Christian Union (Netherlands) facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Christian Union ChristenUnie

Abbreviation	CU
Leader	Mirjam Bikker
Chairman	Ankie van Tatenhove
Leader in the Cabinet	Carola Schouten
Leader in the Senate	Tineke Huizinga
Leader in the House of Representatives	Mirjam Bikker
Leader in the European Parliament	Anja Haga
Founded	22 January 2000 (2000-01-22)
Merger of	Reformed Political Alliance Reformatory Political Federation
Headquarters	Partijbureau ChristenUnie Johan van Oldebarneveltlaan 46, Amersfoort
Youth wing	PerspectieF
Think tank	Mr. G. Groen van Prinsterer Stichting
Membership (2024)	24,709
Ideology	Christian democracy Social conservatism Anti-neoliberalism
Political position	Fiscal: Centre to centre-left Social: Centre-right
Religion	Orthodox Protestant
European affiliation	European Christian Political Movement
European Parliament group	European Conservatives and Reformists (2009–2019) European People's Party Group
Benelux Parliament group	Christian Group
Colours	Sky blue Blue
Slogan	Dutch: Geef geloof een stem (Give faith a voice/vote)
Senate	3 / 75
House of Representatives	3 / 150
Provincial councils	21 / 570
European Parliament	1 / 29
King's Commissioners	1 / 12
Benelux Parliament	2 / 21
Politics of the Netherlands

The Christian Union (Dutch: ChristenUnie, often shortened to CU) is a political party in the Netherlands. It's known as a Christian-democratic party. This means its ideas are based on Christian beliefs. The CU is a centrist party, which means it has some ideas that are more progressive (like being open to new ideas) on topics such as the economy, immigration, and protecting the environment. However, it also holds some more socially conservative (traditional) views on other issues. The party calls itself "social Christian."

The Christian Union was formed in 2000 when two older parties, the Reformed Political League (GPV) and the Reformatory Political Federation (RPF), joined together. Currently, the party has five seats in the House of Representatives and four in the Senate. After the 2006 elections, the CU became part of the government, joining a group of parties to lead the country. Sometimes, the Christian Union works with another Christian party called the Reformed Political Party (SGP) for elections.

The CU is mainly a Protestant party. Its policies are based on the Bible, focusing on ideas like charity (helping others) and stewardship (taking care of the world). These ideas guide their support for public spending and environmentalism. The party believes the government should support Christian values but also respects freedom of religion. The CU is somewhat critical of the European Union. It used to be part of a group called the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) in the European Parliament but now works with the European People's Party group (EPP). It is also a member of the European Christian Political Movement.

History of the Christian Union

Before the Year 2000

The parties that came together to form the CU: the Reformed Political League and the Reformatory Political Federation

The Netherlands has a long history of small Protestant parties in its parliament. The Reformed Political Party (SGP) entered parliament in 1922. Later, in 1948, the Reformed Political Alliance (GPV) was formed, and it entered parliament in 1963. In 1981, the Reformatory Political Federation (RPF) also joined parliament.

The RPF wanted to unite all Reformed parties in the Netherlands. However, the GPV and SGP were not always easy to work with. The GPV was very specific about which type of Reformed Christians it would work with. The SGP didn't want to cooperate with parties that had women members, as it didn't support women voting until 2006. These parties were often called "testimonial parties," meaning they spoke out about their beliefs but didn't expect to be big enough to force their views on others.

However, in 1984, these three parties worked together for the European elections to get seats in the European Parliament. They also formed an alliance for the 1989 general election. By 1995, informal talks began between them. The GPV became more open to different members, but the SGP still did not accept women. So, the talks with the SGP stopped, and the GPV and RPF continued to work together. From 1998, the two parties worked closely in parliament, holding joint meetings. In 1999, their talks became more serious, leading to the creation of the Christian Union.

From 2000 to Today

André Rouvoet, a former leader of the Christian Union (2002-2011)

The Christian Union was officially started in January 2000, bringing together the RPF and GPV. Their youth groups also merged that year. In 2001, they formed a single group in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

In the 2002 elections, the new party won four seats. Their leader, Kars Veling, stepped down. In the 2003 elections, the party lost a seat, ending up with three. This might have happened because some of their supporters voted for a larger Christian party, the CDA. The Christian Union was involved in talks to form a new government in 2003, but another party didn't want them to join. In 2004, the RPF and GPV officially stopped existing, making the Christian Union the final merged party.

In the 2006 elections, the party doubled its seats and joined the government. André Rouvoet, the CU leader, became Deputy Prime Minister. Other CU members also became ministers. After the government fell apart, Rouvoet returned to parliament and later left politics in 2011. Arie Slob then became the party leader.

Gert-Jan Segers, who led the Christian Union from 2015 to 2023

In 2013, the Christian Union helped the government reach agreements on the budget and housing. This showed their growing influence. After the 2017 elections, the Christian Union again became part of the government, the Third Rutte cabinet. They had three representatives in the cabinet, including Carola Schouten as Minister of Agriculture.

In 2019, the Christian Union left the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group in the European Parliament. They felt the ECR was becoming too extreme. Instead, they joined the European People's Party Group. In January 2023, Mirjam Bikker became the new party leader. In the 2023 Dutch general election, the Christian Union won 3 seats.

What the Christian Union Believes In

The Christian Union calls itself a "Christian social" party. This means it combines some traditional views on social issues with more centre-left ideas on topics like the economy, helping refugees, social support, and the environment.

The party believes the government should support public morality based on the Bible. However, it also believes the government should respect people's religious freedom. Other Christian ideas, like helping your neighbours and taking care of the Earth (stewardship), have given the CU's policies a more centre-left direction.

Some of the CU's more traditional policies include:

Supporting families where one parent, often the mother, stays home to care for children.
Believing that society should have shared days of rest, like Sunday.
Supporting the freedom to create religious schools.
Wanting the Netherlands to remain an independent country within the European Union.
Limiting the use of genetic manipulation.

More centre-left policies include:

Public services like education, health care, and social security should be managed by the state, but perhaps on a smaller scale.
Increasing money for development cooperation to help reduce poverty in poorer countries.
Being more welcoming to asylum seekers, especially those who are treated unfairly because of their religion.
Having a strong green environmental policy. In 2006, Greenpeace even called the CU the "greenest" political party because of their promises to invest in green energy.

Social Issues and the EU

The CU describes itself as "Christelijk-sociaal" (Social Christian). This is a type of Christian democracy that is more traditional than Christian socialism but more open than some very conservative groups. It focuses on community, helping each other, supporting a system that helps people in need, and some rules for businesses.

The party supports the Netherlands being a member of the European Union because it helps with peace and prosperity and balances the power of countries like Russia and China. However, the CU also criticizes some EU policies, saying they are not democratic enough and mostly help big companies. The CU wants the EU to be more open and to respect the decisions of its member countries. They also don't support Turkey joining the EU.

Election Results

This section shows how the Christian Union has performed in elections for the House of Representatives, Senate, European Parliament, and provincial councils. It also lists the party's leaders and whether they were part of the government.

House of Representatives Elections

Election	Lead candidate	Votes	%	Seats	+/–	Government
2002	Kars Veling	240,953	2.54 (#8)	4 / 150	1	Opposition
2003	André Rouvoet	204,649	2.12 (#8)	3 / 150	1	Opposition
2006		390,969	3.97 (#6)	6 / 150	3	Coalition
2010		305,094	3.24 (#8)	5 / 150	1	Opposition
2012	Arie Slob	294,586	3.13 (#8)	5 / 150		Opposition
2017	Gert-Jan Segers	356,271	3.39 (#8)	5 / 150		Coalition
2021	Gert-Jan Segers	350,523	3.37 (#8)	5 / 150		Coalition
2023	Mirjam Bikker	212,532	2.04 (#13)	3 / 150	2	Opposition

Senate Elections

Election	Votes	%	Seats	+/–
1999			4 / 75	2
2003			2 / 75	2
2007			4 / 75	2
2011			2 / 75	2
2015	32		3 / 75	1
2019	33	5.03	4 / 75	1
2023	23	3.73	3 / 75	1

European Parliament Elections

Election	List	Votes	%	Seats	+/–	Notes
2004	List	279,880	5.87	2 / 27	New	In combination with Reformed Political Party
2009	List	310,540	6.82	2 / 25		In combination with Reformed Political Party
2014	List	364,843	7.67	2 / 26		In combination with Reformed Political Party
2019	List	375,660	7.67	2 / 26		In combination with Reformed Political Party

Provincial Elections

Since the provincial elections of March 2015, the Christian Union has had 29 members in the States-Provincial (provincial councils). They are part of the provincial governments in Overijssel and Flevoland.

The table below shows the results from the 2015 provincial elections in each province. It highlights where the Christian Union is strong, like in Groningen, Overijssel, Gelderland, and Flevoland. These areas have many people with a traditional Protestant background. The party is less strong in the southern Catholic provinces of Limburg and North Brabant, and in the more secular North Holland province.

Province	Votes (%)	Result (seats)
Drenthe	6.43	3
Flevoland	7.27	3
Friesland*	7.43	3
Gelderland	6.12	4
Groningen	8.75	4
Limburg	N/A	0
North Brabant*	2.03	1
North Holland*	2.70	1
Overijssel	8.37	4
South Holland	4.80	3
Utrecht	6.16	3
Zeeland	5.73	2

* result of combined CU/SGP lists; ** members of the CU in combined CU/SGP parliamentary parties.

Municipalities

Eight of the 414 mayors in the Netherlands are members of the CU. The CU often has mayors in smaller towns in the "Bible Belt" area, which has many conservative Christian communities. This includes towns like Tholen, Staphorst, and Elburg. The party also works with other parties in local governments in larger cities like Leiden or Utrecht, where the CU is a smaller party but helps form a majority. They have 71 aldermen (local council members) and 398 members in municipal councils.

Who Represents the Christian Union?

Members in the Cabinet

Christian Union members in the third Rutte cabinet. From left to right: Paul Blokhuis, Carola Schouten, Arie Slob

From 2007 to 2010, the CU had two ministers and one junior minister in the government:

André Rouvoet, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Youth and Family Affairs.
Eimert van Middelkoop, Minister of Defence.
Tineke Huizinga, Junior Minister for Transport and Water management.

Since 2017, the CU has again provided two ministers and one junior minister in the government:

Carola Schouten, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality.
Arie Slob, Minister for Primary Education, Secondary Education and Media.
Paul Blokhuis, State Secretary for Health, Welfare and Sports.

Members of the Fourth Rutte Cabinet

Name	Position	Assumed office
Carola Schouten (born 1977)	Deputy Prime Minister	26 October 2017
Carola Schouten (born 1977)	Minister for Social Affairs and Employment • Welfare • Civic Engagement • Pensions	10 January 2022
Piet Adema (born 1964)	Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality	4 October 2022
Maarten van Ooijen (born 1990)	State Secretary of Health, Welfare and Sport • Youth Care • Preventive Care	10 January 2022

Members of the House of Representatives

Members of the Senate

Members of the European Parliament

After the 2019 European Parliament elections, the party has one representative in the European Parliament:

Anja Haga

Who Votes for the Christian Union?

The Christian Union is supported by many orthodox Reformed Christians from different church groups. People from newer churches, like Evangelical and Pentecostal communities, also support the party. Most of their voters live in smaller, rural areas in the "Bible Belt" – a region with many conservative Christian communities that stretches across several provinces. The party also gets support from Christians with an immigrant background, especially in larger cities.

The party is also gaining support from a growing number of traditional Roman Catholics. These Catholics might not be happy with the policies of the CDA, another Christian party. Roman Catholics are welcome to join the Christian Union, even though the party's beliefs are rooted in Protestant teachings. In 2007, the party even had two Roman Catholic candidates in the province of Limburg. A CU senator once said that the party welcomes anyone who believes in Jesus Christ, but it will always remain a Protestant party. In 2015, the party's congress decided to use the Nicene Creed as a basis for their beliefs, which is a statement of faith shared by many Christian traditions.

How the Christian Union is Organized

Leadership Roles

Leader in the House of Representatives
- Leen van Dijke (2001 – 2002)
- Kars Veling (2002)
- André Rouvoet (2002 – 2007)
- Arie Slob (2007 – 2010)
- André Rouvoet (2010 – 2011)
- Arie Slob (2011 – 2015)
- Gert-Jan Segers (2015 – 2023)
- Mirjam Bikker (2023 – present)

Leader in the Senate
- Egbert Schuurman (2001 – 2011)
- Roel Kuiper (2011 – 2019)
- Tineke Huizinga (2019 – present)

Party Structure

The most important group in the Christian Union is the Union Congress. This group is made up of representatives from local party branches. They choose the party board, decide the order of candidates for elections, and make the final decisions about the party's plans.

Members

The Christian Union currently has over 25,000 members (as of 2019). These members are part of more than 200 local branches across the country.

Groups Connected to the Party

The youth group of the Christian Union is called PerspectieF. The party also publishes a magazine called HandSchrift (HandWriting). Their research group, the Mr. Groen van Prinsterer Foundation, publishes a paper called DenkWijzer (ThoughtWiser). There is also a women's organization called Inclusief.

The CU also works with the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy, which helps support democracy in other countries.

International Connections

Internationally, the Christian Union is a member of the European Christian Political Movement. Until 2019, their members in the European Parliament were part of the European Conservatives and Reformists group. After 2019, they joined the EPP Group.

Traditional Protestant Groups

The Christian Union still has strong ties with traditional Protestant organizations. These include Protestant schools, newspapers like the Nederlands Dagblad and the Reformatorisch Dagblad, the Protestant broadcaster Evangelische Omroep, and several Reformed churches. Together, these groups form a network of conservative or orthodox Reformed organizations. While many traditional Dutch social groups have changed over time, this orthodox Reformed group has actually become stronger as a reaction to society becoming less religious.

Relationships with Other Parties

The Christian Union was in opposition until 2006. It has good relationships with the Reformed Political Party (SGP), with whom it often works together in European elections. They also have good ties with the Christian Democratic Appeal. When the CU was in opposition, it gained support from left-wing parties like the Labour Party, the Socialist Party, and GroenLinks. They even work together in some local governments.

Similar Parties in Other Countries

The Evangelical People's Party of Switzerland is quite similar to the Christian Union. It is also a conservative Protestant party that has left-wing ideas on social issues, traditional views on ethical matters, and is critical of the European Union.