strongest party was the first time since 1989-1994 again in the Second Chamber and presented by Prime Minister Balkenende, together with various coalition partners, the government, first with VVD and LPF, after the early elections of January 22, 2003 with the VVD and D66. During this time, the Netherlands decided to participate in the occupation of Iraq and stricter laws on aliens. After D66 had left the coalition in 2006 partly because of the VVD minister Rita Verdonk, it came to elections. The CDA was at a loss of three seats on 41 of the 150 seats in the Second Chamber of Parliament.

Beginning of 2007, Balkenende with social democratic Partij van de Arbeid and strictly Protestant ChristianUnion the business of government continues. This coalition broke up in February 2010 on the question of an extension of the Afghanistan mission. Balkenende had thus ruled eight years with five different coalition partners and two new elections.

Participation in the Cabinet Rutte 2010/12

Because of the large losses in the parliamentary elections on 9 June 2010 ( -12.9 percent to 13.6 percent share of the vote ) occurred party leader Balkenende on election night back. The guide took Maxime Verhagen, who then headed the faction. Verhagen answers the question whether he was a political leader, noting that the CDA appoints only a top candidate for the parliamentary elections and have no permanent political leaders such other parties.

The also resigned because of the election defeat party chairman Peter van Heeswijk followed successively Henk Bleacher and Liesbeth Spies provisionally in office. Beginning of April 2011 to the Congress chose a rather left wing of the party scoring Ruth Peetoom the new party chairman.

On 14 October 2010 the CDA entered into a coalition with the VVD. VVD leader Mark Rutte was the first prime minister of his party, the CDA was first represented as a junior partner in a coalition. Verhagen was foreign minister. Parliamentary support was the cabinet of the right-wing populist Partij voor de Vrijheid of Geert Wilders. This has been controversial within the CDA; because of the slim majority expresses relations veering of only two chamber members have already placed the coalition in trouble. At a party conference only two-thirds of those present voted for the coalition.

There were repeated conflicts between the immigration hostility by Geert Wilders on the one hand and the Christian Social Christian Democrats on the other. The CDA Congress from October 2011 overshadowed the question of whether the CDA- minister of tourism policy in a recent case a minor asylum seekers ( Mauro ) should deported. The Congress had no choice. The following day, reported the survey office of Maurice de Hond that the poll numbers had fallen to around seven percent of the vote.

After Wilders had finished working with VVD and CDA in spring 2012, it came to elections. Here, the CDA lost again considerable following. With 8.5 percent, it was only just before the always significantly smaller party D66 ( 8.0 percent). The CDA has since remained in opposition, but still has quite a significant negotiating position, as the government parties VVD and PvdA have no majority in the First Chamber. There, the CDA is still much stronger than in the Second Chamber with his election result of 2011. The CDA continues to be the largest membership of any party in the country, but with only about 60,000 members (2013 ) only marginally before the PvdA with 55,000 members.

Ideology and position on the political spectrum

The CDA in its website as starting points public justice, shared responsibility, solidarity and rentmeesterschap ( see Sustainability ). A Christian belief is only one of several possible sources of inspiration for the party.

The CDA- voters in 2010 called in September of the year as those parties which they reluctantly saw in Government: PvdA 47, Groen Links 41, D66 28, PVV and SP 20 per cent. Conversely looked like least of all the voters of the SP ( 53 percent) of the CDA in the government. The greatest affection for each other showed the voters of CDA and VVD.

Organization

With the merger in 1980 the party had 150,000 members. Since then, the number of members declined almost continuously from year to year. From 1994 to 1995, after the first loss of the power of government, the party fell relatively abruptly from 107,000 to 100,000 members. The government takeover Balkenende was the number to rise slightly from 78,000 (2002) to 79,000 ( 2003). Early 2013 was one of the CDA still 59,126 members. Yet this still the party with the most members in the Netherlands.

The seat of the CDA is in The Hague. Exist within the CDA more formally independent organizations:

Wetenschappelijk Instituut voor het CDA (Scientific Institute )
CDA bestuurdersvereniging ( BSV ) ( BSV, business organization )
CDA Vrouwenberaad ( CDAV, women's organization )
CDJA ( youth organization )
CDA Stichting voor international solidariteit
Steenkampinstituut (Stichting squad -en Vormingswerk CDA ), training center

Seats in the Second Chamber

(Total seats: 150)

Top staff

Party leaders

Dries van Agt 1976-1982
Ruud Lubbers 1982-1994
Elco Brinkman 1994
Enneüs Heerma 1994-1997
Jaap de Hoop Scheffer 1997-2001
Jan Peter Balkenende 2001-2010
Vacant 2010-2012
Sybrand van Haersma Buma since 2012

Group leaders in the Second Chamber

Willem Aantjes 1977-1978
Ruud Lubbers 1978-1982
Bert de Vries 1982-1989
Elco Brinkman 1989-1994
Enneüs Heerma 1994-1997
Jaap de Hoop Scheffer 1997-2001
Jan Peter Balkenende 2001-2002
Maxime Verhagen 2002-2007
Pieter van Geel 2007-2010
Maxime Verhagen 2010
Sybrand van Haersma Buma since 2010

Party chairman

Piet Steenkamp 1975-1980
Piet Bukman 1980-1986
Bert Fleers 1986
Wim van Velzen 1987-1994
Tineke Lodders 1994-1995
Hans Helgers 1995-1999
Marnix van Rij 1999-2001
Bert de Vries 2001-2002
Marja van Bijsterveldt 2002-2007
Peter van Heeswijk 2007-2010
Henk Bleker 2010 (acting)
Liesbeth Spies 2010-2011 (acting)
Ruth Peetoom since 2011

186083