Frisian League
Encyclopedia
The League of caucuses on Christian Historical foundation in the province of Friesland (in Dutch: Bond van Kiesvereenigingen op Christelijk-Historischen grondslag in de provincie Friesland, informally called Frisian League or Friesche Bond) is a Dutch
conservative
Reformed
political party
. The Frisian League is historically linked to the Christian Democratic Appeal
, which is currently one of the major parties of the Netherlands.
, the leader of the Protestant Anti Revolutionary Party
. Kuyper had initiated a new political course for Protestantism in the Netherlands, which included cooperation with the Catholics
, in the coalition
, strategical support for extension of suffrage
a rejection of theocracy
in favour of a specific conception of state neutrality, sphere sovereignty
and a strong party organization and party discipline
. The party also rejected the split of the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands
from the Dutch Reformed Church
.
The party won one seat (Harlingen
) in the 1901 elections
, which was taken by the minister Schoking. It held its one seat in the 1905 elections
. In 1908 the party merged with the Christian Historical Party
to found the Christian Historical Union
es on Christian Historical foundation in the province of Friesland
was chosen to convey several things: the party was not a centralized party with party discipline
, instead it was a league of local caucuses; the term Christian Historical was used before 1898 to denote supporters of the main Protestant party, the Anti Revolutionary Party, emphasizing the Protestant nature of the history of the Netherlands
; and finally the only representatives of the party came from Friesland, although it also had branches in South Holland
.
. The most important issue for the party was the increasing neutrality of the state and the acceptance of Catholicism. The party advocated a Protestant theocracy and was strong anti-papist. Furthermore the party opposed general suffrage.
from the upper class. Its support was heavily regionalized in Friesland.
in the late 1800s and to some extent American Party
of the United States.
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...
conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
Reformed
Dutch Reformed Church
The Dutch Reformed Church was a Reformed Christian denomination in the Netherlands. It existed from the 1570s to 2004, the year it merged with the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Kingdom of the Netherlands to form the Protestant Church in the...
political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
. The Frisian League is historically linked to 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...
, which is currently one of the major parties of the Netherlands.
Party History
The Frisian League was founded on 24 March 1898 by the reformed minister Hoedemaker. It was founded as one of several parties that were founded in the 1890s, which all turned again the leadership and ideology of Abraham KuyperAbraham Kuyper
Abraham Kuijper generally known as Abraham Kuyper, was a Dutch politician, journalist, statesman and theologian...
, the leader of the Protestant 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...
. Kuyper had initiated a new political course for Protestantism in the Netherlands, which included cooperation with the Catholics
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...
, in the coalition
Christian democracy in the Netherlands
This article gives an overview of christian democracy in the Netherlands, which is also called confessional politics, including political Catholicism and Protestantism. It is limited to Christian democratic parties with substantial support, mainly proved by having had a representation in parliament...
, strategical support for extension of suffrage
Universal suffrage
Universal suffrage consists of the extension of the right to vote to adult citizens as a whole, though it may also mean extending said right to minors and non-citizens...
a rejection of theocracy
Theocracy
Theocracy is a form of organization in which the official policy is to be governed by immediate divine guidance or by officials who are regarded as divinely guided, or simply pursuant to the doctrine of a particular religious sect or religion....
in favour of a specific conception of state neutrality, sphere sovereignty
Sphere sovereignty
In Neo-Calvinism, sphere sovereignty is the concept that each sphere of life has its own distinct responsibilities and authority or competence, and stands equal to other spheres of life. Sphere sovereignty involves the idea of an all encompassing created order, designed and governed by God...
and a strong party organization and party discipline
Party discipline
Party discipline is the ability of a parliamentary group of a political party to get its members to support the policies of their party leadership. In liberal democracies, it usually refers to the control that party leaders have over its legislature...
. The party also rejected the split of the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands
Reformed Churches in the Netherlands
The Reformed Churches in the Netherlands was the second largest Protestant church in the Netherlands until it merged into the Protestant Church in the Netherlands in 2004.-History:...
from the Dutch Reformed Church
Dutch Reformed Church
The Dutch Reformed Church was a Reformed Christian denomination in the Netherlands. It existed from the 1570s to 2004, the year it merged with the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Kingdom of the Netherlands to form the Protestant Church in the...
.
The party won one seat (Harlingen
Harlingen, Netherlands
Harlingen is a municipality and a city in the northern Netherlands, in the province of Friesland at the Wadden Sea. Harlingen is an old town with a long history of fishing and shipping....
) in the 1901 elections
Dutch general election, 1901
A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands in 1901.-National summary:-Parties:* Anti Revolutionary Party...
, which was taken by the minister Schoking. It held its one seat in the 1905 elections
Dutch general election, 1905
A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands in 1905.-National summary:-Parties:* Anti Revolutionary Party...
. In 1908 the party merged with the Christian Historical Party
Christian Historical Party
The Christian Historical Party was a Dutch conservative Reformed political party, which existed from 1903 to 1908...
to found the 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:...
Name
The rather complicated name of the party League of caucusCaucus
A caucus is a meeting of supporters or members of a political party or movement, especially in the United States and Canada. As the use of the term has been expanded the exact definition has come to vary among political cultures.-Origin of the term:...
es on Christian Historical foundation in the province of Friesland
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...
was chosen to convey several things: the party was not a centralized party with party discipline
Party discipline
Party discipline is the ability of a parliamentary group of a political party to get its members to support the policies of their party leadership. In liberal democracies, it usually refers to the control that party leaders have over its legislature...
, instead it was a league of local caucuses; the term Christian Historical was used before 1898 to denote supporters of the main Protestant party, the Anti Revolutionary Party, emphasizing the Protestant nature of the history of the Netherlands
History of the Netherlands
The history of the Netherlands is the history of a maritime people thriving on a watery lowland river delta at the edge of northwestern Europe. When the Romans and written history arrived in 57 BC, the country was sparsely populated by various tribal groups at the periphery of the empire...
; and finally the only representatives of the party came from Friesland, although it also had branches in South Holland
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...
.
Ideology & Issues
The Frisian League was a conservative Protestant party. It saw government as a god-given institution, which should act according to biblical norms. Society should furthermore follow its historical course. Power should not be based on the opinion of the majority but on authorityAuthority
The word Authority is derived mainly from the Latin word auctoritas, meaning invention, advice, opinion, influence, or command. In English, the word 'authority' can be used to mean power given by the state or by academic knowledge of an area .-Authority in Philosophy:In...
. The most important issue for the party was the increasing neutrality of the state and the acceptance of Catholicism. The party advocated a Protestant theocracy and was strong anti-papist. Furthermore the party opposed general suffrage.
Representation
This table shows the Frisian League's results elections to the House of Representatives and Senate, as well as the party's political leadership: the fractievoorzitter. It also possible that the party leader is member of cabinet, if the League was part of the governing coalition, the "highest ranking" minister is listed.| Year | HoR | S | Fractievoorzitter | 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 :... |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1901 Dutch general election, 1901 A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands in 1901.-National summary:-Parties:* Anti Revolutionary Party... |
1 | 0 | Jan Schokking Jan Schokking Jan Schokking was a Dutch politician and Christian minister.-References:... |
supports the cabinet of Kuyper Abraham Kuyper Abraham Kuijper generally known as Abraham Kuyper, was a Dutch politician, journalist, statesman and theologian... |
| 1902 | 1 | 0 | Jan Schokking | supports the cabinet of Kuyper |
| 1903 | 1 | 0 | Jan Schokking | supports the cabinet of Kuyper |
| 1904 | 1 | 0 | Jan Schokking | supports the cabinet of Kuyper |
| 1905 Dutch general election, 1905 A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands in 1905.-National summary:-Parties:* Anti Revolutionary Party... |
1 | 0 | Jan Schokking | opposition |
| 1906 | 1 | 0 | Jan Schokking | opposition |
| 1907 | 1 | 0 | Jan Schokking | opposition |
Electorate
The electorate of the Frisian League was mainly constituted by adherents of the Dutch Reformed ChurchDutch Reformed Church
The Dutch Reformed Church was a Reformed Christian denomination in the Netherlands. It existed from the 1570s to 2004, the year it merged with the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Kingdom of the Netherlands to form the Protestant Church in the...
from the upper class. Its support was heavily regionalized in Friesland.
International Comparison
As a party for Protestant dissenters of a catholic-Protestant alliance the Frisian League is a unique phenomenon in international perspective. Its political course, which included support of limited government, rejection of universal suffrage and hostility against Catholicism, is comparable to the course of the British Conservative PartyConservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
in the late 1800s and to some extent American Party
Know Nothing
The Know Nothing was a movement by the nativist American political faction of the 1840s and 1850s. It was empowered by popular fears that the country was being overwhelmed by German and Irish Catholic immigrants, who were often regarded as hostile to Anglo-Saxon Protestant values and controlled by...
of the United States.