Pillarisation
Encyclopedia
Pillarisation is a term used to describe the politico-denominational segregation
of Dutch
and Belgian
society
. These societies were (and in some areas, still are) "vertically" divided into several segments or "pillars" (zuilen, singular: zuil) according to different religion
s or ideologies
.
These pillars all had their own social institutions: their own newspaper
s, broadcasting organisations, political parties
, trade union
s, bank
s, school
s, hospital
s, universities
, scouting
organisations and sports club
s. Some companies even hired only personnel of a specific religion or ideology. This led to a situation where many people had no personal contact with people from another pillar. Austria
, Israel
, Lebanon
, Malta
, Northern Ireland
might be other territories where similar phenomena could be observed.
and Social-democratic
. Almost all Catholics were part of the Catholic pillar. Orthodox
and conservative Protestants joined the Protestant pillar, Industrial Workers and Jews
were part of the Socialist pillar, while more latitudinarian
Protestants, atheists and Orangists were pillarless. The Protestant party Christian Historical Union
did not organise a pillar of its own but linked itself to the Protestant pillar shaped by the Anti Revolutionary Party
. Pillarisation was originally initiated by the Anti Revolutionary Party, who based it on their philosophy of sphere sovereignty
. People in the Socialist pillar were mainly working class
. People who were not associated with one of these pillars, mainly middle
and upper class
latitudinarian Protestants and atheists set up their own pillar: the general pillar. Ties between general organisations were a lot weaker. The political parties usually associated with this pillar were the liberal
Free-minded Democratic League
(VDB) and Liberal State Party
(LSP), although these parties opposed pillarisation. Communist
s, Humanist and ultra-orthodox Protestants also set up similar organisations; however, such groups were a lot smaller.
liberals and socialists, but also Protestants and Catholics, began to doubt the pillarised system. They founded a unity movement, the People's Movement Nederlandse Volksbeweging
. Progressives of all pillars (including the Catholic resistance movement Christofoor) were united in this. They wanted a breakthrough (doorbraak) of the political system. But pillarisation was ingrained in Dutch society, and could not be defeated that easily. Even the People's Movement suffered from this, it was associated with the socialist party, SDAP
, and its ideology was socialism combined with democratic principles. Only the left liberal
VDB
and the minor Protestant CDU
joined the SDAP to form a new political party: the Labour Party, Partij van de Arbeid in 1946.
During the 1960s these pillars, particularly under political criticism from D66
and the group Nieuw Links (New Left) in PvdA, largely broke down. For example, over time VPRO
moved towards the general pillar. Television
was also pillarised, but in its early years (the 1950s) it had only one station, which meant that everyone watched the same broadcasts. Young people did not want to be associated with these organisations. Because of this and of increased mobility, many people saw that people from the other pillar were not that different from themselves. Increased wealth and education made people independent of many of these institutions. From 1973, ARP and CHU of the Protestant pillar united with Catholic KVP in CDA
, they first entered in elections in 1977
. From 1976, the Catholic trade union NKV cooperated with NVV of the Socialist pillar to merge into the FNV
in 1982.
By the 21st century, the "total" pillarisation of society has disappeared but many remnants can be seen: public television for instance is divided over several pillarised organisations, instead of being one organisation, as is the education system
, split between public and religious schools
. Moreover, there are small pillars that still exist today. Members of the Reformed Churches (liberated) have their own (primary and secondary) schools, their own national newspaper, and some other organizations, such as a labor union. Members of several pietist Reformed Churches have also founded their own schools, newspaper and political party. Increasingly, Muslim immigrants in the Netherlands
are also using the possibilities of the pillarized structure of society, by setting up their own schools.
and Wallonia, societies are pillarised. In Flanders, Catholics were the dominant pillar, in Wallonia the Socialists were.
Even though the liberals are stronger in Belgium (particularly in Brussels
) than in the Netherlands, they are still relatively weak, due to their rather small, bourgeois support: liberal trade unions are very small. De Tijd
, a financial daily, is the newspaper aligned with the liberals. This is due to its readers only, not to editorial policies. However, a Flemish newspaper with historical liberal roots, Het Laatste Nieuws
, also exists.
Denominational (many Catholic and a few Jewish) schools receive some public money, although not parity of funding as in the Netherlands, so that tuition is almost completely free. Belgian universities charge more or less the same, relatively low, tuition fees.
As a consequence of the language struggle in the latter half of the twentieth century, the pillars split over the language issue that became the most significant divisive factor in the nation. Now every language group has three pillars of its own. The pillar system was the primordial societal divide much longer in Belgium than it was in the Netherlands. Only near the end of the Cold War
did it begin to lose importance, at least at the individual level, and to this day it continues to influence Belgian society. For example, even the 1999–2003 "Rainbow Coalition
" of Guy Verhofstadt
was often rendered with the terms of pillarisation. Political currents which rose in late 20th century (Vlaams Blok
, now Vlaams Belang
, AGaLev and the Arab European League
(AEL)), did not attempt to build pillars.
Pillarisation was visible even in everyday social organisations such as musical ensembles, sport clubs, recreational facilities, etc. Although weakened in the contemporary situation, many major social organisations (trade unions, cooperatives, etc.) still strictly follow the lines of pillars.
article
The Austrian version of Verzuilling is the doctrine Proporz (diminutive of Proportionalität, German
Proportionality) long standing doctrine, first, only within the politics second Austrian republic but later, degenerated into a neo-corporavist system of patronage and nepotism pervading too many aspects of Austria
n life. The Proporz was created, developed and promoted by the two mainstream parties, the catholic
Austrian People's Party
(ÖVP) and the social-democratic Socialist Party of Austria, since 1991 Social Democratic Party of Austria
(both names as SPÖ). This de facto two-parties system collapsed by the elections of 1999
, which resulted in the joining of the national-conservative Freedom Party of Austria
(FPÖ), whose political margination and that of its predecessor, the Federation of Independents
(VdU), was the main reason for the establishment of the Proporz policy, because of their pro-German
and individualist views.
The Proporz system arose out of the need for balanced, consensual governance in the early years of Austria's second republic. At that time, the country was consumed in an effort to rebuild the country after the devastation of World War II. Thus, the doctrine of Proporz is intimately linked to the idea of the grand coalition, in which the major political parties, in the case of post-war Austria the SPÖ and the ÖVP, share in the government.
At first it was decided that the occupation of federal political positions by either members of the two big parties be according to the proportionally of the number of seats of each party in the Nationalrat, but soon this policy was repeated at a Länder policy; then it was decided that civil service, military, trade unions and even economy and state businesses positions had to be occupied by members of the two big parties, proportionally of the results of their in the Nationalrat (if it was a Federal position) or in the Ladtag (if it was a Land one). Afterward, this policy reach the policy of membership in every type of association: sport clubs, culture groups, motoring organizations, folk music brotherhoods... converting them in bichephal ones, divided in two parts (a Catholic and a Social-democratic), if not two ones. Even the public broadcasting ORF
was divided between ideological fences (radio station Ö2
and TV channel FS1 were Catholic-oriented, whereas Ö1
and FS2 were the Social-democratic ones). This system was popular in the post-war period, however from the 1980s, people’s perceptions and opinions changed strongly. The old Proporz system, where basically the SPÖ and the ÖVP would divide everything up between them, was increasingly seen as outdated and even undemocratic. Because both parties always had an absolute majority in parliament, no effective opposition could ever exist. Almost second Austrian republic governments have been ÖVP-SPÖ Coalition, which resulted in a situation that some political position were almost property of each party and occupied by a member of this one, according on the basis of its constituency or any perceived ideological mandate to them. For example, Minister for Labour and Social Relations was nearly always held by a member of the (SPÖ), while the ÖVP, with traditionally strong support from farmers, took the Ministry which controlled agriculture and forestry.
As voters’ frustration with the old system grew, the FPÖ under the young and dynamic party chairman Jörg Haider (who as Governor of Carinthia, revoke Proporz policies in the Land) was able to ride the wave of discontent and win votes in every parliamentary election. The FPÖ had its core support with the right wing, but was increasingly able to attract voters from the conservative ÖVP and even made inroads with traditional SPÖ voters who grew fed up with the grand coalitions and the old Proporz system.
A diversified media and the possibilities of modern information technology also hold the government to higher standards of transparency and accountability. Above all, there has been a sea change in the public's attitude to the practice and its willingness to confront it, getting the opportunity to cancel. Today, there is almost no trace of Proporz in Austria.
Religious segregation
Religious segregation is the separation of people according to their religion. The term has been applied to cases of religious-based segregation occurring as a social phenomenon, as well as to segregation arising from laws, whether explicit or implicit....
of 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...
and Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
society
Society
A society, or a human society, is a group of people related to each other through persistent relations, or a large social grouping sharing the same geographical or virtual territory, subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations...
. These societies were (and in some areas, still are) "vertically" divided into several segments or "pillars" (zuilen, singular: zuil) according to different religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
s or ideologies
Ideology
An ideology is a set of ideas that constitutes one's goals, expectations, and actions. An ideology can be thought of as a comprehensive vision, as a way of looking at things , as in common sense and several philosophical tendencies , or a set of ideas proposed by the dominant class of a society to...
.
These pillars all had their own social institutions: their own newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
s, broadcasting organisations, political parties
Political Parties
Political Parties: A Sociological Study of the Oligarchical Tendencies of Modern Democracy is a book by sociologist Robert Michels, published in 1911 , and first introducing the concept of iron law of oligarchy...
, trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
s, bank
Bank
A bank is a financial institution that serves as a financial intermediary. The term "bank" may refer to one of several related types of entities:...
s, school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
s, hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
s, universities
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
, scouting
Scouting
Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement with the stated aim of supporting young people in their physical, mental and spiritual development, that they may play constructive roles in society....
organisations and sports club
Sports club
A sports club or sport club, sometimes athletics club or sports association is a club for the purpose of playing one or more sports...
s. Some companies even hired only personnel of a specific religion or ideology. This led to a situation where many people had no personal contact with people from another pillar. Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
, Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
might be other territories where similar phenomena could be observed.
The Netherlands
In the Netherlands there were (at least) three pillars: Protestant, CatholicCatholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
and Social-democratic
Social democracy
Social democracy is a political ideology of the center-left on the political spectrum. Social democracy is officially a form of evolutionary reformist socialism. It supports class collaboration as the course to achieve socialism...
. Almost all Catholics were part of the Catholic pillar. Orthodox
Orthodoxy
The word orthodox, from Greek orthos + doxa , is generally used to mean the adherence to accepted norms, more specifically to creeds, especially in religion...
and conservative Protestants joined the Protestant pillar, Industrial Workers and Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
were part of the Socialist pillar, while more latitudinarian
Latitudinarian
Latitudinarian was initially a pejorative term applied to a group of 17th-century English theologians who believed in conforming to official Church of England practices but who felt that matters of doctrine, liturgical practice, and ecclesiastical organization were of relatively little importance...
Protestants, atheists and Orangists were pillarless. The Protestant party 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:...
did not organise a pillar of its own but linked itself to the Protestant pillar shaped by the 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...
. Pillarisation was originally initiated by the Anti Revolutionary Party, who based it on their philosophy of 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...
. People in the Socialist pillar were mainly working class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
. People who were not associated with one of these pillars, mainly middle
Middle class
The middle class is any class of people in the middle of a societal hierarchy. In Weberian socio-economic terms, the middle class is the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socio-economically between the working class and upper class....
and upper class
Upper class
In social science, the "upper class" is the group of people at the top of a social hierarchy. Members of an upper class may have great power over the allocation of resources and governmental policy in their area.- Historical meaning :...
latitudinarian Protestants and atheists set up their own pillar: the general pillar. Ties between general organisations were a lot weaker. The political parties usually associated with this pillar were the liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
Free-minded Democratic League
Free-minded Democratic League
The Free-thinking Democratic League was a Dutch progressive liberal political party. The VDB played a relatively large role in Dutch politics, supplying one prime minister...
(VDB) and Liberal State Party
Liberal State Party
The Liberal State Party, "the Freedom League" , was a Dutch conservative liberal political party from 1921 to 1948...
(LSP), although these parties opposed pillarisation. Communist
Communist Party of the Netherlands
The Communist Party of the Netherlands was a Dutch communist political party. The CPN is one of the predecessors of the GreenLeft.- Foundation :...
s, Humanist and ultra-orthodox Protestants also set up similar organisations; however, such groups were a lot smaller.
Institutions by pillar
The following table shows the most important institutions by pillar:| Protestant | Catholic Catholic The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"... |
Socialist Socialism Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,... |
Conservatism 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... /Liberalism Liberalism Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,... |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Political Party before 1945 | ARP (from 1879; gereformeerd 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:... ); NP/National Party (1888–1897; hervormd 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... ); CHK Christian Historical Voters' League The Christian Historical Voters' League is a Dutch conservative protestant political party. The CHK is historically linked to the Christian Democratic Appeal which is currently one of the major parties of the Netherlands.-Party History:The CHK was founded in 1897... (1897–1903; hervormd); VAR Free Anti Revolutionary Party The Free Anti Revolutionary Party was a Dutch conservative Reformed political party, which existed from 1898 to 1903... (1898–1903; hervormd); CHP Christian Historical Party The Christian Historical Party was a Dutch conservative Reformed political party, which existed from 1903 to 1908... (from 1903; hervormd); FB Frisian League The League of caucuses on Christian Historical foundation in the province of Friesland is a Dutch conservative Reformed political party... (1898–1908; Fryslân Frisians The Frisians are a Germanic ethnic group native to the coastal parts of the Netherlands and Germany. They are concentrated in the Dutch provinces of Friesland and Groningen and, in Germany, East Frisia and North Frisia, that was a part of Denmark until 1864. They inhabit an area known as Frisia... hervormd); CHU (from 1908; hervormd); SGP Reformed Political Party The Reformed Political Party is an orthodox Protestant Dutch political party. The term Reformed is not a reference to political reform, but is a synonym for Calvinist. The SGP is the oldest political party in the Netherlands in its current form, and for its entire existence has been in opposition... (from 1918; from 1908; bevindelijk gereformeerd 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:... ); HGS Hervormd Gereformeerde Staatspartij The Hervormd Gereformeerde Staatspartij was a Dutch orthodox Protestant political party during the interbellum... (from 1921; anti-roomse Anti-Catholicism Anti-Catholicism is a generic term for discrimination, hostility or prejudice directed against Catholicism, and especially against the Catholic Church, its clergy or its adherents... hervormd) |
AB Algemeene Bond van RK-kiesverenigingen The General League of Roman Catholic Caucuses was a Dutch Catholic political party... (1904–1926); RKSP (from 1926) |
SDB Social Democratic League The Social Democratic League was a Dutch socialist political party. The SDB was the first socialist party to enter the Dutch House of Representatives.-Before 1881:... (1881–1900; Socialist); SDAP (from 1894; Guild Socialist); CPN Communist Party of the Netherlands The Communist Party of the Netherlands was a Dutch communist political party. The CPN is one of the predecessors of the GreenLeft.- Foundation :... (from 1909; Comunist); SP Socialist Party (Netherlands, interbellum) The Socialist Party was a Dutch revolutionary syndicalist libertarian socialist political party. The SP played only a minor role in Dutch political history.-Party History:... (1918–1929; Libertarian socialist); RSP Revolutionary Socialist Party (Netherlands) The Revolutionary Socialist Party was a Dutch socialist political party.-Predecessors:The oldest predecessor of the Revolutionary Socialist Party is the Revolutionary Socialist Union , a group of dissidents from the Communist Party Holland led by Henk Sneevliet... (1929–1935; Left communist); OSP Independent Socialist Party (Netherlands) The Independent Socialist Party was a revolutionary socialist political party in the Netherlands.-History:... (1932–1935; Revolutionary socialist); RSAP Revolutionary Socialist Party (Netherlands) The Revolutionary Socialist Party was a Dutch socialist political party.-Predecessors:The oldest predecessor of the Revolutionary Socialist Party is the Revolutionary Socialist Union , a group of dissidents from the Communist Party Holland led by Henk Sneevliet... (1935–1940; Council communist) |
LU Liberal Union The Liberal Union was a Dutch liberal political party. A major party in its time, the LU was one of the historic predecessors of the Liberal State Party, and therefore of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy.... (1885–1921; mainstream Mainstream Mainstream is, generally, the common current thought of the majority. However, the mainstream is far from cohesive; rather the concept is often considered a cultural construct.... Freethinking); BVL/Free Liberals League of Free Liberals The League of Free Liberals was a Dutch conservative liberal political party and a predecessor of the Liberal State Party which is historically linked to the VVD, the major Dutch liberal party.-Party History:... (1906–1921; old Old - Age :*Old age or, by extension, a description or nickname for someone or something that has endured and become comfortable or widely familiar.- Places :*Old, Hungary*Old, Northamptonshire, England... Freethinking); EB Economic League (Netherlands) The Economic League was a Dutch liberal political party. It played only a marginal role in Dutch politics.-Party History:... (1917–1921; free-market Freethinking); NP/Neutral Party Neutral Party The Neutral Party was a Dutch political party representing artists' interests. It played only a marginal role in Dutch politics.-History:... (1918–1921; Artists Freethinking); MP Middle Class Party The Middenstandspartij was a Dutch political party representing middle class interests. It played only a marginal role in Dutch politics.-Party History:... (1918–1921; Middle Class Middle class The middle class is any class of people in the middle of a societal hierarchy. In Weberian socio-economic terms, the middle class is the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socio-economically between the working class and upper class.... Freethinking); LSP/Freedom League (from 1921; right-wing Freethinking); RB/Radical League Radical League The Radical League was a Dutch progressive liberal political party. The league is historically linked with the PvdA.-Party History:... (1892–1901; progressive Progressive Progressive is an adjectival form of progress and may refer to:-Politics:* Progressivism, a political ideology* Progressive Era, a period of reform in the United States Progressive is an adjectival form of progress and may refer to:-Politics:* Progressivism, a political ideology* Progressive Era, a... Freethinking); VDB (from 1901; left-wing Freethinking); LP Liberal Party (Netherlands) The Liberal Party was a Dutch conservative liberal political party. The LP played only a marginal role in Dutch politics.-Party history:... (1922–1925; positivist Freethinking); VV Fatherland League (Netherlands) The Fatherland League was a Dutch liberal / reactionary political party founded in 1924.The party was founded on November 15, 1924, by members of various liberal groups, by initiative of J.A.A.H. de Beaufort and R.A. Fockema... (1925–1926; nationalist Freethinking); NSB National Socialist Movement in the Netherlands The National Socialist Movement in the Netherlands was a Dutch fascist and later national socialist political party. As a parliamentary party participating in legislative elections, the NSB had some success during the 1930s... (1932–1945; national socialist Freethinking) |
| Political Parties after 1945 | ARP (until 1977); CHU (until 1977); CDA 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... (from 1977; oecumenisch Ecumenism Ecumenism or oecumenism mainly refers to initiatives aimed at greater Christian unity or cooperation. It is used predominantly by and with reference to Christian denominations and Christian Churches separated by doctrine, history, and practice... ); PU (1946–1988; anti-roomse hervormd); GPV Reformed Political League The Reformed Political League was a Dutch orthodox Protestant political party. The GPV is one of the predecessors of the ChristenUnie... (1948–2000; gereformeerd vrijgemaakt); RPF Reformatory Political Federation The Reformatory Political Federation was a minor Protestant Christian political party in the Netherlands.-History:The RPF was founded in 1975 by three groups of orthodox Christians... (1977–2000; protestants Protestantism Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the... ); CU 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... (from 2000; gereformeerd/evangelisch Evangelicalism Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:... /protestants); SGP |
KVP (until 1977); CDA (from 1977; oecumenisch) |
PvdA Labour Party (Netherlands) The Labour Party , is a social-democratic political party in the Netherlands. Since the 2003 Dutch General Election, the PvdA has been the second largest political party in the Netherlands. The PvdA was a coalition member in the fourth Balkenende cabinet following 22 February 2007... (from 1945; Social-democratic Social democracy Social democracy is a political ideology of the center-left on the political spectrum. Social democracy is officially a form of evolutionary reformist socialism. It supports class collaboration as the course to achieve socialism... ); CPN (until 1989); PSP Pacifist Socialist Party The Pacifist Socialist Party was a Dutch left-socialist political party. The PSP played a small role in Dutch politics. It is a predecessor of the GreenLeft.-Before 1957:... (1957–1989; Anti-War Pacifism Pacifism is the opposition to war and violence. The term "pacifism" was coined by the French peace campaignerÉmile Arnaud and adopted by other peace activists at the tenth Universal Peace Congress inGlasgow in 1901.- Definition :... Left Socialist Socialism Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,... ); PPR (1968–1989; Christian Socialist Christian socialism Christian socialism generally refers to those on the Christian left whose politics are both Christian and socialist and who see these two philosophies as being interrelated. This category can include Liberation theology and the doctrine of the social gospel... ); GL/GreenLeft GreenLeft GreenLeft is a green political party operating in the Netherlands.GreenLeft was formed on 1 March 1989 as a merger of four left-wing political parties: the Communist Party of the Netherlands, Pacifist Socialist Party, the Political Party of Radicals and the Evangelical People's Party... (from 1989; Eco-socialism Eco-socialism Eco-socialism, green socialism or socialist ecology is an ideology merging aspects of Marxism, socialism, green politics, ecology and alter-globalization... ); SP. Socialist Party (Netherlands) The Socialist Party is a democratic socialist political party in the Netherlands. After the 2006 general election, the Socialist Party became one of the major parties of the Netherlands with 25 seats of 150, an increase of 16 seats. The party was in opposition against the fourth Balkenende cabinet... (from 1971; State Socialist State Socialism State Socialism was a term introduced to describe Otto von Bismarck's social welfare policies. The term was actually coined by Bismarck's liberal opposition but later accepted by Bismarck... ); NCPN (from 1992; Utopian Socialist Utopian socialism Utopian socialism is a term used to define the first currents of modern socialist thought as exemplified by the work of Saint-Simon, Charles Fourier, and Robert Owen which inspired Karl Marx and other early socialists and were looked on favorably... ) |
PvdV Freedom Party (Netherlands) The Freedom Party was a short lived Dutch liberal political party. The PvdV was a predecessor of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy.-Party History:... (1946–1948; Humanist Humanism Humanism is an approach in study, philosophy, world view or practice that focuses on human values and concerns. In philosophy and social science, humanism is a perspective which affirms some notion of human nature, and is contrasted with anti-humanism.... Freethinking); VVD People's Party for Freedom and Democracy The People's Party for Freedom and Democracy is a conservative-liberal political party located in the Netherlands. The VVD supports private enterprise in the Netherlands and is often perceived as an economic liberal party in contrast to the social-liberal Democrats 66 alongside which it sits in... (from 1948; Conservative Freethinking); D66 Democrats 66 Democrats 66 is a progressive and social-liberal political party in the Netherlands. D66 was formed in 1966 by a group of politically unaligned, young intellectuals, led by journalist Hans van Mierlo. The party's main objective was to democratise the political system; it proposed to create an... (from 1966; Liberal Liberalism Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,... Freethinking)); NVU Dutch Peoples-Union The Dutch Peoples-Union is a Dutch political party. Because of its many calls for the rehabilitation of convicted World War II war criminals and SS costumes worn at demonstrations, it is counted among the most extreme right of Dutch politics... (from 1971; Great Dutch Freethinking); ToN Proud of the Netherlands Proud of the Netherlands is a Dutch Political party. The party was founded on 17 October 2007 by Rita Verdonk, who at that time was an independent member of the House of Representatives. Verdonk declared that her movement would consist of "sympathizers" and, like the Party for Freedom, would not... (from 2007; National Conservative National conservatism National conservatism is a political term used primarily in Europe to describe a variant of conservatism which concentrates more on national interests than standard conservatism as well as upholding cultural and ethnic identity, while not being outspokenly nationalist or supporting a far-right... Freethinking) |
| broadcasting organisation | NCRV (Dutch Christian Radio Association) NCRV NCRV is a public radio and television broadcaster in the Netherlands, mostly transmitting on Nederland 1 and Nederland 2.... ; VPRO (Free Protestant Radio Broadcasting Organisation) VPRO The VPRO was established in the Netherlands in 1926 as a religious broadcasting organization. Falling under the Protestant pillar, it represented the Liberal Protestant current... ; EO (Evangelic Broadcasting) Evangelische Omroep Evangelische Omroep is one of the twelve member-based broadcasting associations contributing to the Netherlands Public Broadcasting system. It has as its mission to bring people into contact with Jesus Christ and its statement of faith is a form of Evangelicalism... ; IKON (Interdenominational Broadcasting Netherland Interkerkelijke Omroep Nederland The Interkerkelijke Omroep Nederland is a Dutch public broadcaster which makes radio and television broadcasts on behalf of seven church communities. Next to broadcasting IKON also offers other services such as Teletekst, the IKON newspaper, the IKON pastorate and Internet. In IKON's airtime the... ); ZvK (Airtime for Churches) |
KRO (Catholic Radio Broadcasting Organisation) KRO KRO, or Katholieke Radio Omroep , is a Dutch public broadcasting organization founded on 23 April 1925. Broadly Catholic in its spiritual outlook, KRO broadcasts the bulk of its television output on the Nederland 1 channel. KRO is also responsible for managing broadcasts made by the Catholic Church... ; RKK Omroep (Roman Catholic Communion Broadcasting) |
VARA (Association of Workers' Radio Amateurs) VARA (broadcaster) The Omroepvereniging VARA is a Dutch public broadcasting association operating within the framework of the Nederlandse Publieke Omroep system, founded in 1925 as the Vereeniging van Arbeiders Radio Amateurs... ; NPS (Dutch Programme Corporation) Nederlandse Programma Stichting NTR is a Dutch public-service broadcaster. It supplies television and radio programming of an educational and cultural nature to the Netherlands Public Broadcasting system.... ; LLiNK Omroep (Left Broadcasting) LLiNK LLiNK is a Dutch broadcasting association which formerly produced radio and television programmes for the Netherlands Public Broadcasting system, NPO... |
NPO (Dutch Public Broadcasting); AVRO (General United Radio Broadcasting Organisation); RVU (Radio Folk's University) Open University (Netherlands) The Open Universiteit Nederland is a Dutch university or institution for distance learning for higher education at university level . This means that students do not attend classes but study at home... ; NRU (Dutch Radio Union) Nederlandse Omroep Stichting The Nederlandse Omroep Stichting , English: Netherlands Broadcasting Foundation, is one of the broadcasters in the Netherlands Public Broadcasting system... ; RNW (Radio Netherlands Worldwide); NTS (Dutch Television Corporation) Nederlandse Omroep Stichting The Nederlandse Omroep Stichting , English: Netherlands Broadcasting Foundation, is one of the broadcasters in the Netherlands Public Broadcasting system... ; VRON (Free Radio Broadcasting Netherland) Radio Veronica Radio Veronica was an offshore radio station that began broadcasting in 1960, and broadcast from offshore for over fourteen years. It was set up by independent radio, TV and household electrical retailers in the Netherlands to stimulate the sales of radio receivers by providing an alternative to... ; NOT (Dutch Educational Television) Not Not is the general declarative form of no, indicating a negation of a related statement which it usually precedes. "Not" may refer to:* Not!, an expression used as a contradiction, especially during the early 1990s... ; Teleac (Television Academy) Teleac Teleac may refer to several villages in Romania:* Teleac, a village in Ciugud Commune, Alba County* Teleac, a village in Budureasa Commune, Bihor County* Teleac, a village in Feliceni Commune, Harghita County... ; TROS (Television & Radio Broadcasting Organisation) TROS TROS is a Dutch television and radio organization part of the Netherlands Public Broadcasting... ; NOS (Dutch Broadcasting Corporation) Nederlandse Omroep Stichting The Nederlandse Omroep Stichting , English: Netherlands Broadcasting Foundation, is one of the broadcasters in the Netherlands Public Broadcasting system... ; HOS (Humanist Broadcasting Foundation) Humanistische Omroep Humanistische Omroep is a special broadcaster on the Netherlands Public Broadcasting system, which is allowed to broadcast on radio and television because of their spiritual background... ; Zomer-TV (Summer-TV) BVN BVN which is the abbreviation of Het beste van Vlaanderen en Nederland is a satellite and cable television channel – a joint venture by Radio Netherlands Worldwide , the Flemish and Dutch public broadcasting organizations Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroep and Nederlandse Publieke Omroep ... ; Wereldomroep TV (World Broadcasting TV) BVN BVN which is the abbreviation of Het beste van Vlaanderen en Nederland is a satellite and cable television channel – a joint venture by Radio Netherlands Worldwide , the Flemish and Dutch public broadcasting organizations Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroep and Nederlandse Publieke Omroep ... ; BNN (Flagrant News Network); BVN Omroep (The best of Flanders and Netherland Broadcasting) BVN BVN which is the abbreviation of Het beste van Vlaanderen en Nederland is a satellite and cable television channel – a joint venture by Radio Netherlands Worldwide , the Flemish and Dutch public broadcasting organizations Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroep and Nederlandse Publieke Omroep ... ; Omroep MAX (Maximum Broadcasting) Omroep MAX Omroep MAX is a broadcast station in the Netherlands. The focus of MAX is on people with an age of 50 years and older. MAX is broadcasted on Nederland 1 and Nederland 2.... ; POWNED (Sane Netherland And Such Public Broadcasting) GeenStijl.nl GeenStijl.nl is a Dutch blog founded on April 10, 2003. The logos it uses on its website are a female silhouette using a chainsaw and a crown within a circle, both in a pinkish colour, although the crown in a circle is green with a black edge when it is embedded in online videos... ; WNL Omroep (Awake Netherland Broadcasting) De Telegraaf De Telegraaf is the largest Dutch daily morning newspaper, with a daily circulation of approximately . De Telegraaf is based in Amsterdam... |
| Youth Movements | ARJOS (gereformeerd); CHJO (hervormd); JG (anti-roomse hervormd); CDJA (non-denominational); GPJC (gereformeerd vrijgemaakt); RPFj (Protestant); PerspectieF PerspectieF PerspectieF – Young Christian Union is the youth wing of the ChristianUnion, a Christian democratic political party in the Netherlands. PerspectieF was founded on 23 September 2000 as a merger between the RPF-jongeren and GPJC, the youth organisations of the Reformatory Political Federation and... (Protestant); SGPJ (bevindelijk gereformeerd) |
KVP (until 1977); CDA (from 1977; oecumenisch) |
PvdA Labour Party (Netherlands) The Labour Party , is a social-democratic political party in the Netherlands. Since the 2003 Dutch General Election, the PvdA has been the second largest political party in the Netherlands. The PvdA was a coalition member in the fourth Balkenende cabinet following 22 February 2007... (from 1945; Social-democratic Social democracy Social democracy is a political ideology of the center-left on the political spectrum. Social democracy is officially a form of evolutionary reformist socialism. It supports class collaboration as the course to achieve socialism... ); CPN (until 1989); PSP Pacifist Socialist Party The Pacifist Socialist Party was a Dutch left-socialist political party. The PSP played a small role in Dutch politics. It is a predecessor of the GreenLeft.-Before 1957:... (1957–1989; Anti-War Pacifism Pacifism is the opposition to war and violence. The term "pacifism" was coined by the French peace campaignerÉmile Arnaud and adopted by other peace activists at the tenth Universal Peace Congress inGlasgow in 1901.- Definition :... Left Socialist Socialism Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,... ); PPR (1968–1989; Christian Socialist Christian socialism Christian socialism generally refers to those on the Christian left whose politics are both Christian and socialist and who see these two philosophies as being interrelated. This category can include Liberation theology and the doctrine of the social gospel... ); GL/GreenLeft GreenLeft GreenLeft is a green political party operating in the Netherlands.GreenLeft was formed on 1 March 1989 as a merger of four left-wing political parties: the Communist Party of the Netherlands, Pacifist Socialist Party, the Political Party of Radicals and the Evangelical People's Party... (from 1989; Eco-socialism Eco-socialism Eco-socialism, green socialism or socialist ecology is an ideology merging aspects of Marxism, socialism, green politics, ecology and alter-globalization... ); SP. Socialist Party (Netherlands) The Socialist Party is a democratic socialist political party in the Netherlands. After the 2006 general election, the Socialist Party became one of the major parties of the Netherlands with 25 seats of 150, an increase of 16 seats. The party was in opposition against the fourth Balkenende cabinet... (from 1971; State Socialist State Socialism State Socialism was a term introduced to describe Otto von Bismarck's social welfare policies. The term was actually coined by Bismarck's liberal opposition but later accepted by Bismarck... ); NCPN (from 1992; Utopian Socialist Utopian socialism Utopian socialism is a term used to define the first currents of modern socialist thought as exemplified by the work of Saint-Simon, Charles Fourier, and Robert Owen which inspired Karl Marx and other early socialists and were looked on favorably... ) |
Jeugdstorm (National Socialist Freethinking); JOVD Youth Organisation Freedom and Democracy The Youth Organisation Freedom and Democracy , officially abbreviated as JOVD, is one of the oldest political youth organisations in the Netherlands. It is a liberal organisation for people aged between fourteen and thirty one... (Conservative Freethinking); JD Jonge Democraten The Young Democrats is the social-liberal youth organisation of the Netherlands, founded in 1984. With over 5000 members it's the largest non-Christian political youth organisation of the Netherlands... (Liberal Freethinking); GJN (Great Dutch Freethinking); JT (National Conservative Freethinking) |
| Unions Trade unions in the Netherlands Trade Unions play a major role in the corporatist Dutch economy.In 2001 about 25% of the Dutch people who were employed were organized in a union... |
CNV (Christian National Union) Christelijk Nationaal Vakverbond The Christelijk Nationaal Vakverbond is a federation of trade unions of the Netherlands.-History:... ; NWV Patrimonium (gereformeerd) |
NKV (Dutch Catholic Union) (until 1976; FNV Federatie Nederlandse Vakbeweging The Federatie Nederlandse Vakbeweging is a federation of trade unions of the Netherlands.-History:... ) |
NVV (Dutch Alliance of Unions) Nederlands Verbond van Vakverenigingen The Nederlands Verbond van Vakverenigingen was a Dutch social-democratic trade union.-History:... (until 1976; FNV) |
ANWV (General Dutch Workers' Unions) |
| Employers | PCW VNO-NCW VNO-NCW is a Dutch employers' federation.-History:VNO-NCW was founded in 1996 as fusion of the Christian-democratic Nederlands Christelijk Werkgeversverbond , which was founded as fusion of the Protestant PCW and the Catholic NKW, and the liberal Verbond van Nederlandse Ondernemingen... |
NKW VNO-NCW VNO-NCW is a Dutch employers' federation.-History:VNO-NCW was founded in 1996 as fusion of the Christian-democratic Nederlands Christelijk Werkgeversverbond , which was founded as fusion of the Protestant PCW and the Catholic NKW, and the liberal Verbond van Nederlandse Ondernemingen... |
none | VNO VNO-NCW VNO-NCW is a Dutch employers' federation.-History:VNO-NCW was founded in 1996 as fusion of the Christian-democratic Nederlands Christelijk Werkgeversverbond , which was founded as fusion of the Protestant PCW and the Catholic NKW, and the liberal Verbond van Nederlandse Ondernemingen... |
| Newspapers | De Standaard De Standaard De Standaard is a Flemish daily newspaper published in Belgium by Corelio . Circulation was about 102.280 in 2007. It was traditionally a Christian-Democratic paper, associated with the Christian-Democratic and Flemish Party, and in opposition to the Socialist Flemish daily De Morgen... (gereformeerd); Friesch Dagblad Friesch Dagblad The Friesch Dagblad is a Dutch daily newspaper founded in 1903. It covers the region of Friesland with news reports written from a protestant perspective... (Fryslân Frisians The Frisians are a Germanic ethnic group native to the coastal parts of the Netherlands and Germany. They are concentrated in the Dutch provinces of Friesland and Groningen and, in Germany, East Frisia and North Frisia, that was a part of Denmark until 1864. They inhabit an area known as Frisia... gereformeerd); Trouw Trouw Trouw is a Dutch daily newspaper. "Trouw" is a Dutch word meaning "fidelity", "loyalty", or "allegiance", and is cognate with the English adjective "true"... (gereformeerd); Nederlands Dagblad Nederlands Dagblad The Nederlands Dagblad is a Dutch newspaper, available throughout the country, with a daily circulation of about 33,000 issues in 2006. In 2000, the circulation was 32,000 issues.... (vrijgemaakt); Reformatorisch Dagblad Reformatorisch Dagblad The Reformatorisch Dagblad is a Dutch protestant newspaper with a circulation of around 60,000, headquartered in Apeldoorn. The conservative newspaper was founded in 1971 and is associated with the Reformed Political Party; it is one of only a handful daily national papers remaining in the... (gereformeerd) |
Volkskrant | Het Vrije Volk Het Vrije Volk Het Vrije Volk was a Dutch social-democratic daily newspaper. It was the successor, after World War II, of the socialist daily Het Volk.After World War II, it appeared legally 1 March 1945 in Eindhoven... |
Staatscourant Staatscourant The Staatscourant was the newspaper published by the Dutch state containing new laws and various governmental announcements, such as bankruptcies or prenuptial agreements.-End of the Staatscourant:... (Public journal Public journal A public journal is a day-by-day record of the business and proceedings of a public body.... ); Algemeen Handelsblad Algemeen Handelsblad Algemeen Handelsblad was an influential Amsterdam-based liberal daily newspaper, founded in 1828 by J.W. van den Biesen. At the peak of its influence -- from the time of the Boer War, when it championed the Boer cause in South Africa, through World War I -- it was edited by Charles Boissevain.It... (until 1970); Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant The Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant was an influential Rotterdam-based liberal daily newspaper, founded in 1844 by Henricus Nijgh.It merged in 1970 with the Amsterdam-based liberal daily newspaper Algemeen Handelsblad to form the NRC Handelsblad.... (until 1970); NRC Handelsblad NRC Handelsblad NRC Handelsblad, often abbreviated to NRC, is a daily evening newspaper published in the Netherlands by NRC Media. The newspaper was created on October 1, 1970, from merger of the Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant and Algemeen Handelsblad . In 2006 a morning newspaper, nrc•next, was launched... (from 1970); De Telegraaf De Telegraaf De Telegraaf is the largest Dutch daily morning newspaper, with a daily circulation of approximately . De Telegraaf is based in Amsterdam... ; Sp!ts; nrc.next Nrc.next nrc•next is a Dutch daily newspaper published in the Netherlands by NRC Media. The first edition was released on March 14, 2006. nrc•next is a morning edition tabloid, and its primary target group are young higher educated people.-History:... |
| Schools | "School with bible"(Protestant oriented school), Protestant Education | Roman Catholic School | Free Schools, Public Schools | Public Schools |
| Universities | Protestantse Theologische Universiteit (hervormd); Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (gereformeerd); Theological University of the Christian Reformed Churches (bevindelijk gereformeerd); Theologische Universiteit (vrijgemaakt) |
Radboud Universiteit Radboud University Nijmegen Radboud University Nijmegen is a public university with a strong focus on research in Nijmegen, the Netherlands... ; Katholieke Universiteit Brabant |
State-sponsored universities; Universiteit voor Humanistiek Universiteit voor Humanistiek University for Humanistics is a university in Utrecht, Netherlands.The University for Humanistics at Utrecht is the youngest university in the Netherlands. It is also the only university offering a degree programme in humanistics – humanist studies... ; Nyenrode Business Universiteit Nyenrode Business Universiteit Nyenrode Business Universiteit, also spelled as Nijenrode, is a Dutch business school and the only private university in the Netherlands. Founded in 1946, it is located on a large estate in the town of Breukelen, between Amsterdam and Utrecht.-History:... |
|
| Hospitals | Green/Orange Cross | White/Yellow Cross | Green Cross | |
| Sport clubs | NCSU; NSA; TvA TVA -Organizations:*Tennessee Valley Authority*Toronto Vegetarian Association*Tibetan Volunteers for Animals*TVA Media, a media corporation operating out of Littleton, Colorado formerly called The Valley Authority.*Tidewater Volleyball Association-Television:... |
NKS; NSA |
NASB; NRS; NCS; NSA |
NSF |
| Recreation (examples) | Saturday football Hoofdklasse The Hoofdklasse is the 2nd highest league of amateur football in the Netherlands, and the fourth tier in general.-Background:The league is divided into two sections: Saturday and Sunday. This is a result of the traditional pillarisation , the segregation of Dutch society. The Saturday-clubs are by... , Weekend rugby |
Sunday football Hoofdklasse The Hoofdklasse is the 2nd highest league of amateur football in the Netherlands, and the fourth tier in general.-Background:The league is divided into two sections: Saturday and Sunday. This is a result of the traditional pillarisation , the segregation of Dutch society. The Saturday-clubs are by... |
Dancing Schools, Sunday football, Korfball | Folk dancing, Weekend rugby, Hockey, Weekend football |
Depillarisation
After World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
liberals and socialists, but also Protestants and Catholics, began to doubt the pillarised system. They founded a unity movement, the People's Movement Nederlandse Volksbeweging
Nederlandse Volksbeweging
The Nederlandse Volksbeweging was a political reform movement established in the Netherlands in 1945, immediately after the Second World War....
. Progressives of all pillars (including the Catholic resistance movement Christofoor) were united in this. They wanted a breakthrough (doorbraak) of the political system. But pillarisation was ingrained in Dutch society, and could not be defeated that easily. Even the People's Movement suffered from this, it was associated with the socialist party, SDAP
SDAP
# Sociaal Democratische Arbeiders Partij, a Dutch political party that later merged into the Partij van de Arbeid# Social Democratic Workers' Party of Germany, a German political party that later merged into the Social Democratic Party of Germany...
, and its ideology was socialism combined with democratic principles. Only the left liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
VDB
VDB
VDB is a three-letter abbreviation and may refer to:The IATA-designator for Fagernes Airport, Leirin People* Victor David Brenner, designer of a U.S...
and the minor Protestant CDU
Christian Democratic Union (Netherlands)
The Christian-Democratic Union was a minor Christian left party in the Netherlands in the interbellum.-History:...
joined the SDAP to form a new political party: the Labour Party, Partij van de Arbeid in 1946.
During the 1960s these pillars, particularly under political criticism from D66
Democrats 66
Democrats 66 is a progressive and social-liberal political party in the Netherlands. D66 was formed in 1966 by a group of politically unaligned, young intellectuals, led by journalist Hans van Mierlo. The party's main objective was to democratise the political system; it proposed to create an...
and the group Nieuw Links (New Left) in PvdA, largely broke down. For example, over time VPRO
VPRO
The VPRO was established in the Netherlands in 1926 as a religious broadcasting organization. Falling under the Protestant pillar, it represented the Liberal Protestant current...
moved towards the general pillar. Television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
was also pillarised, but in its early years (the 1950s) it had only one station, which meant that everyone watched the same broadcasts. Young people did not want to be associated with these organisations. Because of this and of increased mobility, many people saw that people from the other pillar were not that different from themselves. Increased wealth and education made people independent of many of these institutions. From 1973, ARP and CHU of the Protestant pillar united with Catholic KVP in CDA
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...
, they first entered in elections in 1977
Dutch general election, 1977
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on May 25, 1977....
. From 1976, the Catholic trade union NKV cooperated with NVV of the Socialist pillar to merge into the FNV
Federatie Nederlandse Vakbeweging
The Federatie Nederlandse Vakbeweging is a federation of trade unions of the Netherlands.-History:...
in 1982.
By the 21st century, the "total" pillarisation of society has disappeared but many remnants can be seen: public television for instance is divided over several pillarised organisations, instead of being one organisation, as is the education system
Education in the Netherlands
Education in the Netherlands is characterized by division: education is orientated toward the needs and background of the pupil. Education is divided over schools for different age groups, some of which are divided in streams for different educational levels...
, split between public and religious schools
Special school (Netherlands)
A special school , in the education system of the Netherlands, is a separate category from a public or private school. It is not to be confused with "speciaal onderwijs", which refers to schools specialized to deal with severe learning disabilities.It is administered by an independent board, as...
. Moreover, there are small pillars that still exist today. Members of the Reformed Churches (liberated) have their own (primary and secondary) schools, their own national newspaper, and some other organizations, such as a labor union. Members of several pietist Reformed Churches have also founded their own schools, newspaper and political party. Increasingly, Muslim immigrants in the Netherlands
Islam in the Netherlands
The history of Islam in the Netherlands started in the 19th century when the Netherlands experienced sporadic Muslim migration from the Dutch East Indies when it was a colony from the Netherlands...
are also using the possibilities of the pillarized structure of society, by setting up their own schools.
Belgium
Pillarisation in Belgium was very similar, although there was no Protestant pillar. Also there was no "general" pillar, but a politically well-organised liberal pillar. In both FlandersFlanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
and Wallonia, societies are pillarised. In Flanders, Catholics were the dominant pillar, in Wallonia the Socialists were.
Even though the liberals are stronger in Belgium (particularly in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
) than in the Netherlands, they are still relatively weak, due to their rather small, bourgeois support: liberal trade unions are very small. De Tijd
De Tijd
De Tijd , formerly De Financieel-Economische Tijd , is a Belgian broadsheet newspaper that mainly focuses on business and economics...
, a financial daily, is the newspaper aligned with the liberals. This is due to its readers only, not to editorial policies. However, a Flemish newspaper with historical liberal roots, Het Laatste Nieuws
Het Laatste Nieuws
Het Laatste Nieuws is a Dutch language newspaper based in Brussels, Belgium. It was founded by Julius Hoste Sr. on 7 June 1888. It is now part of De Persgroep, and has a circulation of 292,410 copies, making it the most popular newspaper in Flanders and Belgium.- Comics :During World War II, The...
, also exists.
Denominational (many Catholic and a few Jewish) schools receive some public money, although not parity of funding as in the Netherlands, so that tuition is almost completely free. Belgian universities charge more or less the same, relatively low, tuition fees.
As a consequence of the language struggle in the latter half of the twentieth century, the pillars split over the language issue that became the most significant divisive factor in the nation. Now every language group has three pillars of its own. The pillar system was the primordial societal divide much longer in Belgium than it was in the Netherlands. Only near the end of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
did it begin to lose importance, at least at the individual level, and to this day it continues to influence Belgian society. For example, even the 1999–2003 "Rainbow Coalition
Rainbow Coalition
Rainbow Coalition may refer to any of the following groups:* National Rainbow Coalition, a former Kenyan political party* The 24th Government of Ireland, formed after the previous coalition fell apart...
" of Guy Verhofstadt
Guy Verhofstadt
Guy Verhofstadt is a Belgian politician who was the 47th Prime Minister of Belgium from 1999 to 2008. He is currently a Member of the European Parliament and leader of the Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe.- Early career :...
was often rendered with the terms of pillarisation. Political currents which rose in late 20th century (Vlaams Blok
Vlaams Blok
The Vlaams Blok was a Belgian far-right and secessionist political party with an anti-immigration platform. Its ideologies embraced Flemish nationalism, calling for the independence of Flanders. From its creation in 1978, it was the most notable militant right wing of the Flemish movement. Vlaams...
, now Vlaams Belang
Vlaams Belang
Vlaams Belang is a Belgian far-right political party in the Flemish Region and Brussels that advocates the independence of Flanders and strict limits on immigration, whereby immigrants would be obliged to adopt Flemish culture and language...
, AGaLev and the Arab European League
Arab European League
The Arab European League or AEL is a radical Pan-Arabist civil rights movement/organization in Belgium and the Netherlands.-Foundation:...
(AEL)), did not attempt to build pillars.
Pillarisation was visible even in everyday social organisations such as musical ensembles, sport clubs, recreational facilities, etc. Although weakened in the contemporary situation, many major social organisations (trade unions, cooperatives, etc.) still strictly follow the lines of pillars.
Institutions by pillar with their ethnic divisions
The following table is limited to the most important institutions and it shows the current division of everyone by the three ethnic groups.| Flemish Flemish people The Flemings or Flemish are the Dutch-speaking inhabitants of Belgium, where they are mostly found in the northern region of Flanders. They are one of two principal cultural-linguistic groups in Belgium, the other being the French-speaking Walloons... Catholic Catholic The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"... |
Walloon Walloons Walloons are a French-speaking people who live in Belgium, principally in Wallonia. Walloons are a distinctive community within Belgium, important historical and anthropological criteria bind Walloons to the French people. More generally, the term also refers to the inhabitants of the Walloon... Catholic |
German German-speaking Community of Belgium The German-speaking Community of Belgium is one of the three federal communities of Belgium. Covering an area of 854 km² within the province of Liège in Wallonia, it includes nine of the eleven municipalities of the so-called East Cantons... Catholic |
Flemish Socialist Socialism Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,... |
Walloon Socialist | German Socialist | Flemish Liberal Liberalism Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,... |
Walloon Liberal | German Liberal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Political Parties before 1945 | Catholic Party Catholic Party (Belgium) The first Catholic Party in Belgium was established in 1869 as the Confessional Catholic Party .-History:In 1852 a Union Constitutionelle et Conservatrice was founded in Ghent, in Leuven , and in Antwerp and Brussels in 1858, which were active only during elections... |
Catholic Party | Catholic Party | Belgian Labour Party Belgian Labour Party The Belgian Labour Party, called Belgische Werkliedenpartij in Dutch and Parti Ouvrier Belge in French, was the first socialist party in Belgium, founded in 1885.-History:... |
Belgian Labour Party | Belgian Labour Party | PVV/PRL | PVV/PRL | PVV/PRL |
| Political Parties between 1945 and 1970 | CVP/PSC | CVP/PSC | CVP/PSC | BSP/PSB | BSP/PSB | BSP/PSB | PVV/PRL | PVV/PRL | PVV/PRL |
| Political Parties between 1970 and 1995 | CVP | PSC | CSP | SP.A | PS Socialist Party (francophone Belgium) The Socialist Party is a Francophone social-democratic political party in Belgium. As of the 2010 elections, it is the second largest party in the Belgian Chamber of Representatives and the largest Francophone party... |
SP Socialist Party (francophone Belgium) The Socialist Party is a Francophone social-democratic political party in Belgium. As of the 2010 elections, it is the second largest party in the Belgian Chamber of Representatives and the largest Francophone party... |
PVV Party for Freedom and Progress The Party for Freedom and Progress was a liberal party in Belgium which existed from 1961 until 1992 and was the successor of the Liberal Party, which had roots dating back to 1846. It was succeeded in Flanders by the Flemish Liberals and Democrats and in Wallonia by the Parti Réformateur... |
PRL Liberal Reformist Party The Parti Réformateur Libéral was a Belgian liberal party active in Wallonia and Brussels. It grew out of the unitiarian PVV-PLP and has since become part of the Mouvement Réformateur.-PVV-PLP:* Omer Vanaudenhove 1961 - 1968... |
PFF Partei für Freiheit und Fortschritt The Party for Freedom and Progress is a regional liberal party in Belgium, only active in the tiny German-speaking Community of Belgium.... |
| Political Parties after 1995 | CD&V | CDH | CSP | SP.A | PS | SP | VLD | MR | PFF |
| Trade Unions | ACV; Boerenbond |
CSC | Boerenbond | ABVV | FGTB | none | ACLVB | CGSLB | none |
| Health Insurance | Christelijke Mutualiteit | Mutualité chrétienne | Christlichen Krankenkasse | Socialistische Mutualiteit | Mutualité socialiste | Sozialistische Krankenkasse | Liberale Mutualiteit | Mutualité Libérale | Freie Krankenkasse |
| Hospitals | White/Yellow Cross | Christian Fund | Christian Fund | (Center for) Homecare | Socialist Fund | Socialist Fund | Solidarity for the Family | Liberal Fund | Liberal Fund |
| Aid agencies | Caritas Vlaanderen | Caritas en Belgique Francophone-Deutschsprachiges Belgien | Caritas en Belgique Francophone-Deutschsprachiges Belgien | FOS-Socialistische Solidariteit | Solidarité Socialiste-FCD | FCD | none | none | none |
| Newspapers | De Standaard De Standaard De Standaard is a Flemish daily newspaper published in Belgium by Corelio . Circulation was about 102.280 in 2007. It was traditionally a Christian-Democratic paper, associated with the Christian-Democratic and Flemish Party, and in opposition to the Socialist Flemish daily De Morgen... ; Gazet van Antwerpen Gazet van Antwerpen The Gazet van Antwerpen is a Belgian newspaper in Antwerp and Flanders, published by Concentra.-History:... ; Het Volk Het Volk (newspaper) Het Volk was a Belgian newspaper that focused on "news with a human undertone".-Mission statement:"You will find what you are looking for in Het Volk, the only newspaper where people really make the news. You will read everything on small and big events in your neighborhoods, your cities and far... ; Het Belang van Limburg Het Belang van Limburg Het Belang van Limburg is a Belgian regional newspaper. The newspaper was founded in 1933 as a merger of a few weekly magazines.- External links :* *... ; Het Nieuwsblad Het Nieuwsblad Het Nieuwsblad is a Belgian newspaper that mainly focusses on "a broad view" regarding politics, culture, economics, lifestyle, society and sports.-Mission statement:... |
La Libre Belgique La Libre Belgique La Libre Belgique is a Belgian newspaper in French. In Belgium, it can be roughly seen as an equivalent of Flemish De Standaard. The paper is widely perceived as pro-catholic... |
Grenz-Echo Grenz-Echo Grenz-Echo is the only German-speaking daily newspaper in Belgium, aimed at the German-speaking community and the neighbouring areas in the east of the country. The newspaper calls itself a politically independent, tolerant and Christian daily. The paper prints six days per week in an average... |
Vooruit (until 1978); Volksgazet (until 1978); De Morgen De Morgen De Morgen is a Flemish newspaper with a circulation of 53,860. It originates from a merger in 1978 of two socialist newspapers Vooruit and Volksgazet .... (since 1978) |
none | none | Het Laatste Nieuws Het Laatste Nieuws Het Laatste Nieuws is a Dutch language newspaper based in Brussels, Belgium. It was founded by Julius Hoste Sr. on 7 June 1888. It is now part of De Persgroep, and has a circulation of 292,410 copies, making it the most popular newspaper in Flanders and Belgium.- Comics :During World War II, The... ; De Tijd De Tijd De Tijd , formerly De Financieel-Economische Tijd , is a Belgian broadsheet newspaper that mainly focuses on business and economics... |
Le Soir Le Soir Le Soir is a Berliner Format Belgian newspaper. Le Soir was founded in 1887 by Emile Rossel. It is the most popular Francophone newspaper in Belgium, and considered a newspaper of record.-Editorial stance:... |
none |
| Cultural Associations | Davidsfonds Davidsfonds The Davidsfonds is a Catholic organisation in Flanders, Belgium with the purpose of promoting the Flemish culture in the areas of literature, history and art.... |
none | none | Vermeylenfonds Vermeylenfonds The Vermeylenfonds is a non-profit Flemish cultural socialist organization. The Vermeylenfonds was founded in 1945, in Brussels with the aim of studying and of continuing the work of August Vermeylen... |
none | none | Willemsfonds Willemsfonds The Willemsfonds, named after Jan Frans Willems, is a non-profit cultural organization founded in the 19th century to promote Flemish culture and language in Belgium. In order to achieve this goal, the organization encouraged Flemish folk song, organized linguistic games and published inexpensive... |
none | none |
| Schools | Flemish Secretariat for Catholic Education (Catholic Schools), Flemish Association of Catholic Colleges | Catholic Schools | Catholic Schools | Public Schools | Public Schools | Public Schools | Public Schools, Non-denominational private schools | Public Schools, Non-denominational private schools | Public Schools, Non-denominational private schools |
| Youth organizations | KVHV; SGV Scouts en Gidsen Vlaanderen Scouts en Gidsen Vlaanderen is a Christian, coeducational, Flemish Scout and Guide organisation in Belgium and is a member of the Guidisme et Scoutisme en Belgique/Gidsen- en Scoutsbeweging in België .The way of working of Scouts en Gidsen Vlaanderen is based on five basic principles: Joint... ; JONGCD&V; Katholische Academische Verbindung Leuven Katholische Academische Verbindung Lovania Leuven Katholische Academische Verbindung Lovania Leuven is a Catholic academic fraternity, founded in 1896 at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. It is a German Studentenverbindung and is an affiliated member of the Cartellverband der katholischen deutschen Studentenverbindungen. Her... ; Chiro Chiro Chiro is a Flemish youth organisation, founded on Christian values, now only tenuously held, with 94,311 members . While mainly focusing on having fun, it also aims at developing youngsters' responsibility and skills.... |
FSC; GCB; Jeunes cdH |
Die Junge Mitte; FSC; GCB |
Rode Valken; Animo Jong Links |
MJS | MJS | FOS FOS Open Scouting FOS Open Scouting or FOS is a pluralistic, internationally oriented, coeducational, Flemish Scout and Guide organisation in Belgium and is a member of the Guidisme et Scoutisme en Belgique/Gidsen- en Scoutsbeweging in België... ; VLDJONG |
SGP; Les Jeunes Réformateurs |
JFF Partei für Freiheit und Fortschritt The Party for Freedom and Progress is a regional liberal party in Belgium, only active in the tiny German-speaking Community of Belgium.... ; SGP; MJS |
| Major Universities | Katholieke Universiteit Leuven Katholieke Universiteit Leuven The Katholieke Universiteit Leuven is a Dutch-speaking university in Flanders, Belgium.It is located at the centre of the historic town of Leuven, and is a prominent part of the city, home to the university since 1425... |
Université catholique de Louvain Université catholique de Louvain The Université catholique de Louvain, sometimes known, especially in Belgium, as UCL, is Belgium's largest French-speaking university. It is located in Louvain-la-Neuve and in Brussels... |
none | Rijksuniversiteit Gent | University of Liège University of Liège The University of Liège , in Liège, Wallonia, Belgium, is a major public university in the French Community of Belgium. Its official language is French.-History:... |
none | Vrije Universiteit Brussel Vrije Universiteit Brussel The Vrije Universiteit Brussel is a Flemish university located in Brussels, Belgium. It has two campuses referred to as Etterbeek and Jette.The university's name is sometimes abbreviated by "VUB" or translated to "Free University of Brussels"... |
Université Libre de Bruxelles Université Libre de Bruxelles The Université libre de Bruxelles is a French-speaking university in Brussels, Belgium. It has 21,000 students, 29% of whom come from abroad, and an equally cosmopolitan staff.-Name:... |
none |
| Other Universities | Universiteit Antwerpen; Industriële Hogeschool Brabant Groep T Group T is a college in Leuven, Belgium. The school was formed by a fusion of an existing school for technical engineers and the Provinciale Normaalschool... ; Hogeschool-Universiteit; Vlaams Verbond van Katholieke Hogescholen Katholieke Hogeschool Kempen The Katholieke Hogeschool Kempen is a university college where students can obtain a professional bachelor's degree in several domains... |
Université de Namur; Facultés Universitaires Catholiques de Mons Facultés universitaires catholiques de Mons The Catholic university of Mons is a private university in the French Community of Belgium in Mons, Wallonia, Belgium. Its official language is French.... ; Facultés universitaires Saint-Louis Facultés universitaires Saint-Louis The Facultés universitaires Saint-Louis in Brussels, Belgium is a public university in the French Community of Belgium. Its official language is French... |
none | Trans-Universiteit Limburg Transnationale Universiteit Limburg The transnationale Universiteit Limburg is based in Belgium and the Netherlands. tUL stands for transnationale Universiteit Limburg... |
Faculté Universitaire des Sciences Agronomiques de Gembloux Faculté universitaire des sciences agronomiques de Gembloux The Faculté Universitaire des Sciences Agronomiques de Gembloux, in Gembloux, Wallonia, Belgium, is a university in the French Community of Belgium. Its official language is French. The university is housed in the historical Abbey of Gembloux, which dates from the tenth century... |
none | Erasmus Hogeschool Erasmus Hogeschool Brussel The Erasmushogeschool Brussel is an institute of higher education based in Brussels, Belgium.... |
Université de Mons | none |
| Institutes of Higher Education | Flanders Business School; Antwerp Management School; Instituut voor Ontwikkelingsbeleid en beheer Institute of Development Policy and Management The Institute of Development Policy and Management is an independent institute of the University of Antwerp in Antwerp, Belgium. The institute is involved in academic teaching, scientific research and service to the community in the area of economic, political and social aspects of development... ; Institute of Transport and Maritime Management Antwerp Institute of Transport and Maritime Management Antwerp The Institute of Transport and Maritime Management Antwerp of the University of Antwerp provides academic and practice-based maritime and logistics education and research. Its current President is Theo Notteboom.-See also:... |
Institut Catholique des Hautes Etudes Commerciales | none | Vlaams Instituut voor de Logistiek Flanders Institute for Logistics The Flanders Institute for Logistics is a Flemish non-profit organization, founded in 2003 by the Flemish government. The VIL supports and enhances the competitiveness of the logistics sector in Flanders.-See also:* Agoria... |
none | none | Vesalius College Vesalius College Vesalius College, also known commonly as VeCo is a Liberal Arts college situated in the heart of Brussels, Belgium. The college is operated in association with the Vrije Universiteit Brussel... ; Instituut voor Tropische Geneeskunde; Europacollege |
Ecole Supérieure des Arts du Cirque Ecole Supérieure des Arts du Cirque The Ecole Supérieure des Arts du Cirque is a professional circus school located in Brussels, Belgium.In September 2003, the college was officially recognized by the “Communauté française de Belgique” and became the 17th institute of Higher Education in the Arts.ESAC offers 3 year full time courses,... |
none |
| Banks | Volksdepositokas Spaarbank | Dexia Dexia Dexia N.V./S.A., also referred to as the Dexia Group, is a Belgian-French financial institution active in public finance, providing retail and commercial banking services to individuals and SMEs, asset management, and insurance... |
Dexia | Bank van De Post | Banque de La Poste | Bank von der Post | Generale Bankmaatschappij | Générale de Banque | Generale Bank |
| Sport clubs | Sporta SportA SportA is located in Maxvorstadt, Munich, Bavaria, Germany.... ; Gym & Dans Vlaanderen |
none | none | AVB (1919–2000); FROS (1976–2000); VASCO (1993–2000); FROS Amateursportconfederatie vzw (since 2000) |
none | none | none | none | none |
Austria
See more about Austrian Verzuilling in the ProporzProporz
Proporz is a long standing doctrine within the politics of the second Austrian republic. However, recent developments, both internal and external, have arguably weakened the influence of the Proporz system in Austrian politics.- The underlying principle :...
article
The Austrian version of Verzuilling is the doctrine Proporz (diminutive of Proportionalität, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
Proportionality) long standing doctrine, first, only within the politics second Austrian republic but later, degenerated into a neo-corporavist system of patronage and nepotism pervading too many aspects of Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n life. The Proporz was created, developed and promoted by the two mainstream parties, the catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
Austrian People's Party
Austrian People's Party
The Austrian People's Party is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Austria. A successor to the Christian Social Party of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it is similar to the Christian Democratic Union of Germany in terms of ideology...
(ÖVP) and the social-democratic Socialist Party of Austria, since 1991 Social Democratic Party of Austria
Social Democratic Party of Austria
The Social Democratic Party of Austria is one of the oldest political parties in Austria. The SPÖ is one of the two major parties in Austria, and has ties to trade unions and the Austrian Chamber of Labour. The SPÖ is among the few mainstream European social-democratic parties that have preserved...
(both names as SPÖ). This de facto two-parties system collapsed by the elections of 1999
Austrian legislative election, 1999
Parliamentary elections were held in Austria on 3 October 1999. Although the Social Democratic Party remained the largest party in the National Council, a coalition government was formed by the Freedom Party of Austria and the Austrian People's Party after several months of negotiations...
, which resulted in the joining of the national-conservative Freedom Party of Austria
Freedom Party of Austria
The Freedom Party of Austria is a political party in Austria. Ideologically, the party is a direct descendant of the German national liberal camp, which dates back to the 1848 revolutions. The FPÖ itself was founded in 1956 as the successor to the short-lived Federation of Independents , which had...
(FPÖ), whose political margination and that of its predecessor, the Federation of Independents
Federation of Independents
The Federation of Independents was a German national and national-liberal political party in Austria active from 1949 to 1955...
(VdU), was the main reason for the establishment of the Proporz policy, because of their pro-German
Anschluss
The Anschluss , also known as the ', was the occupation and annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938....
and individualist views.
The Proporz system arose out of the need for balanced, consensual governance in the early years of Austria's second republic. At that time, the country was consumed in an effort to rebuild the country after the devastation of World War II. Thus, the doctrine of Proporz is intimately linked to the idea of the grand coalition, in which the major political parties, in the case of post-war Austria the SPÖ and the ÖVP, share in the government.
At first it was decided that the occupation of federal political positions by either members of the two big parties be according to the proportionally of the number of seats of each party in the Nationalrat, but soon this policy was repeated at a Länder policy; then it was decided that civil service, military, trade unions and even economy and state businesses positions had to be occupied by members of the two big parties, proportionally of the results of their in the Nationalrat (if it was a Federal position) or in the Ladtag (if it was a Land one). Afterward, this policy reach the policy of membership in every type of association: sport clubs, culture groups, motoring organizations, folk music brotherhoods... converting them in bichephal ones, divided in two parts (a Catholic and a Social-democratic), if not two ones. Even the public broadcasting ORF
ORF
ORF may refer to:* ORF , the Austrian public service broadcaster.* Open reading frame, a portion of the genome.* The IATA airport code for Norfolk International Airport in Norfolk, Virginia.* ORF format , Olympus raw image file format....
was divided between ideological fences (radio station Ö2
Ö2
Under the name Österreich 2 all ORF regional radios, regulated by public law, are subsumed. These 9 regional radios only broadcast in their state.The following radio stations are part of Ö2:*Radio Wien...
and TV channel FS1 were Catholic-oriented, whereas Ö1
Ö1
Ö1 is an Austrian radio station: one of the four national networks operated by Austria's public broadcaster ORF. It focuses on classical music, jazz, documentaries, features, news, radio plays, radio dramas, cabaret, quiz shows, and discussions.Ö1's programming mix of information, culture, music,...
and FS2 were the Social-democratic ones). This system was popular in the post-war period, however from the 1980s, people’s perceptions and opinions changed strongly. The old Proporz system, where basically the SPÖ and the ÖVP would divide everything up between them, was increasingly seen as outdated and even undemocratic. Because both parties always had an absolute majority in parliament, no effective opposition could ever exist. Almost second Austrian republic governments have been ÖVP-SPÖ Coalition, which resulted in a situation that some political position were almost property of each party and occupied by a member of this one, according on the basis of its constituency or any perceived ideological mandate to them. For example, Minister for Labour and Social Relations was nearly always held by a member of the (SPÖ), while the ÖVP, with traditionally strong support from farmers, took the Ministry which controlled agriculture and forestry.
As voters’ frustration with the old system grew, the FPÖ under the young and dynamic party chairman Jörg Haider (who as Governor of Carinthia, revoke Proporz policies in the Land) was able to ride the wave of discontent and win votes in every parliamentary election. The FPÖ had its core support with the right wing, but was increasingly able to attract voters from the conservative ÖVP and even made inroads with traditional SPÖ voters who grew fed up with the grand coalitions and the old Proporz system.
A diversified media and the possibilities of modern information technology also hold the government to higher standards of transparency and accountability. Above all, there has been a sea change in the public's attitude to the practice and its willingness to confront it, getting the opportunity to cancel. Today, there is almost no trace of Proporz in Austria.
Institutions by pillar
| Social-democratic Austromarxism Austromarxism was a Marxist theoretical current, led by Victor Adler, Otto Bauer, Karl Renner and Max Adler, members of the Social Democratic Workers' Party of Austria during the late decades of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy and the First Austrian Republic... |
Catholic Political Catholicism Political catholicism is a political and cultural conception which promotes the ideas and social teaching of the Catholic Church in public life... |
|
|---|---|---|
| Political Party before 1945 | SDAPÖ Social Democratic Party of Austria The Social Democratic Party of Austria is one of the oldest political parties in Austria. The SPÖ is one of the two major parties in Austria, and has ties to trade unions and the Austrian Chamber of Labour. The SPÖ is among the few mainstream European social-democratic parties that have preserved... (1888–1945) |
CS (1893–1945) |
| Political Parties after 1945 | SPÖ Social Democratic Party of Austria The Social Democratic Party of Austria is one of the oldest political parties in Austria. The SPÖ is one of the two major parties in Austria, and has ties to trade unions and the Austrian Chamber of Labour. The SPÖ is among the few mainstream European social-democratic parties that have preserved... (from 1945) |
ÖVP Austrian People's Party The Austrian People's Party is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Austria. A successor to the Christian Social Party of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it is similar to the Christian Democratic Union of Germany in terms of ideology... (from 1945) |
| Radio station | Ö1 Ö1 Ö1 is an Austrian radio station: one of the four national networks operated by Austria's public broadcaster ORF. It focuses on classical music, jazz, documentaries, features, news, radio plays, radio dramas, cabaret, quiz shows, and discussions.Ö1's programming mix of information, culture, music,... |
Ö2 Ö2 Under the name Österreich 2 all ORF regional radios, regulated by public law, are subsumed. These 9 regional radios only broadcast in their state.The following radio stations are part of Ö2:*Radio Wien... |
| TV channel | FS2 (since 1991: ORF2; since 2011: ORF zwei) | FS1 (since 1991: ORF1; since 2011: ORF eins) |
| Alpine clubs | Friends of Nature Friends of Nature Friends of Nature is an international movement with a background in the Social Democratic movement, which aims to make nature accessible to the wider community by providing appropriate recreational and travel facilities.-Background:It is a non-profit organisation which, in addition to encouraging... |
Austrian Alpine Club |
| Automobil clubs | ARBÖ | ÖAMTC |
| Unions Austrian Trade Union Federation -External links:*... |
FSG | FCG |
| Student society | AKS Initiative of Critical Students The Initiative of Critical Students is a left-wing school students' organization in Austria. The AKS demands a "socially equal, democratic and fear-free" school and society.... |
Schülerunion |
| University unions | VSStÖ Socialist Youth Austria The Socialist Youth Austria is a socialist youth organisation in Austria. While not part of the Social Democratic Party of Austria there is a close relationship between the two organisations.The SJÖ is member of the ECOSY and the IUSY.-External links:... |
AG |
| Verbindung | VSM | MKV Mittelschüler-Kartellverband The Mittelschüler-Kartell-Verband der katholischen farbentragenden Studentenkorporationen Österreichs or simply Mittelschüler-Kartellverband is an Austrian umbrella organisation of Catholic male student fraternities... |
| Cultural associations | Bund Sozialdemokratischer Akademikerinnen und Akademiker,Intellektueller, Künstlerinnen und Künstler | Österreichischer Cartellverband |
| Employers | SWV | ÖWB |
| Tennants associations | MVÖ | MB |
| Newspapers | Arbeiter-Zeitung; Salzburger Tagblatt; Neue Kärntner Tageszeitung; Die Zukunft Die Zukunft Die Zukunft was a German social-democratic weekly founded and edited by Maximilian Harden. It published allegations of homosexuality of Philip, Prince of Eulenburg, leading to the Harden–Eulenburg Affair in Wilhelmine Germany.Die Zukunft was also the name of an exile German language paper, both... ; Der Standard Der Standard Der Standard is an Austrian national daily newspaper which is published in Vienna . It was founded by Oscar Bronner as a financial newspaper and the first edition was published on 1988-10-19... |
Die Furche Die Furche Die Furche is a weekly German language newspaper published in Austria. It is majority owned by Styria Medien AG.Die Furche bills itself as the "Wochenzeitung für Gesellschaft, Politik, Kultur, Religion und Wirtschaft"... ; Kleine Zeitung Kleine Zeitung Kleine Zeitung is an Austrian newspaper based in Graz, Styria. It was founded in 1904 by the Katholischen Pressverein. The first issue was published on Tuesday, November 22, 1904. It was designed from the start as a paper to be read by the masses, covering general news topics and being very cheap... ; Die Presse Die Presse Die Presse is an Austrian daily newspaper based in Vienna. It was founded in 1946 by World War II resistance fighter Ernst Molden and stands in tradition of the Viennese newspapers "Die Presse" and "Neue Freie Presse" . The paper covers general news topics... ; Oberösterreichische Rundschau Oberösterreichische Rundschau Oberösterreichische Rundschau is a weekly newspaper in Upper Austria, published in 13 regional editions. In addition, there is a free Sunday newspaper Sonntags-Rundschau.- History :... |
| Private University | SFU Sigmund Freud University Vienna Located in Vienna, Austria, the Sigmund Freud University was accredited as a private university by the in August 2005.As a university in the field of Human Sciences, SFU specializes in Psychotherapy Science and Psychology... |
KTU Catholic-Theological Private University Linz The Catholic-Theological Private University Linz is one of four universities in Linz, the capital of Upper Austria, with approximately 500 students enrolled. Its roots go back to 1672 and it is a Papal faculty since 1978... |
| EMS EMS -Organizations:* Eastern Mountain Sports, an outdoor retailer* Edinburgh Mathematical Society, a Scottish Mathematical Society* Electronic Music Studios, a manufacturer of synthesizers... |
ASBÖ | MHDA |
| Children aid agencies | Kinderfreunde Österreich, Rote Falken Österreich | Dreikönigsaktion, Kolpingwerk Österreich |
| Sport associations | ASKÖ | SPORTUNION |
| Youth associations | SJÖ Socialist Youth Austria The Socialist Youth Austria is a socialist youth organisation in Austria. While not part of the Social Democratic Party of Austria there is a close relationship between the two organisations.The SJÖ is member of the ECOSY and the IUSY.-External links:... |
JVP |
| Pensioner Pensioner In common parlance, a pensioner is a person who has retired, and now collects a pension. This is a term typically used in the United Kingdom and Australia where someone of pensionable age may also be referred to as an 'old age pensioner', or OAP. In the United States, the term retiree is more... associations |
PVÖ PVO PVO may refer to:* DaimlerChrysler's Performance Vehicle Operations, also known as Street and Racing Technology* Private voluntary organization... |
ÖSB OSB OSB may stand for:* Oracle Service Bus, a software component* Order of Saint Benedict, a monastic order* Orthodox Study Bible, an Eastern Orthodox study Bible in English, including the Septuagint* Oregon State Bar... |
| Recreation (examples) | Soccer Football Football in Austria Football is a popular sport in Austria, second only to alpine skiing. The Austrian Football Association, the ÖFB , was founded in 1904 and has been a member of FIFA since then.-League system:... |
Skiing Skiing Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding.... |
Institutions by pillar
| Pro-Italian Greater Italy Greater Italy , or Imperial Italy , was an ambitious project envisioned by fascist Italy in which the objective was to create an Italian empire which would expand, in addition to the irredentist claimed territories , to additional Mediterranean basin territories... |
Self-determination Self-determination Self-determination is the principle in international law that nations have the right to freely choose their sovereignty and international political status with no external compulsion or external interference... ist |
|
|---|---|---|
| Political Parties before Independence | Anti-Reform Party (1880–1885); Partito Nazionale (1885); Partito Nazionalista (1885–1921, 1926–1927); Unione Politica Maltese (1921–1926); Partito Democratico Nazionalista (1921–1926); Partit Nazzjonalista (from 1927) |
Partit Kostituzzjonali Constitutional Party (Malta) The Constitutional Party was a Maltese political party which had representatives in the Maltese Legislative Assembly and Council of Government between 1921 and 1945 and 1950 and 1953, forming a government between 1927 and 1930 with the support of the Labour Party. A splinter group, the Progressive... (1921–1953); Camera del Lavoro (1921–1949); Partit Laburista Malti (from 1949) |
| Political Party after Independence | Partit Nazzjonalista | Partit Laburista Malti (from 2008: Partit Laburista) |
| Trade Unions | MGCU (from 1978: UHM) | GWU General Workers' Union (Malta) The General Workers' Union is a national trade union center in Malta.The GWU was founded in 1943 and has been politically identified with the Labour Party as the trade union is the major left-wing trade union in Malta... |
| Holdings | Media.Link Communications | Rainbow Productions Limited One Productions Ltd ONE Productions Limited was founded in the late 1980s to operate Super One Radio, now known as ONE Radio and eventually Super One Television, now known as ONE. In September 1990 the company’s name was changed to ONE Productions Limited. ONE Radio is the only radio station in Malta that transmits... (from 1990: ONE Productions Ltd) |
| Wireless Station | Radio 101 Radio 101 (Malta) Radio 101 is the channel owned by the Maltese Nationalist Party.... |
Super One Radio One Radio One Radio is a radio station in Malta owned by the Labour Party. Broadcasts commenced in August 1991... (from 1997: One Radio) |
| TV Channel | NET Television (Malta) NET Television (Malta) NET Television is the television station owned by the Nationalist Party in Malta.... |
Super One TV (from 1997: One TV) |
| In-Nazzjon In-Nazzjon In-Nazzjon is a national newspaper published daily in Malta. It is published by Malta's Media.Link Communications, which involves the Maltese National Party.... |
L-Orizzont L-Orizzont L-Orizzont is a national newspaper published daily in Malta. It is published by the General Workers' Union and has been published since 1962.... |
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| Sunday Newspapers | Il-Mument; Lehen is Sewwa |
It-Torca; KullHadd |
| Friday Newspapers | Il-Mument | Il-Helsien Il-Helsien Il-Helsien was a newspaper in Malta, published by the Malta Labour Party. Il-Helsien was a daily paper, later becoming a weekly . Il-Helsien was replaced by Kullħadd, also a weekly paper.... (from 1992: Kullħadd Kullħadd Kullħadd is a political newspaper published daily in Malta. It is published by the Labour Party and has been published since 1992.... ) |
| Tabloids | Il-Gens | L-Alternativa |
| Web Newspapers | maltarightnow.com | Maltastar.com (from 2007: One Media) |
| Travel agencies | Associations of Returned Migrants | One Travel |
| Mobile phone companies | Maltacom p.l.c. GO (Malta) GO p.l.c. is a provider of local and long distance telephone services, wireless service, cable television, and DSL Internet access. GO is based in Marsa, Malta.-History:... (since 2007 GO Mobile) |
Mobisle Communications Ltd Redtouch Fone redtouch Fone is a mobile phone service provider operating in the Malta. It is a subsidiary of One Productions Ltd. Launched in 2008 alongside with ONE Media and ONE Travel... (since 2007 Redtouch Fone) |
| Hospitals | Saint James Hospital Group St James Capua Hospital St James Capua Hospital, or Saint James Hospital Sliema, started out in 1996 as the Capua Palace Hospital. In 2002 it was taken over by the Saint James Hospital Group, which owns other hospitals in Malta, Libya and Hungary.... |
Government Healthcare Service |
| Cultural Associations | Maltese Heritage Foundation | Strickland Foundation |
| Schools | Catholic Schools | Public Schools |
| Youth organizations | MZPN | FZL |
| University unions | SDM | GM |
Institutions by pillar
| Unionist | Nationalist | |
|---|---|---|
| Political Parties | UUP; DUP; PUP PUP PUP may refer to:In politics:* People's United Party, a political party of Belize* Party of Proletarian Unity, a political party of France* Progressive Unionist Party, a political party of Northern Ireland*Proletarian Unity Party... ; TUV TUV TUV may refer to:* Tuvalu, the South Pacific island nation* TÜV , a German safety monitoring agency* Technische Universität Wien... |
SDLP; Sinn Féin Sinn Féin Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970... ; |
| Newspapers | The Belfast Telegraph; The News Letter |
The Irish News; Irish newspapers |
| Schools | "Controlled" (State) schools | Catholic ("Maintained") schools |
| Sports | Cricket, Rugby | Gaelic football, hurling Hurling Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and... ; |
Sources
- Christophe de Voogd: "Histoire des Pays-Bas des origines à nos jours", Fayard, Paris, 2004