Roman Catholic Party of the Netherlands

Last updated

The Roman Catholic Party Netherlands (Dutch : Rooms Katholieke Partij Nederland, RKPN) was a Traditionalist Catholic political party in the Netherlands. The RKPN played a marginal role in Dutch politics. [1]

Contents

History

The RKPN was founded by former members of the Catholic People's Party who were upset with what they saw as the liberal course of their party. In the 1972 general election, the party won one seat, which was taken by party chair Klaas Beuker. In 1974, a conflict between Beuker and the party board caused him to continue as an independent MP. The party unsuccessfully contested the 1977 general election. [2]

Ideology and issues

The RKPN was a Traditionalist Catholic testimonial party in contrast to the pragmatic and liberal course of the Catholic People's Party. The party took the Ten Commandments as their main perspective and followed the conservative course of Pope Paul VI.

The RKPN sought to strengthen Catholic schools and youth work. It wanted to government to act against euthanasia and abortion.

Support and leadership

This table shows the RKPN's results in elections to the House of Representatives and Senate, as well as the party's political leadership: the parliamentary leader and the lead candidate in general elections; these posts are normally taken by the party's leader.

Year HoR S Lead candidate Parliamentary leader
1972 10 Klaas Beuker Klaas Beuker
197310no electionKlaas Beuker
197410no electionKlaas Beuker
197510no electionKlaas Beuker
197610no electionKlaas Beuker

Electorate

The party was mainly supported by Catholics who followed more conservative bishops like Adrianus Johannes Simonis.

International comparison

Domestically, the RKPN as a testimonial party can best be compared to the orthodox Protestant Reformed Political Party. Internationally, it is comparable to small Traditionalist Catholic parties like the Irish Christian Solidarity Party.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">People's Party for Freedom and Democracy</span> Dutch political party

The People's Party for Freedom and Democracy is a conservative-liberal political party in the Netherlands. The VVD, whose forerunner was the Freedom Party, is a party of the centre-right that tries to promote private enterprise and economic liberalism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Politics of the Netherlands</span>

The Netherlands is a parliamentary representative democracy. A constitutional monarchy, the country is organised as a decentralised unitary state. The Netherlands can be described as a consociational state. Dutch politics and governance are characterised by a common striving for broad consensus on important issues, within both of the political community and society as a whole.

The Christian Union is a Christian democratic political party in the Netherlands. The CU is a centrist party, maintaining more progressive stances on economic, immigration and environmental issues while holding more socially conservative positions on issues such as abortion and euthanasia. The party describes itself as "social Christian".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anti-Revolutionary Party</span> Dutch political party

The Anti-Revolutionary Party was a Protestant conservative and Christian democratic political party in the Netherlands. The party was founded in 1879 by Abraham Kuyper, a neo-Calvinist theologian and minister who served as Prime Minister between 1901 and 1905. In 1980 the party merged with the Catholic People's Party (KVP) and the Christian Historical Union (CHU) to form the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Democrats 66</span> Political party in the Netherlands

Democrats 66 is a social liberal and progressive political party in the Netherlands, which is positioned in the centre of the political spectrum. It is a member of the Liberal International (LI) and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catholic People's Party</span> Political party in Netherlands

The Catholic People's Party was a Catholic Christian democratic political party in the Netherlands. The party was founded in 1945 as a continuation of the interwar Roman Catholic State Party, which was in turn a successor of the General League of Roman Catholic Caucuses. The party was in government throughout its existence. In 1977, a federation of parties including the Catholic People's Party, the Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP) and the Christian Historical Union (CHU) ran together under the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) banner. The three participating parties formally dissolved to form the CDA in 1980.

Liberalism in the Netherlands started as an anti-monarchical effort spearheaded by the Dutch statesman Thorbecke, who almost single-handedly wrote the 1848 Constitution of the Netherlands that turned the country into a constitutional monarchy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Free-thinking Democratic League</span> Political party in the Netherlands

The Free-thinking Democratic League was a progressive liberal political party in the Netherlands. Established in 1901, it played a relatively large role in Dutch politics, supplying one Prime Minister, Wim Schermerhorn. The League is a predecessor of two of the major Dutch political parties, the conservative liberal People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) and the social democratic Labour Party (PvdA). The social liberal Democrats 66 also claims that it and the VDB are ideologically connected.

The Freedom Party was a short-lived conservative liberal political party in the Netherlands active from 1946 to 1948. The PvdV was the successor of the Liberal State Party and a predecessor of the modern-day People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christian Historical Union</span> Defunct political party in the Netherlands

The Christian Historical Union was a Protestant Christian democratic political party in the Netherlands. The CHU is one of the predecessors of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), into which it merged in September 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reformatory Political Federation</span> Political party in the Netherlands

The Reformatory Political Federation was a minor Protestant Christian political party in the Netherlands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">General League of Roman Catholic Electoral Associations</span> Dutch political party

The General League of Roman Catholic Electoral Associations, informally called the General League, was a Catholic political party in the Netherlands. It existed from 1904 to 1926, when it was succeeded by the Roman Catholic State Party. It is one of the ancestors of today's Christian Democratic Appeal.

The Liberal State Party, "the Freedom League", was a conservative liberal political party in the Netherlands from 1921 to 1948. It is historically linked to the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), a major Dutch political party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hervormd Gereformeerde Staatspartij</span>

The Hervormd Gereformeerde Staatspartij was an orthodox Protestant political party in the Netherlands during the interwar period. For its orthodox political ideals and its refusal to cooperate in any cabinet, the party is called a testimonial party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Catholic People's Party</span> Political party in the Netherlands

The Roman Catholic People's Party was a Social Catholic political party in the Netherlands. The RKVP played a marginal role in Dutch politics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Free Anti Revolutionary Party</span> Defunct political party in the Netherlands

The Free Anti Revolutionary Party was a Dutch conservative Reformed political party, which existed from 1898 to 1903.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frisian League</span> Dutch conservative Reformed political party

The League of electoral associations on Christian Historical foundation in the province of Friesland, informally called the Frisian League is a conservative Reformed political party in the Netherlands. The Frisian League is historically linked to the Christian Democratic Appeal, which is currently one of the major parties of the Netherlands.

This article gives an overview of socialism in the Netherlands, including communism and social democracy. It is limited to communist, socialist, social democratic, and democratic socialist parties with substantial support, mainly proved by having had a representation in parliament. The sign ⇒ means a reference to another party in that scheme.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christian democracy in the Netherlands</span>

This article gives an overview of Christian democracy in the Netherlands, which is also called confessionalism, including political Catholicism and Protestantism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reformed Political League</span> Political party in the Netherlands

The Reformed Political League was an orthodox Protestant political party in the Netherlands. The GPV is one of the predecessors of the Christian Union. The party was a testimonial party.

References

  1. "RKPN, voor een principieel christelijk beleid, Klaas Beuker, lid 2de Kamer, lijst 12". Library of Congress .
  2. "Roman Catholic Party of the Netherlands by Klaas Beuker". 1989.