In the Netherlands, where Christian parties have been influencing the work of the government since the beginning of the twentieth century, the influential center-right conservative party Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) holds a powerful position. Having overcome the confessional differences between Catholics and Protestants in the 1980s, the party became the most powerful force in the country, gaining 35.3% of the vote.

However, the party soon began to lose support, and in 1994, for the first time in 76 years, the Christian Democrats failed to enter the government. Many obituaries were written for the Dutch Christian Democrats in those days, but in the early 2000s the Christian Democratic Appeal became the largest party in parliament again. In 2006, the party regained 80% of its 1989 parliamentary seats, and took a key position in coalition formation.

The Christian Democratic Appeal party has proposed a modernized political platform that is rooted in the Christian democratic tradition, but also includes mainstream conservative, market-liberal proposals. The Dutch Christian Democracy was a response to social democracy, creating a special welfare state regime that systematically differs from both social democratic and conservative-liberal types of social policy. Its main features are the provision of privileges to families rather than individuals, the semi-state nature of the main aspects of social policy management and implementation rather than their centralization and state control, and the reproduction of social status rather than changes in the social structure. The system was aimed at protecting households, and social policy was mainly based on the principle of industrial insurance against occupational risks, financed by targeted contributions from employers’ and employees’ salaries. The main policy goal was to restore social cohesion and a social welfare regime based on transfers, insurance, and the privileged family.

In its latest political program, the Dutch party Christian Democratic Appeal declared its focus on a fair economy based on the principles of the Rhine model of cooperation, as opposed to the Anglo-Saxon model of competition and struggle. In the economic sphere, the party proposes to create a system of relief for small entrepreneurs during the quarantine in the form of incentives and compensation for losses

An important point of the party program is a call to stimulate women’s entrepreneurship through better access to knowledge and innovation, loans and subsidies. Significantly, the party advocates for the protection of European entrepreneurs within the framework of the Made in Europe strategy to increase strategic autonomy and limit dependence on third countries (China). Much attention is paid primarily to supporting hereditary family businesses and simplifying taxation and bureaucracy. The tax burden should not exceed the top rate of 49.5% anywhere.

The fundamental difference between the Christian Democratic Appeal and the left-wing Christian parties is its attitude toward big business. “Large companies and multinationals are indispensable for our prosperity and employment. They enhance the international image of our economy and act as a driver. For this reason, it is necessary to strengthen and maintain a good business climate for these companies in order to protect the economy and employment of citizens,” the Christian Democratic Call program states.

The party proposes simplifying the tax incentive system and a strategy to overcome the crisis through a combination of investing in economic recovery and increasing the resilience of companies and households. The party has declared a regime to facilitate business start-ups, encourage companies to hire employees on a long-term basis, support entrepreneurs who help people with disabilities to find jobs, and fight discrimination. To control the free development of entrepreneurship, it is proposed to introduce an independent tax ombudsman with the authority to investigate and help civilians who are in conflict with tax authorities. “The Christian Democratic Appeal shows concern for the general population and initiates part-time unemployment assistance programs.

“The Christian Democratic Call is a member of the government coalition. In the last parliamentary elections, the party won 21 seats out of 75 in the first chamber and 21 seats out of 150 in the second chamber of the General States. In addition, the Christian Democrats have 5 seats out of 25 allocated to the Netherlands in the European Parliament, where the party is a member of the European People’s Party faction.

Author: Valeriy Maydanyuk

Recently, European countries celebrated the anniversary of the creation of the EU, which is generally dated back to May 9, 1950, when the Schuman Declaration, a plan to create a coal and steel community among six European countries, was published. This was the first step towards the European Union that remains a fixed idea for Ukraine.

Robert Schumann, who is rightly considered one of the “founding fathers” of European integration, had good reason to fight for the unification of Europe. Schumann was born in 1886 in Lorraine, which at that time belonged to Germany. This territory often passed from one state to another as a result of numerous wars and geopolitical vicissitudes. The family spoke Luxembourgish. In 1912, Schumann studied law in Strasbourg (today the university is named after him). In 1913, he took part in the Catholic Congress in the French city of Metz, where he realized the importance of Christian values for European civilization. At the outbreak of World War I, for health reasons, he performed civilian service as a lawyer in the German administration.

After the war, as a result of the return of Lorraine to France, he became a French citizen and even a member of parliament. During the Second World War, Schumann was arrested by the Germans for his participation in the Resistance movement, but escaped and was forced to go into hiding. After the Second World War, he successfully continued his political career in France: he became Minister of Finance, Prime Minister in 1947-48, and Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Schuman was extremely concerned about security issues in Europe. The experience of the two world wars showed that peace and security required the creation of an institution that would restrain or mutually control the development of the military-industrial complex of the two largest European powers, France and Germany. Schumann began working on his main project, the creation of an industrial and economic association of the two longtime historical rivals in Europe. Schumann’s plan was realized in 1951 with the signing of the Treaty of Paris establishing the European Coal and Steel Community. France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg became members of the organization.

The Schuman Declaration contained three key points:

1. Immediate goal: Franco-German reconciliation. In order to prevent future hypothetical wars between the two countries, France proposes to introduce joint control over coal and steel production in France and Germany. A specially created High Authority would oversee the integration of these countries’ markets in the metallurgical and energy sectors.

2. Strategic goal: gradual creation of a political union that would make military conflicts between European countries impossible.

3. Gradualism: According to Schuman, a united Europe will not be created overnight, but only by concrete actions based on true solidarity.

This document is recognized as fundamental to the creation of the EU.

As the French Foreign Minister from 1948 to 1953, Schuman participated in the signing of the Charter of the Council of Europe (1949) and the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Freedoms (1950). And after a long process of integration and many international agreements, the modern EU was formed – an association of 27 countries based on common human and democratic values.

In 1958, Schuman was elected president of the European Assembly (1958-1960), which later became the European Parliament. From 1955 to 1961, he headed the European Movement. On September 4, 1967, the “father of Europe” died.

Residents of the city of Metz, where Schumann lived, began the process of beatification, believing that French-German peace and good neighborliness after years of enmity was a miracle performed by Schumann. For 14 years, residents collected evidence of the politician’s sainthood, although many experts advised Schuman’s supporters not to conflate politics with miracles. At the same time, the Vatican responded to the efforts to canonize the “Father of Europe.” Pope Francis signed a decree recognizing the “heroic virtues” of Schumann, an active Christian and politician. For now, the Catholic Church will honor Schumann as a “reverend”.

But the grandiose project of European unification initiated by Schumann, which the “Father of Europe” himself advised to be based on Christian values, is of unprecedented civilizational and value significance.

Author: Valeriy Maydanyuk

The main unifying idea of the CDU was the Christian basis, which turned out to be the only ideology in the country that was not discredited after the defeat of Nazism and the crimes of communism, and looked much more attractive against the background of the shortcomings of liberalism.

The largest partner party in the CDU/CSU bloc – The Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU, German: Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands, CDU) emerged in 1946 after the unification of the conservative forces of the former Weimar Republic.

The party was headed by Konrad Adenauer, a consistent fighter against Nazism and a committed Christian. Many of the founders of the CDU, including Konrad Adenauer, were imprisoned by the Nazis for their participation in the German Resistance. After the Second World War, Christian democracy became the only acceptable political idea in Germany that could unite all citizens around the values of goodness, justice, and humanism on a conflict-free basis. In the pre-war years, this ideology was represented in the country by a number of Protestant and Catholic parties, including the Center Party, which represented the interests of Catholics in the Bundestag.

The CDU immediately declared its orientation toward both Catholics and Protestants, declaring interfaith and supra-confessionalism as its main principle. The very word “union” in the party’s name emphasizes the emphasis on unification rather than confessional or class divisions. The CDU has laid a new beginning in the history of German parties, whose spiritual and political roots lie in the Christian-based resistance to the National Socialist terror regime, in the social ethics of Christian churches, and in the liberal traditions of the European Enlightenment.

The CDU was the dominant party for the first two decades after the founding of Germany in 1949, and it still holds a leading position in the German political arena. In 1957, the CDU gained an absolute majority in the Bundestag, which was the only case in the history of the republic. During the years of the Christian Democrats’ rule, Germany joined NATO and joined European integration structures. It was the CDU/CSU politicians who developed and implemented the economic and social reforms that turned Germany from a war-torn country into a successful and prosperous state. The party has more than half a million members throughout Germany, and CDU members hold the highest positions in the country.

It was during the CDU/CSU’s rule that the “German economic miracle” took place, and the country rapidly became the first in Europe in terms of economic performance. In the 1970s, after more than a decade of losing political primacy to its ideological opponents, the Social Democrats, the CDU returned to power in the 1980s. During the rule of CDU chairman Helmut Kohl, the Berlin Wall came down and Germany was reunified, and the Christian Democrats again won with their coalition partners. Throughout the postwar years, the support of the German Christian Democrats has been at the level of 25-30%, and CDU leaders, even in coalitions with the Social Democrats or the Free Democrats, most often hold the post of chancellor. Today, the CDU has the largest number of seats in the Bundestag, and a significant number of CDU members have been elected to local authorities and federal state parliaments. The total number of CDU members in the Landtags is 563.

The main political values of the CDU are the principles of Christian democracy, which are based on Christian ethics and prioritize individuality, freedom and human rights. Such Christian principles as freedom, social justice and solidarity have become the main motto of the CDU’s social policy. And the Christian understanding of man gives the German Christian Democrats an ethical basis for responsible policy. Christian Democrats believe that the basis of the economy is a social market economy based on fair trade, social responsibility of business and environmental protection.

The CDU program is based on the ethical foundations of Christianity and social justice. In domestic politics, the German Christian Democrats defend the principle of subsidiarity, advocating for limiting the centralized influence of the state at the local level and transferring the main power to local communities. The German CDU is also tolerant of other religions and protects freedom of conscience and religion and respects the rights of other ethnic communities.

In the development of the CDU program, the most influential document was the 1949 Düsseldorf Theses by Ludwig Erhard, in which the party declared its focus on a “social market economy.” By this, the party understands a socially oriented system in which economic freedom and free competition of individuals and businesses should be in harmony with the principles of social justice and civic solidarity. Private ownership is combined with social responsibility, social protection and support of the education system, which should create equal starting opportunities for all members of society. The role of the state is to create favorable conditions for economic development and to adhere to the principle of subsidiarity, i.e. to help only in those matters in which personal responsibility is not enough to achieve the public good and social protection. In the economic sphere, the CDU sees the main task as supporting economic growth and reducing unemployment, reforming taxation and health care systems.

The CDU’s Stuttgart Programmatic Theses of 1984 reflect a new understanding of technology and the environment, in which German Christian Democrats express the idea of limiting the use of new technologies where technology begins to lose its function of serving man. In particular, interference with human DNA, which can harm the Christian image of man, created in the likeness of God.

As a center-right party, the CDU expresses respect for traditions, authority, and the family, and Christian morality has a huge influence on the worldview of CDU members.

Author: Valeriy Maydanyuk