European Christian Political Movement
Encyclopedia
The European Christian Political Movement, abbreviated to ECPM, is a political party at European level
that unites national parties from across Europe
that share Christian democratic
politics. The member parties are generally more socially conservative
and Eurosceptic
than the European People's Party
.
The party was founded in November 2002 in Lakitelek
, Hungary
. It elected its first board in January 2005, and was registered in the Netherlands in September 2005. The ECPM is chaired by Peeter Võsu
of the Party of Estonian Christian Democrats. The party has twenty members from across fifteen countries. Youth movements are also welcome in the European Christian Political Youth Network
that started in 2004 and installed its first board in summer 2005.
The ECPM unites parties from a Christian social
view. The ECPM tries to fill a gap in the European political landscape. The ECPM enjoys the informal atmosphere and the broad possibilities to participate. Parties, think tanks and individual politicians can participate in activities and be involved in the development of the ECPM. The ECPM member parties have one Member of the European Parliament
, Peter van Dalen
of ChristianUnion
, who sits with the European Conservatives and Reformists
.
, Hungary
.
The ECPM started with parties and organizations regardless their denominative background. Parties residing in and outside the EU participate in this first years and make it possible to create a movement that is solidly continuing. In 2003 the ECPM adopted eight Guiding Principles in the Lakitelek declaration “Values for Europe”, which shapes ECPM’s vision on Europe and in January 2005 in Tallinn
, Estonia
the ECPM elected its first board. On 15 September 2005 ECPM was officially registered with statutes as an association under Dutch
law
. ECPM is chaired by Peeter Võsu
.
Serbia
Europe
European political party
A European political party, formally a political party at European level, informally a Europarty, is a type of political party organization operating transnationally in Europe and in the institutions of the European Union. They are regulated and funded by the European Union and are usually made up...
that unites national parties from across Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
that share 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...
politics. The member parties are generally more socially conservative
Social conservatism
Social Conservatism is primarily a political, and usually morally influenced, ideology that focuses on the preservation of what are seen as traditional values. Social conservatism is a form of authoritarianism often associated with the position that the federal government should have a greater role...
and Eurosceptic
Euroscepticism
Euroscepticism is a general term used to describe criticism of the European Union , and opposition to the process of European integration, existing throughout the political spectrum. Traditionally, the main source of euroscepticism has been the notion that integration weakens the nation state...
than the European People's Party
European People's Party
The European People's Party is a pro-European centre-right European political party. The EPP was founded in 1976 by Christian democratic parties, but later it increased its membership to include conservative parties and parties of other centre-right perspectives.The EPP is the most influential of...
.
The party was founded in November 2002 in Lakitelek
Lakitelek
Lakitelek is a large village in Bács-Kiskun county, in the Southern Great Plain region of southern Hungary.-Geography:It covers an area of and has a population of 4613 people ....
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
. It elected its first board in January 2005, and was registered in the Netherlands in September 2005. The ECPM is chaired by Peeter Võsu
Peeter Võsu
Peeter Võsu is the chairman of the European Christian Political Movement, international Secretary of the Estonian Christian Democratic Party, chairman of Estonian Christian Television, chairman of the Estonian branch of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, and board member of the...
of the Party of Estonian Christian Democrats. The party has twenty members from across fifteen countries. Youth movements are also welcome in the European Christian Political Youth Network
European Christian Political Youth Network
The European Christian Political Youth Network is an organisation that brings Christian, politically active young people from all over Europe together...
that started in 2004 and installed its first board in summer 2005.
The ECPM unites parties from a Christian social
Catholic social teaching
Catholic social teaching is a body of doctrine developed by the Catholic Church on matters of poverty and wealth, economics, social organization and the role of the state...
view. The ECPM tries to fill a gap in the European political landscape. The ECPM enjoys the informal atmosphere and the broad possibilities to participate. Parties, think tanks and individual politicians can participate in activities and be involved in the development of the ECPM. The ECPM member parties have one Member of the European Parliament
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
, Peter van Dalen
Peter van Dalen
Peter van Dalen is a Dutch civil servant and politician. He is a member of the ChristianUnion party, a socially conservative Protestant party, and was formerly a member of the Reformatory Political Federation , which merged with the Reformed Political League to form the ChristianUnion...
of ChristianUnion
ChristianUnion
The ChristianUnion , abbreviated to CU, is a Dutch Christian democratic political party. A centrist party, the CU's policies combine social conservatism and soft euroscepticism with more centre-left positions on economic, immigration, and environmental issues.Founded in 2000 as a merger of the...
, who sits with the European Conservatives and Reformists
European Conservatives and Reformists
The European Conservatives and Reformists, abbreviated to ECR, is a conservative anti-federalist political group in the European Parliament. The group currently comprises 57 MEPs, making it the fourth-largest group in the European Parliament....
.
History
This platform had started in November 2002 when representatives of political parties from more than 15 countries decided to examine new chances for Christian politics in Europe on the conference "For a Christian Europe" at LakitelekLakitelek
Lakitelek is a large village in Bács-Kiskun county, in the Southern Great Plain region of southern Hungary.-Geography:It covers an area of and has a population of 4613 people ....
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
.
The ECPM started with parties and organizations regardless their denominative background. Parties residing in and outside the EU participate in this first years and make it possible to create a movement that is solidly continuing. In 2003 the ECPM adopted eight Guiding Principles in the Lakitelek declaration “Values for Europe”, which shapes ECPM’s vision on Europe and in January 2005 in Tallinn
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
, Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
the ECPM elected its first board. On 15 September 2005 ECPM was officially registered with statutes as an association under Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
. ECPM is chaired by Peeter Võsu
Peeter Võsu
Peeter Võsu is the chairman of the European Christian Political Movement, international Secretary of the Estonian Christian Democratic Party, chairman of Estonian Christian Television, chairman of the Estonian branch of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, and board member of the...
.
Full members
| Party | Abbr. | Country |
|---|---|---|
| Christian Democratic Union | CDU |  Armenia |
| Belarusian Christian Democracy Belarusian Christian Democracy The Belarusian Christian Democracy is a political movement in Belarus that was created at the beginning of the 20th century and is now being revived by several politicians.- Before World War II :... |
BHD |  Belarus |
| Federal Christian Democrats | CDF - FDC |  Belgium |
| Bulgarian Christian Coalition Bulgarian Christian Coalition The Bulgarian Christian Coalition is a Christian democratic political party in Bulgaria... |
BHK |  Kingdom of Bulgaria |
| Christian Democratic Forum | Kingdom of Bulgaria |
|
| Estonian Christian Democrats Estonian Christian Democrats The Party of Estonian Christian Democrats , formerly known as the Estonian Christian People's Union is a political party in Estonia, which is not represented in the Riigikogu . The party has 2,167 members. Its chairman is businessman Aldo Vinkel... |
EKD |  Estonia |
| Christian-Democratic Movement Christian-Democratic Movement (Georgia) The Christian-Democratic Movement is a political party in Georgia, founded in February 2008 and led by Giorgi Targamadze, formerly a Imedi TV anchor who had once been a Member of the Parliament of Georgia and a close ally of Aslan Abashidze, then a regional leader of Adjara... |
KDM |  Georgia (country) |
| Party of Bible-abiding Christians Party of Bible-abiding Christians The Party of Bible-abiding Christians is a conservative evangelical minor political party in Germany. It was founded in 1989. It is against same-sex marriage and legality of abortion... |
PBC |  Germany |
| Centre Party Centre 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... |
Germany |
|
| Party for Labour, Environment and Family Party for Labour, Environment and Family The Party for Labour, Environment and Family – Christians for Germany was founded on 26 January 2008 in Berlin. AUF also means "upward".... |
AUF | Germany |
| Christian Democratic Union Christian Democratic Union (Latvia) The Christian Democratic Union is a minor christian democratic political party in Latvia. It is currently led by Māra Viktorija Zilgalve.- History :... |
KDS |  Latvia |
| Lithuanian Christian Democrats Lithuanian Christian Democrats The Lithuanian Christian Democrats or LKD was a Christian-democratic political party in Lithuania. Originally established in 1905, it was closely associated with the Roman Catholic Church... |
LKD |  Lithuania |
| Christian-Democratic People's Party Christian-Democratic People's Party (Moldova) The Christian Democratic People's Party is a Christian democratic political party in Moldova. In the last legislative elections on March 6, 2005, the party won 9.1% of the popular vote and 11 out of 101 seats. Led by Iurie Roşca, the CDPP and the liberal PNL are the only major political parties in... |
PPCD |  Moldova |
| People's Party People's Party (Montenegro) The People's Party is an opposition populist political party in Montenegro. It is the main conservative party in Montenegro, as opposed to ruling party and its main opposition, both of which are socialist orientated.At the last legislative elections in Montenegro, in March 2009, NS formed a... |
NS |  Kingdom of Montenegro |
| ChristianUnion ChristianUnion The ChristianUnion , abbreviated to CU, is a Dutch Christian democratic political party. A centrist party, the CU's policies combine social conservatism and soft euroscepticism with more centre-left positions on economic, immigration, and environmental issues.Founded in 2000 as a merger of the... |
CU |  Netherlands |
| Christian-Democratic National Peasants' Party Christian-Democratic National Peasants' Party (Romania) The Christian-Democratic National Peasants' Party is a Romanian Christian-Democratic party... |
PNŢCD |  Kingdom of Romania |
| Bulgarian Union of Banat Romania | UBBR | Kingdom of Romania |
| Alliance of Vojvodina Romanians | ARDV | Serbia |
| Federal Democratic Union Federal Democratic Union of Switzerland The Federal Democratic Union of Switzerland is a political party in Switzerland.... |
EDU - UDF |  Switzerland |
| Evangelical People's Party Evangelical People's Party of Switzerland The Evangelical People's Party of Switzerland is a political party in Switzerland.In questions of redistribution, education, environmentalism, immigration policy, the EVP stands rather center-left. In questions of euthanasia, abortion, and registered partnership and other typically Christian... |
EVP - PEV | Switzerland |
| Christian Democratic Union Christian Democratic Union (Ukraine) The Christian Democratic Union is a political party in Ukraine. On December 2, 2002, in Athens, Greece the party became a member of Centrist Democrat International. It is negotiated now its associated membership in the European People's Party... |
ХДС |  Ukraine |
| Christian Peoples Alliance Christian Peoples Alliance The Christian Peoples Alliance is a Christian democratic political party in the United Kingdom. Founded in its present form in 1999; it grew out of a cross-party advocacy group known as the Movement for Christian Democracy. The party is active throughout England and has fledgling groups specific... |
CPA |  United Kingdom |
Associates
- Areopagus Centru de Educaţie Creştină şi Cultură Contemporană (Areopagus Center for Christian Studies and Contemporary Culture)
- Asociaţia Pro-vita pentru Născuţi şi Nenăscuţi - Filiala Bucureşti (Pro-vita for Born and Unborn Association - Bucharest Branch)
- Jubilee CentreJubilee CentreThe Jubilee Centre is a Christian social reform think tank based in the United Kingdom which conducts research into the contemporary relevance of the biblical vision for society.- About the Jubilee Centre :...
- Care for Europe
- Center for Public JusticeCenter for Public JusticeThe Center for Public Justice is a Christian think tank which undertakes to bring a Christian worldview to bear on policy issues.It is rooted in the European Christian-political tradition of such Dutch figures as Guillaume Groen van Prinsterer, Abraham Kuyper, and Herman Dooyeweerd. James W...
- Research Institute ChristianUnion
- European Evangelical Alliance
Serbia
- Serbian Christian Democratic MovementSerbian Christian Democratic MovementThe Serbian Christian Democratic Movement is a non-governmental, non-profit organization, association in which members enter freely, voluntarily and equally together, in accordance with the law and the Statut, in the Republic of Serbia, which aims to promote a Christian democracy, fostering...
Europe
- European Christian Political Youth NetworkEuropean Christian Political Youth NetworkThe European Christian Political Youth Network is an organisation that brings Christian, politically active young people from all over Europe together...