Catholic People's Party
Encyclopedia
The Catholic People's Party (Dutch
: Katholieke Volkspartij; KVP) was a Catholic
Christian democratic
Dutch
political party. During its entire existence, the party was in government. The party is one of the precursors of the Christian Democratic Appeal
.
Roman-Catholic State Party
(RKSP). Unlike the RKSP, the KVP was open to people of all denominations, but mainly Catholic
s supported the party. The party adopted a more progressive course and a more modern image than its predecessor.
In the elections of 1946
the party won a third of the vote, and joined the newly founded social democratic
Labour Party
(PvdA) to form a government coalition. This Roman/Red
coalition (Roman (Rooms) for the Roman Catholic KVP, Rood, Red for the social-democratic PvdA) lasted until 1956. In the first two years the KVP's Louis Beel
led the Cabinet
. Beel was not the party's leader a post which was taken by Carl Romme, who led the KVP between 1946 and 1961, from the House of Representatives. After the 1948 election
the PvdA became larger and supplied the prime minister Willem Drees
. The PvdA and the KVP were joined by combinations of the protestant-Christian Anti Revolutionary Party
(ARP) and Christian Historical Union
] (CHU) and the liberal
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
(VVD) to form oversized cabinets, which often held a comfortable two-thirds majority. The cabinets were oriented at rebuilding the Dutch society and economy
after the ravages of the Second World War and grant independence to the Dutch colony
Indonesia
. That last point was caused a split within the KVP, in 1948 a small group of Catholics broke away to form the Catholic National Party
(KNP): it was opposed to the decolonisation of Indonesia and to cooperation between the Catholics and social-democrats. Under pressure of the Catholic Church the two parties united again in 1955.
In the period 1958-1965 the KVP was at the height of its power. It was the leading force in all cabinets and supplied all the prime-ministers. In 1958 the Fourth cabinet of Drees fell and Louis Beel formed an interim-cabinet with KVP, ARP and CHU. After the 1959 elections
the KVP formed a centre-right cabinet
with ARP, CHU and VVD, led by KVP member Jan de Quay
. It continued to strengthen the welfare state. After the 1963 elections
this cabinet was succeeded by a new cabinet
of KVP-CHU-ARP-VVD, which was led by the KVP's Victor Marijnen
. This coalition oversaw an economic boom. Norbert Schmelzer
became the party's new leader, again operating within the House of Representatives and not the cabinet. A cabinet crisis over the Netherlands Public Broadcasting however caused the cabinet to fall in 1965. The KVP and ARP formed a cabinet
with the PvdA, led by the KVP's Jo Cals
. This cabinet also fell in the Night of Schmelzer, in which Norbert Schmelzer forced a cabinet crisis over the cabinet's financial policy. This was the first fall of cabinet, which was directly broadcast on television. An interim government of KVP and ARP was formed, led by the ARP's Jelle Zijlstra
.
and secularisation: There were fewer Catholics and Catholics no longer supported a Catholic party.
In the 1967 elections
the KVP lost 15% of its votes and 8 seats. During the election campaign the KVP, ARP and CHU declared that they wanted to continue cooperating with each other. Cooperation with the PvdA was much less important. This led to unrest under young and left wing
KVP supporters, including Ruud Lubbers
, Jo Cals
, Erik Jurgens and Jacques Aarden, who called themselves Christian Radicals. After the elections this promise was upheld and the KVP formed a cabinet
with its old partners, led by Piet de Jong
. After much debate some of the Christian Radicals broke away from the KVP in 1968 to form the Political Party of Radicals (PPR). These include three members of parliament, who form their own parliamentary party Groep Aarden. Lubbers and Cals stayed with the KVP. The new party became a close partner of the PvdA. In the 1971 elections
the KVP lost another 7 seats (18% of its vote). The KVP again joined the ARP, CHU and VVD to form a new centre-right cabinet with rightwing dissenters of the PvdA, united in DS'70. The ARP's Barend Biesheuvel
led the cabinet. In 1972 the cabinet fell because of internal problems of the junior partner, DS'70.
In the subsequent elections
the KVP again lost eight seats, leaving only 27, 23 less than in 1963. The cabinet again lost its majority and the KVP saw no alternative than to cooperate with the PvdA and its allies PPR and D66. An extra-parliamentary
cabinet
is formed by PvdA, PPR and D66 joined by prominent progressives from KVP and ARP. The KVP's ministers include the minister of Justice Dries van Agt
and the minister of the Economy Ruud Lubbers. The KVP does not officially support this cabinet, which is led by social-democrat Joop den Uyl
. This cabinet was characterized by infighting and fell just before the 1977 elections
.
In the 1970s the KVP realized that if it wanted to continue it needed to find new ways of cooperating. Ideas to form a broad Christian-Democratic party, like the German
Christian Democratic Union
were brought into practice. In 1974 the three parties formed a federation, called Christian Democratic Appeal
(CDA). In the 1977 elections the CDA won more seats than the KVP, ARP and CHU had together. After the elections, Dries van Agt became prime minister for the CDA. In 1980 the three parties officially dissolved themselves into the CDA.
The Catholics within the KVP still constitute a powerful group within the CDA. In the early years a system of equal representation of Catholics and Protestants was practiced, from which the KVP as only Catholic group profited. Nowadays many CDA-members, like Maxime Verhagen
and Maria van der Hoeven
have a background in the KVP's political Catholicism.
", de-emphasizing its religious affiliation. It is no longer a state party, but a people's party
, emphasizings its progressive, democratic nature. The new name emphasizes the KVP's progressive, democratic and non-denominational image.
party, which based itself on the Bible
and Catholic Dogma
.
As such it was proponent of a mixed economy
: A strong welfare state
should be combined with a free market
, with a corporatist
organisation. Trade union
s and employers' organisations were to negotiate on wages in a Social Economic Council and should make legislation for some economic sectors on themselves, without government intervention, in so called Productschappen.
The state should watch over the morality of the people: divorce should be limited, recreation should be moral (for instance different swimming hours for women and men) and the family should be preserved. Families were to be helped by fiscal policies, such as the "kinderbijslag", support by the government, by the newly set up Ministry of Culture, Recreation and Welfare, and the possibility to buy their own home.
Internationally, the KVP was a staunch proponent of European integration
and cooperation with the NATO. The party sought the middle ground in the issue of decolonization: Indonesia and Suriname
should be independent countries within a Dutch Commonwealth
.
+KVP members in Provincial legislatures (1950)>
Province
Result (seats)
Groningen
2
Friesland
3
Drenthe
2
Overijssel
14
Gelderland
21
Utrecht
12
North Holland
19
South Holland
16
Zeeland
9
North Brabant
52
Limburg
39
The party was particularly strong in the southern provinces of Limburg
and North Brabant
, were it often held 90% of the seats in the provincial and municipal legislatures and supplied all provincial
and municipal governments, provincial governors and mayors. In regions like Twente
, West Friesland
and Zeeuws Vlaanderen it held similar positions in municipalities, but cooperated with other parties on the provincial level.
. Its strength was in the Catholic south of the Netherlands
: Brabant and Limburg
, where it often held more than 90% of vote. It was also strong in Catholic regions like Twente
, West Friesland
and Zeeuws Vlaanderen.
During the 1960s and 1970s the KVP lost part of its electorate to progressive parties like the PPR, the PvdA and D66.
the KVP's members sat in the Christian Democratic group.
and the Catholic Paper De Volkskrant
were the voices of the KVP.
and Christian Historical Union
. The strong ties resulted in several cabinets in the period 1946-1977 and the formation of the Christian Democratic Appeal
, in which the three parties united in 1974.
The KVP had a strong centre-left group within its ranks. These supported closer cooperation with the social-democratic PvdA. This resulted in several cabinets with the PvdA, but also splits within the party, most notably the formation of the Political Party of Radicals
, which existed before the Second World War and the Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland
. Its political position and agenda are similar to other catholic Christian democratic parties in Europe, such as the Flemish Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams party and the Italian Christian Democracy.
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
: Katholieke Volkspartij; KVP) was a Catholic
Roman Catholicism in the Netherlands
The Catholic Church in the Netherlands; , is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome. Although the number of Catholics in the Netherlands has decreased significantly in recent decades, the Dutch Catholic Church is today the largest...
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...
Dutch
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...
political party. During its entire existence, the party was in government. The party is one of the precursors 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...
.
1945-1965
The KVP was founded on 22 December, 1945. It was a continuation of the pre-warWorld 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...
Roman-Catholic State Party
Roman-Catholic State Party
Roman-Catholic Political Party was a Dutch Catholic Christian-Democratic political party. The party was founded in 1926 as a continuation of the General League. In 1945 the party became the Catholic People's Party .-History:...
(RKSP). Unlike the RKSP, the KVP was open to people of all denominations, but mainly Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
s supported the party. The party adopted a more progressive course and a more modern image than its predecessor.
In the elections of 1946
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...
the party won a third of the vote, and joined the newly founded social democratic
Social democracy
Social democracy is a political ideology of the center-left on the political spectrum. Social democracy is officially a form of evolutionary reformist socialism. It supports class collaboration as the course to achieve socialism...
Labour Party
Labour Party (Netherlands)
The Labour Party , is a social-democratic political party in the Netherlands. Since the 2003 Dutch General Election, the PvdA has been the second largest political party in the Netherlands. The PvdA was a coalition member in the fourth Balkenende cabinet following 22 February 2007...
(PvdA) to form a government coalition. This Roman/Red
Roman/Red
Roman/Red is a the nickname of coalitions of catholic and social-democratic parties in the Netherlands and Belgium. Roman refers to Roman Catholic and Red to the colour of social democrats...
coalition (Roman (Rooms) for the Roman Catholic KVP, Rood, Red for the social-democratic PvdA) lasted until 1956. In the first two years the KVP's Louis Beel
Louis Beel
Louis Joseph Maria Beel was a Dutch politician of the defunct Catholic People's Party now merged into the Christian Democratic Appeal . He served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from July 3, 1946 until August 7, 1948 and again from December 22, 1958 until May 19, 1959...
led the Cabinet
Cabinet of the Netherlands
The cabinet of the Netherlands is the main executive body of the Dutch government. The current cabinet of the Netherlands is the Rutte cabinet.-Composition and role:...
. Beel was not the party's leader a post which was taken by Carl Romme, who led the KVP between 1946 and 1961, from the House of Representatives. After the 1948 election
Dutch general election, 1948
A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands on July 7, 1948.-National summary:-Parties:* Anti Revolutionary Party...
the PvdA became larger and supplied the prime minister Willem Drees
Willem Drees
Willem Drees was a Dutch politician of the Labour Party . He served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from August 7, 1948 until December 22, 1958....
. The PvdA and the KVP were joined by combinations of the protestant-Christian 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...
(ARP) and 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:...
] (CHU) and the liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
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) to form oversized cabinets, which often held a comfortable two-thirds majority. The cabinets were oriented at rebuilding the Dutch society and economy
Economy of the Netherlands
On the Index of Economic Freedom, the Netherlands is the 13th most laissez-faire capitalist economy out of 157 surveyed countries. At the time of writing the Netherlands is the 16th largest economy of the world. Between 1998 and 2000 annual economic growth averaged nearly 4%, well above the...
after the ravages of the Second World War and grant independence to the Dutch colony
Dutch Empire
The Dutch Empire consisted of the overseas territories controlled by the Dutch Republic and later, the modern Netherlands from the 17th to the 20th century. The Dutch followed Portugal and Spain in establishing an overseas colonial empire, but based on military conquest of already-existing...
Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. That last point was caused a split within the KVP, in 1948 a small group of Catholics broke away to form the Catholic National Party
Catholic National Party
The Catholic National Party was a Dutch conservative Catholic political party. The KNP served as a catholic protest party against Indonesian independence.-Party History:...
(KNP): it was opposed to the decolonisation of Indonesia and to cooperation between the Catholics and social-democrats. Under pressure of the Catholic Church the two parties united again in 1955.
In the period 1958-1965 the KVP was at the height of its power. It was the leading force in all cabinets and supplied all the prime-ministers. In 1958 the Fourth cabinet of Drees fell and Louis Beel formed an interim-cabinet with KVP, ARP and CHU. After the 1959 elections
Dutch general election, 1959
A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands on March 12, 1959.-National summary:-Parties:* Anti Revolutionary Party...
the KVP formed a centre-right cabinet
Netherlands cabinet de Quay
De Quay was the name given to a Dutch cabinet with ministers from KVP, VVD, ARP and CHU.Cabinet formation was again difficult due to the growing friction between PvdA and KVP...
with ARP, CHU and VVD, led by KVP member Jan de Quay
Jan de Quay
Jan Eduard de Quay was a Dutch politician of the defunct Catholic People's Party now merged into the Christian Democratic Appeal . He served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from May 19, 1959 until July 24, 1963....
. It continued to strengthen the welfare state. After the 1963 elections
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...
this cabinet was succeeded by a new cabinet
Netherlands cabinet Marijnen
Marijnen was the name given to a Dutch cabinet consisting of ministers from KVP, VVD, ARP and CHU, the same parties that formed the previous cabinet De Quay and can be seen as a continuation of that cabinet....
of KVP-CHU-ARP-VVD, which was led by the KVP's Victor Marijnen
Victor Marijnen
Victor Gerard Marie Marijnen was a Dutch politician of the defunct Catholic People's Party now merged into the Christian Democratic Appeal...
. This coalition oversaw an economic boom. Norbert Schmelzer
Norbert Schmelzer
Wilhelm Klaus Norbert Schmelzer was a Dutch politician of the defunct Catholic People's Party now merged into the Christian Democratic Appeal . Serving numerus positions in his career including Minister of Foreign Affairs from July 6, 1971 until May 11, 1973...
became the party's new leader, again operating within the House of Representatives and not the cabinet. A cabinet crisis over the Netherlands Public Broadcasting however caused the cabinet to fall in 1965. The KVP and ARP formed a cabinet
Netherlands cabinet Cals
Cals is the name given to a Dutch cabinet, consisting of ministers from KVP, PvdA and ARP.After the fall of the Marijnen cabinet, the confessional parties did not want snap elections because those could centre around the introduction of commercial television, the issue that led to the fall of the...
with the PvdA, led by the KVP's Jo Cals
Jo Cals
Jozef Maria Laurens Theo "Jo" Cals was a Dutch politician of the defunct Catholic People's Party now merged into the Christian Democratic Appeal...
. This cabinet also fell in the Night of Schmelzer, in which Norbert Schmelzer forced a cabinet crisis over the cabinet's financial policy. This was the first fall of cabinet, which was directly broadcast on television. An interim government of KVP and ARP was formed, led by the ARP's Jelle Zijlstra
Jelle Zijlstra
Jelle Zijlstra was a Dutch politician of the defunct Anti Revolutionary Party now merged into the Christian Democratic Appeal . He served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from November 22, 1966 until April 5, 1967....
.
1965-1980
The period 1965-1980 is period of decline, crisis and dissent for the KVP. The share of votes for the KVP began to decline after 1966, because of depillarisationPillarisation
Pillarisation is a term used to describe the politico-denominational segregation of Dutch and Belgian society. These societies were "vertically" divided into several segments or "pillars" according to different religions or ideologies.These pillars all had their own social institutions: their own...
and secularisation: There were fewer Catholics and Catholics no longer supported a Catholic party.
In the 1967 elections
Dutch general election, 1967
A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands on 15 February 1967.-National summary:-Parties:* Anti Revolutionary Party...
the KVP lost 15% of its votes and 8 seats. During the election campaign the KVP, ARP and CHU declared that they wanted to continue cooperating with each other. Cooperation with the PvdA was much less important. This led to unrest under young and left wing
Left-wing politics
In politics, Left, left-wing and leftist generally refer to support for social change to create a more egalitarian society...
KVP supporters, including Ruud Lubbers
Ruud Lubbers
Rudolphus Franciscus Marie "Ruud" Lubbers is a retired Dutch politician of the Christian Democratic Appeal . He served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from November 4, 1982 until August 22, 1994....
, Jo Cals
Jo Cals
Jozef Maria Laurens Theo "Jo" Cals was a Dutch politician of the defunct Catholic People's Party now merged into the Christian Democratic Appeal...
, Erik Jurgens and Jacques Aarden, who called themselves Christian Radicals. After the elections this promise was upheld and the KVP formed a cabinet
Netherlands cabinet De Jong
The De Jong cabinet was a Dutch centre-right cabinet with ministers from Catholic People's Party , People's Party for Freedom and Democracy , Anti Revolutionary Party and the Christian Historical Union . It was the first Cabinet of the Netherlands after World War II that completed a full term...
with its old partners, led by Piet de Jong
Piet de Jong
Petrus Josef Sietse "Piet" de Jong is a retired Dutch politician of the defunct Catholic People's Party now merged into the Christian Democratic Appeal . He served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from April 5, 1967 until July 6, 1971....
. After much debate some of the Christian Radicals broke away from the KVP in 1968 to form the Political Party of Radicals (PPR). These include three members of parliament, who form their own parliamentary party Groep Aarden. Lubbers and Cals stayed with the KVP. The new party became a close partner of the PvdA. In the 1971 elections
Dutch general election, 1971
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on April 28, 1971.-National summary:turnout: 79.1%...
the KVP lost another 7 seats (18% of its vote). The KVP again joined the ARP, CHU and VVD to form a new centre-right cabinet with rightwing dissenters of the PvdA, united in DS'70. The ARP's Barend Biesheuvel
Barend Biesheuvel
Barend Willem Biesheuvel was a Dutch politician of the defunct Anti Revolutionary Party now merged into the Christian Democratic Appeal . He served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from July 6, 1971 until May 11, 1973.He previously served as a Member of the House of Representatives from...
led the cabinet. In 1972 the cabinet fell because of internal problems of the junior partner, DS'70.
In the subsequent elections
Dutch general election, 1972
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on November 29, 1972.-National summary:...
the KVP again lost eight seats, leaving only 27, 23 less than in 1963. The cabinet again lost its majority and the KVP saw no alternative than to cooperate with the PvdA and its allies PPR and D66. An extra-parliamentary
Cabinet of the Netherlands
The cabinet of the Netherlands is the main executive body of the Dutch government. The current cabinet of the Netherlands is the Rutte cabinet.-Composition and role:...
cabinet
Netherlands cabinet Den Uyl
The Den Uyl cabinet was a Dutch left-wing cabinet under prime minister Joop den Uyl with ministers from PvdA, PPR, D66, KVP and ARP. The last two parties were actually moderately right-wing, but left-wing elements within these parties supported cabinet den Uyl to create a left-wing majority...
is formed by PvdA, PPR and D66 joined by prominent progressives from KVP and ARP. The KVP's ministers include the minister of Justice Dries van Agt
Dries van Agt
Andreas Antonius Maria "Dries" van Agt is a retired Dutch politician of the Christian Democratic Appeal . He served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from December 19, 1977, until November 4, 1982....
and the minister of the Economy Ruud Lubbers. The KVP does not officially support this cabinet, which is led by social-democrat Joop den Uyl
Joop den Uyl
Johannes Marten den Uijl, known as Joop den Uyl was a Dutch politician of the Labour Party . He served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from May 11, 1973 until December 19, 1977....
. This cabinet was characterized by infighting and fell just before the 1977 elections
Dutch general election, 1977
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on May 25, 1977....
.
In the 1970s the KVP realized that if it wanted to continue it needed to find new ways of cooperating. Ideas to form a broad Christian-Democratic party, like the German
Politics of Germany
The Federal Republic of Germany is a federal parliamentary republic, based on representative democracy. The Chancellor is the head of government, while the President of Germany is the head of state, which is a ceremonial role but with substantial reserve powers.Executive power is vested in the...
Christian Democratic Union
Christian Democratic Union (Germany)
The Christian Democratic Union of Germany is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It is regarded as on the centre-right of the German political spectrum...
were brought into practice. In 1974 the three parties formed a federation, called 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...
(CDA). In the 1977 elections the CDA won more seats than the KVP, ARP and CHU had together. After the elections, Dries van Agt became prime minister for the CDA. In 1980 the three parties officially dissolved themselves into the CDA.
The Catholics within the KVP still constitute a powerful group within the CDA. In the early years a system of equal representation of Catholics and Protestants was practiced, from which the KVP as only Catholic group profited. Nowadays many CDA-members, like Maxime Verhagen
Maxime Verhagen
Maxime Jacques Marcel Verhagen is a Dutch politician in the Christian Democratic Appeal party. He is the Minister of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation and Deputy Prime Minister since October 14, 2010 in the Cabinet Rutte.He previously served as a Member of the European Parliament for...
and Maria van der Hoeven
Maria van der Hoeven
Maria Josephina Arnoldina van der Hoeven is a Dutch politician of the Christian Democratic Appeal party. She is the Executive Director of the International Energy Agency since 1 September 2011....
have a background in the KVP's political Catholicism.
Name
The name Catholic People's Party (Dutch: Katholieke Volkspartij; KVP), must be seen in contrast with the name of its predecessor Roman Catholic State Party. The party no longer uses the name "Roman Catholic", but simply "CatholicCatholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
", de-emphasizing its religious affiliation. It is no longer a state party, but a people's party
People's Party
The People's Party, Peoples Party, or Popular Party, is any of several political parties claiming to speak for the people.People's Parties in various countries run the gamut from left to right...
, emphasizings its progressive, democratic nature. The new name emphasizes the KVP's progressive, democratic and non-denominational image.
Ideology and issues
The KVP was a Christian-democraticChristian 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...
party, which based itself 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 Catholic Dogma
Dogma
Dogma is the established belief or doctrine held by a religion, or a particular group or organization. It is authoritative and not to be disputed, doubted, or diverged from, by the practitioners or believers...
.
As such it was proponent of a mixed economy
Mixed economy
Mixed economy is an economic system in which both the state and private sector direct the economy, reflecting characteristics of both market economies and planned economies. Most mixed economies can be described as market economies with strong regulatory oversight, in addition to having a variety...
: A strong welfare state
Welfare state
A welfare state is a "concept of government in which the state plays a key role in the protection and promotion of the economic and social well-being of its citizens. It is based on the principles of equality of opportunity, equitable distribution of wealth, and public responsibility for those...
should be combined with a free market
Free market
A free market is a competitive market where prices are determined by supply and demand. However, the term is also commonly used for markets in which economic intervention and regulation by the state is limited to tax collection, and enforcement of private ownership and contracts...
, with a corporatist
Corporatism
Corporatism, also known as corporativism, is a system of economic, political, or social organization that involves association of the people of society into corporate groups, such as agricultural, business, ethnic, labor, military, patronage, or scientific affiliations, on the basis of common...
organisation. Trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
s and employers' organisations were to negotiate on wages in a Social Economic Council and should make legislation for some economic sectors on themselves, without government intervention, in so called Productschappen.
The state should watch over the morality of the people: divorce should be limited, recreation should be moral (for instance different swimming hours for women and men) and the family should be preserved. Families were to be helped by fiscal policies, such as the "kinderbijslag", support by the government, by the newly set up Ministry of Culture, Recreation and Welfare, and the possibility to buy their own home.
Internationally, the KVP was a staunch proponent of European integration
European Union
The 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...
and cooperation with the NATO. The party sought the middle ground in the issue of decolonization: Indonesia and Suriname
Suriname
Suriname , officially the Republic of Suriname , is a country in northern South America. It borders French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west, Brazil to the south, and on the north by the Atlantic Ocean. Suriname was a former colony of the British and of the Dutch, and was previously known as...
should be independent countries within a Dutch Commonwealth
Commonwealth
Commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has sometimes been synonymous with "republic."More recently it has been used for fraternal associations of some sovereign nations...
.
Representation
This table shows the results of the KVP in elections to the House of Representatives, Senate 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. If the party is in government, a high ranking minister, often the prime minister can also be party leader. If the high ranking minister is the Prime Minister, this can be seen by the "PM" behind his name. If he is in the cabinet without support of his party his is listed as "independent". The party's membership is also presented in this figure.| Year | HoR | S | SP 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... |
Fractievoorzitter | Lijsttrekker 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... |
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 | Partijvoorzitter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1946 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... |
32 | 17 | 188 | Carl Romme | multiple, including Romme | Louis Beel Louis Beel Louis Joseph Maria Beel was a Dutch politician of the defunct Catholic People's Party now merged into the Christian Democratic Appeal . He served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from July 3, 1946 until August 7, 1948 and again from December 22, 1958 until May 19, 1959... (PM Prime Minister of the Netherlands The Prime Minister of the Netherlands is the chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Netherlands. He is the de facto head of government of the Netherlands and coordinates the policy of the government... ) |
unknown | P.J. Witteman |
| 1947 | 32 | 17 | 188 | Carl Romme | n/a | Louis Beel (PM) | unknown | W.J. Andriessen |
| 1948 Dutch general election, 1948 A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands on July 7, 1948.-National summary:-Parties:* Anti Revolutionary Party... |
32 | 17 | 188 | Carl Romme | multiple incl. Beel and Romme | Josef van Schaik Josef van Schaik Josephus Robertus Hendricus van Schaik was a Dutch politician.-References:... |
409.084 | W.J. Andriessen |
| 1949 | 32 | 17 | 188 | Carl Romme | n/a | Josef van Schaik | 348.516 | W.J. Andriessen |
| 1950 | 32 | 17 | 189 | Carl Romme | n/a | Josef van Schaik | 319.419 | W.J. Andriessen |
| 1951 | 32 | 16 | 189 | Carl Romme | n/a | Louis Beel | 295.736 | W.J. Andriessen |
| 1952 Dutch general election, 1952 A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands on June 25, 1952.-National summary:-Parties:* Anti Revolutionary Party... |
30 | 17 | 189 | Carl Romme | multiple incl. Romme | Louis Beel | 277.663 | W.J. Andriessen |
| 1953 | 30 | 17 | 189 | Carl Romme | n/a | Louis Beel | 257.890 | W.J. Andriessen |
| 1954 | 30 | 17 | 186 | Carl Romme | n/a | Louis Beel | 269.376 | H.W. van Doorn Harry van Doorn Harry van Doorn is a Dutch politician -References:... |
| 1955 | 30 | 17 | 186 | Carl Romme | n/a | Louis Beel | 429.939 | H.W. van Doorn |
| 1956 Dutch general election, 1956 A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands on June 13, 1956.The 1956 election marks an important change in the history of the Dutch House of Representatives: the number of seats in the House was increased from 100 to 150.-National... |
49 | 25 | 186 | Carl Romme | Carl Romme | Teun Struyken | 428.599 | H.W. van Doorn |
| 1957 | 49 | 25 | 186 | Carl Romme | n/a | Teun Struyken | 368.196 | H.W. van Doorn |
| 1958 | 49 | 25 | 190 | Carl Romme | n/a | Louis Beel (PM) | 379.081 | H.W. van Doorn |
| 1959 Dutch general election, 1959 A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands on March 12, 1959.-National summary:-Parties:* Anti Revolutionary Party... |
49 | 26 | 190 | Carl Romme | Carl Romme | Jan de Quay Jan de Quay Jan Eduard de Quay was a Dutch politician of the defunct Catholic People's Party now merged into the Christian Democratic Appeal . He served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from May 19, 1959 until July 24, 1963.... (PM) |
374.745 | H.W. van Doorn |
| 1960 | 49 | 26 | 190 | Carl Romme | n/a | Jan de Quay (PM) | 385.500 | H.W. van Doorn |
| 1961 | 49 | 26 | 190 | Wim de Kort | n/a | Jan de Quay (PM) | 375.500 | H.W. van Doorn |
| 1962 | 49 | 26 | 217 | Wim de Kort | n/a | Jan de Quay (PM) | 328.000 | P.J.M. Aalberse |
| 1963 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... |
50 | 26 | 217 | Norbert Schmelzer Norbert Schmelzer Wilhelm Klaus Norbert Schmelzer was a Dutch politician of the defunct Catholic People's Party now merged into the Christian Democratic Appeal . Serving numerus positions in his career including Minister of Foreign Affairs from July 6, 1971 until May 11, 1973... |
multiple incl. Wim de Kort and Klompé | Victor Marijnen Victor Marijnen Victor Gerard Marie Marijnen was a Dutch politician of the defunct Catholic People's Party now merged into the Christian Democratic Appeal... (PM) |
312.000 | P.J.M. Aalberse |
| 1964 | 50 | 26 | 217 | Norbert Schmelzer | n/a | Victor Marijnen (PM) | 276.000 | P.J.M. Aalberse |
| 1965 | 50 | 26 | 217 | Norbert Schmelzer | n/a | Jo Cals Jo Cals Jozef Maria Laurens Theo "Jo" Cals was a Dutch politician of the defunct Catholic People's Party now merged into the Christian Democratic Appeal... (PM) |
259.180 | P.J.M. Aalberse |
| 1966 | 50 | 25 | 199 | Norbert Schmelzer | n/a | Jan de Quay | 233.134 | P.J.M. Aalberse |
| 1967 Dutch general election, 1967 A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands on 15 February 1967.-National summary:-Parties:* Anti Revolutionary Party... |
42 | 25 | 199 | multiple incl. Klompé | n/a | Piet de Jong Piet de Jong Petrus Josef Sietse "Piet" de Jong is a retired Dutch politician of the defunct Catholic People's Party now merged into the Christian Democratic Appeal . He served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from April 5, 1967 until July 6, 1971.... (PM) |
156.000 | P.J.M. Aalberse |
| 1968 | 39+3* | 25 | 199 | Norbert Schmelzer | n/a | Piet de Jong (PM) | 120.000 | A.P.J.M.M. van der Stee Fons van der Stee Alphonsus Petrus Johannes Mathildus Maria van der Stee was a Dutch politician.-References:... |
| 1969 | 39+3* | 24 | 199 | Norbert Schmelzer | n/a | Piet de Jong (PM) | 100.000 | A.P.J.M.M. van der Stee |
| 1970 | 39+3* | 24 | 173 | Norbert Schmelzer | n/a | Piet de Jong (PM) | 97.300 | A.P.J.M.M. van der Stee |
| 1971 Dutch general election, 1971 The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on April 28, 1971.-National summary:turnout: 79.1%... |
35 | 22 | 173 | Frans Andriessen Frans Andriessen Franciscus Henricus Johannes Joseph Andriessen is a senior Dutch politician.In 1967 he was first elected to the House of Representatives for the Katholieke Volkspartij . From 1971 to 1977 he was leader of the KVP. He served as Minister of Finance and European Commissioner for Trade, Competition... |
Gerard Veringa Gerard Veringa Gerard Heinrich Veringa was a Dutch politician of the defunct Catholic People's Party now merged into the Christian Democratic Appeal . -External links:... |
Roelof Nelissen | 87.136 | A.P.J.M.M. van der Stee |
| 1972 Dutch general election, 1972 The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on November 29, 1972.-National summary:... |
27 | 22 | 173 | Frans Andriessen | Frans Andriessen | Dries van Agt Dries van Agt Andreas Antonius Maria "Dries" van Agt is a retired Dutch politician of the Christian Democratic Appeal . He served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from December 19, 1977, until November 4, 1982.... |
82.525 | D. de Zeeuw Dick de Zeeuw Dick de Zeeuw was a Dutch politician and agronomist.- References :... |
| 1973 | 27 | 22 | 173 | Frans Andriessen | n/a | Dries van Agt | 67.494 | D. de Zeeuw |
| 1974 | 27 | 16 | 134 | Frans Andriessen | n/a | Dries van Agt | 62.234 | D. de Zeeuw |
| 1975 | 27 | 16 | 134 | Frans Andriessen | n/a | Dries van Agt | 52.458 | D. de Zeeuw |
| 1976 | 27 | 16 | 134 | Frans Andriessen | n/a | Dries van Agt | 51.729 | W.J. Vergeer |
Municipal and provincial government
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...
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...
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...
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...
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,...
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...
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:...
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...
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...
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 :...
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...
The party was particularly strong in the southern provinces of 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...
and 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 :...
, were it often held 90% of the seats in the provincial and municipal legislatures and supplied all provincial
Gedeputeerde 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...
and municipal governments, provincial governors and mayors. In regions like Twente
Twente
Twente is a non-administrative region in the eastern Netherlands. It encompasses the most urbanised and easternmost part of the province of Overijssel...
, West Friesland
West Friesland (region)
West Friesland is a contemporary region in the northwestern Netherlands, in the province of North Holland.The region covers an area of about , delineated by the Westfriese Omringdijk...
and Zeeuws Vlaanderen it held similar positions in municipalities, but cooperated with other parties on the provincial level.
Electorate
The KVP was supported by Catholics of all classesSocial class
Social classes are economic or cultural arrangements of groups in society. Class is an essential object of analysis for sociologists, political scientists, economists, anthropologists and social historians. In the social sciences, social class is often discussed in terms of 'social stratification'...
. Its strength was in the Catholic south of the Netherlands
Roman Catholicism in the Netherlands
The Catholic Church in the Netherlands; , is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome. Although the number of Catholics in the Netherlands has decreased significantly in recent decades, the Dutch Catholic Church is today the largest...
: Brabant and 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...
, where it often held more than 90% of vote. It was also strong in Catholic regions like Twente
Twente
Twente is a non-administrative region in the eastern Netherlands. It encompasses the most urbanised and easternmost part of the province of Overijssel...
, West Friesland
West Friesland (region)
West Friesland is a contemporary region in the northwestern Netherlands, in the province of North Holland.The region covers an area of about , delineated by the Westfriese Omringdijk...
and Zeeuws Vlaanderen.
During the 1960s and 1970s the KVP lost part of its electorate to progressive parties like the PPR, the PvdA and D66.
Linked organisations
The KVP had an own youth organisation, the Catholic People's Party Youth Groups (Dutch: Katholieke Volkspartij Jongeren Groupen; KVPJG) and a scientific foundation: the Centre for Political Formation.International organisations
In the European ParliamentEuropean 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...
the KVP's members sat in the Christian Democratic group.
Pillarized organisations
The KVP had close links to many other Catholic institutions such as the Roman-Catholic Church and together they formed the Catholic pillar. These organisations included the Catholic Labour Union NKV, the Catholic Employers Organisation KNOV, the Catholic Farmers' Organisation KNBLTB, Catholic Hospitals united in the Yellow-White Cross and Catholic Schools. The Catholic Broadcasting Association KROKRO
KRO, or Katholieke Radio Omroep , is a Dutch public broadcasting organization founded on 23 April 1925. Broadly Catholic in its spiritual outlook, KRO broadcasts the bulk of its television output on the Nederland 1 channel. KRO is also responsible for managing broadcasts made by the Catholic Church...
and the Catholic Paper De Volkskrant
De Volkskrant
de Volkskrant is a national daily Dutch morning newspaper, the leading centre-left broadsheet, although now in tabloid size.-History:...
were the voices of the KVP.
Relationships to other parties
As a Christian party, the KVP had strong ties with the conservative-Protestant ARPAnti 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...
and 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 strong ties resulted in several cabinets in the period 1946-1977 and 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...
, in which the three parties united in 1974.
The KVP had a strong centre-left group within its ranks. These supported closer cooperation with the social-democratic PvdA. This resulted in several cabinets with the PvdA, but also splits within the party, most notably the formation of the Political Party of Radicals
International comparison
As the party of a Catholic minority in a dominantly Protestant country, the KVP is comparable to the German Centre PartyCentre Party (Germany)
The German Centre Party was a Catholic political party in Germany during the Kaiserreich and the Weimar Republic. Formed in 1870, it battled the Kulturkampf which the Prussian government launched to reduce the power of the Catholic Church...
, which existed before the Second World War and the Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland
Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland
The Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland is a Christian democratic political party in Switzerland. It is the fourth-largest party in the National Council, with 31 seats, and the largest in the Council of States, with 15 seats. It has one seat, that of Doris Leuthard, on the Swiss...
. Its political position and agenda are similar to other catholic Christian democratic parties in Europe, such as the Flemish Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams party and the Italian Christian Democracy.
Further reading
- Electoral Stability and Electoral Change: The Case of Dutch Catholics by Herman Bakvis in: Canadian Journal of Political Science / Revue canadienne de science politique Vol. 14, No. 3 (Sep., 1981), pp. 519–555
- Changing Procedures and Changing Strategies in Dutch Coalition Building by Hans Daalder In: Legislative Studies Quarterly Vol. 11, No. 4 (Nov., 1986), pp. 507–531
- Conservatism in the Netherlands by Hermann von der Dunk In: Journal of Contemporary History, Vol. 13, No. 4 (Oct., 1978), pp. 741–763