Reformed Political League
Encyclopedia
The Reformed Political League (GPV; Gereformeerd Politiek Verbond ) was a Dutch orthodox Protestant political party. The GPV is one of the predecessors of the ChristenUnie. The party was a testimonial party
.
, which led to the creation of the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (Liberated). In 1944 a group of orthodox Protestants left the Reformed Church, because they disagreed with Abraham Kuyper
's view that God had created multiple branches of Christianity (Catholicism, Protestantism etc.), each with their own sphere.
In 1948 adherents of the Reformed Church in the Netherlands (Liberated) left the Anti Revolutionary Party
, the party linked to the Reformed Church in the Netherlands. On April 1, 1948 they founded the GPV during a congress Amersfoort
. Former ARP MP Albertus Zijlstra chaired the congress, and also led the party in its early years.
The party was specifically linked to the liberated Reformed Church. Membership of the church was a pre-requisite for membership of the party. This dogmatic position isolated the party.
The party participated, without success in the 1948
, 1952
and 1956 elections
. After the 1956 elections the number of seats in parliament was extended, therefore the number of votes needed to obtain a seat was decreased from one percent of vote to two-thirds of one percent of vote. In the 1959 elections
it appeared that the GPV had won a seat. Its sole MP, Laning, was asked to visit the queen to advise her on the formation of a new cabinet. After the results were calculated exactly it became clear that the GPV had obtained too few votes for a seat.
the party participated in the elections again and it obtained one seat. It was taken by Pieter Jongeling, who was made top candidate
on advice of prominent professor of theology
J. Kamphuis. In the 1967 elections
they were able to retain their one seat. During the early 1970s a group called Nationaal Evanglisch Verbond (NEV) had left the ARP because they thought the party's alliance with the Catholic People's Party
was wrong. They asked the board of the GPV whether they could join their party. This was rejected by the board of the GPV, who said that the party was open only to members of the liberated Reformed Church. This group would later become the Reformatory Political Federation
(RPF). In the 1971
election the party was able to obtain a second seat, which they were able to retain 1972
. In 1977
Jongeling was replaced by Verbrugh and the party lost one seat. Before the 1981
election Verbrugh was replaced by Schutte, who would lead the party until 2001. He was able to retain the one seat in 1981, 1982
and 1986
, and he won a second seat in 1989
. In the 1994 elections
the party retained its two seats. In 1993 the GPV officially opened itself to non-liberated members. This started a slow process of cooperation between the GPV and the RPF, another orthodox Protestant party. From 1998
the two parliamentary parties began to cooperate, holding common meanings and appointing common spokespersons. The fact that the GPV had only two seats and the RPF three inhibited the cooperation. In 1999 their parliamentary parties in the Senate officially merged, forming one parliamentary party. In 2001 the same happened in the House of Representatives. In 2002
they presented a common list of candidates for the House of Representatives, entering the elections as ChristenUnie: they obtained four seats. In 2003 the GPV officially disbanded, making its fusion into the ChristenUnie final.
was the basis of their policy. The party saw the Netherlands as a Protestant nation, which should be defended.
In practice this meant that the GPV took the following stances:
* : in a combined parliamentary party with the RPF
;
** : in a combined parliamentary party with the Reformatory Political Federation
and the Political Reformed Party.
, Utrecht
and South Holland
, which form part of the Dutch Bible belt it also held some representation in Groningen
. It never cooperated in any provincial executives.
The party had several mayors in small municipalities in the Dutch Bible belt. In the same region the party cooperated in local executives.
and later in Amersfoort
.
was closely linked to the GPV, until 1974 Pieter Jongeling, who also led the parliamentary party, led the paper. The Kampen Theological University of the Reformed Church (Liberated)
was also linked to the liberated Reformed Church.
After 1981 the party began to cooperate with more with other parties, especially with the orthodox Protestant Political Reformed Party (SGP) and Reformatory Political Federation
(RPF). In 1981 the GPV allowed municipal branches to cooperate with branches of other parties, this led to the formation of several combined lists with either the SGP or RPF or both. In 1984 the party entered in the European elections
with a combined list the RPF and SGP. It won only one seat. In 1994 they were more successful and won two seats, one of which was taken by the GPV.
In 1993 the party allowed non-liberated to become member of the party, this started a slow cooperation process with the RPF which resulted in the fusion in the ChristenUnie in 2003.
Christian Right
and the small Protestant parties of Scandinavia, such as the Christian Democratic Party of Norway, the Swedish
and Danish Christian Democrats
. The party has never been in a government coalition however, instead it has chosen to voice its concerns with government policy, while acknowledging that they are not big enough to force their opinion upon others.
Testimonial party
Testimonial party is a political party that focuses on its principles, instead of adapting them to local or temporal issues in the pursuit of coalition government participation...
.
1948-1963
The GPV was founded in 1948 as the result of a theological conflict within the Reformed Churches in the NetherlandsReformed 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:...
, which led to the creation of the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (Liberated). In 1944 a group of orthodox Protestants left the Reformed Church, because they disagreed with Abraham Kuyper
Abraham Kuyper
Abraham Kuijper generally known as Abraham Kuyper, was a Dutch politician, journalist, statesman and theologian...
's view that God had created multiple branches of Christianity (Catholicism, Protestantism etc.), each with their own sphere.
In 1948 adherents of the Reformed Church in the Netherlands (Liberated) left 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...
, the party linked to the Reformed Church in the Netherlands. On April 1, 1948 they founded the GPV during a congress Amersfoort
Amersfoort
Amersfoort is a municipality and the second largest city of the province of Utrecht in central Netherlands. The city is growing quickly but has a well-preserved and protected medieval centre. Amersfoort is one of the largest railway junctions in the country, because of its location on two of the...
. Former ARP MP Albertus Zijlstra chaired the congress, and also led the party in its early years.
The party was specifically linked to the liberated Reformed Church. Membership of the church was a pre-requisite for membership of the party. This dogmatic position isolated the party.
The party participated, without success in the 1948
Dutch general election, 1948
A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands on July 7, 1948.-National summary:-Parties:* Anti Revolutionary Party...
, 1952
Dutch general election, 1952
A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands on June 25, 1952.-National summary:-Parties:* Anti Revolutionary Party...
and 1956 elections
Dutch general election, 1956
A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands on June 13, 1956.The 1956 election marks an important change in the history of the Dutch House of Representatives: the number of seats in the House was increased from 100 to 150.-National...
. After the 1956 elections the number of seats in parliament was extended, therefore the number of votes needed to obtain a seat was decreased from one percent of vote to two-thirds of one percent of vote. In the 1959 elections
Dutch general election, 1959
A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands on March 12, 1959.-National summary:-Parties:* Anti Revolutionary Party...
it appeared that the GPV had won a seat. Its sole MP, Laning, was asked to visit the queen to advise her on the formation of a new cabinet. After the results were calculated exactly it became clear that the GPV had obtained too few votes for a seat.
1963-2003
In 1963Dutch general election, 1963
A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands on May 15, 1963.-National summary:-Parties:* Anti Revolutionary Party...
the party participated in the elections again and it obtained one seat. It was taken by Pieter Jongeling, who was made top candidate
Lijsttrekker
Lijsttrekker is a Dutch term for the top candidate of a party on a party list. He or she is almost always the party's political leader. After an election, this person usually leads the party's faction in the States-General, or serves in a senior position in the Cabinet if his party is part of...
on advice of prominent professor of theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
J. Kamphuis. In the 1967 elections
Dutch general election, 1967
A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands on 15 February 1967.-National summary:-Parties:* Anti Revolutionary Party...
they were able to retain their one seat. During the early 1970s a group called Nationaal Evanglisch Verbond (NEV) had left the ARP because they thought the party's alliance with the Catholic People's Party
Catholic People's Party
The Catholic People's Party was a Catholic Christian democratic Dutch political party. During its entire existence, the party was in government. The party is one of the precursors of the Christian Democratic Appeal.- 1945-1965 :The KVP was founded on 22 December, 1945...
was wrong. They asked the board of the GPV whether they could join their party. This was rejected by the board of the GPV, who said that the party was open only to members of the liberated Reformed Church. This group would later become the Reformatory Political Federation
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...
(RPF). In the 1971
Dutch general election, 1971
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on April 28, 1971.-National summary:turnout: 79.1%...
election the party was able to obtain a second seat, which they were able to retain 1972
Dutch general election, 1972
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on November 29, 1972.-National summary:...
. 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....
Jongeling was replaced by Verbrugh and the party lost one seat. Before the 1981
Dutch general election, 1981
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on May 26, 1981.-National summary:...
election Verbrugh was replaced by Schutte, who would lead the party until 2001. He was able to retain the one seat in 1981, 1982
Dutch general election, 1982
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on September 8, 1982.-National summary:...
and 1986
Dutch general election, 1986
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on May 21, 1986.-National summary:...
, and he won a second seat in 1989
Dutch general election, 1989
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on September 6, 1989.-National summary:...
. In the 1994 elections
Dutch general election, 1994
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on May 3, 1994.-Results:...
the party retained its two seats. In 1993 the GPV officially opened itself to non-liberated members. This started a slow process of cooperation between the GPV and the RPF, another orthodox Protestant party. From 1998
Dutch general election, 1998
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on 6 May 1998.-Result:...
the two parliamentary parties began to cooperate, holding common meanings and appointing common spokespersons. The fact that the GPV had only two seats and the RPF three inhibited the cooperation. In 1999 their parliamentary parties in the Senate officially merged, forming one parliamentary party. In 2001 the same happened in the House of Representatives. In 2002
Dutch general election, 2002
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on May 15, 2002....
they presented a common list of candidates for the House of Representatives, entering the elections as ChristenUnie: they obtained four seats. In 2003 the GPV officially disbanded, making its fusion into the ChristenUnie final.
Name
The GPV chose for the name Gereformeerd Politiek Verbond (Reformed Political Alliance), because it wanted to convey that it was a reformed party, and that its organization was decentralized: the GPV was primarily an alliance of local branches.Ideology and issues
In its first years the GPV did not have a separate election manifesto or manifesto of principles. Instead it claimed to base its policy directly on the bible. In 1967 the first manifesto of principles was published, in which the party again stressed that the BibleBible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
was the basis of their policy. The party saw the Netherlands as a Protestant nation, which should be defended.
In practice this meant that the GPV took the following stances:
- The GPV was against European IntegrationEuropean integrationEuropean integration is the process of industrial, political, legal, economic integration of states wholly or partially in Europe...
, because they distrusted the Catholic nature of the project; - The party was in favour of a strong defense;
- The GPV was staunchly monarchist because they saw the Dutch Monarchy as a God given institution;
- Originally the party wanted the government to decrease its influence on society, allowing for private initiative and civil society to take over some of its functions, during the 1980s the party wanted to retain the welfare stateWelfare stateA welfare state is a "concept of government in which the state plays a key role in the protection and promotion of the economic and social well-being of its citizens. It is based on the principles of equality of opportunity, equitable distribution of wealth, and public responsibility for those...
and paid attention to the environment; - The GPV defended the system of special schoolsSpecial 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...
, which allowed for schools to be founded on liberated reformed principles; - The party favoured the independence of South Maluku and Irian Jaya, and supported Apartheid in South AfricaSouth AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
; - As an orthodox Christian party the party was against the Dutch policy on soft drugsDrug policy of the NetherlandsThe drug policy of the Netherlands officially has four major objectives:# To prevent recreational drug use and to treat and rehabilitate recreational drug users.# To reduce harm to users....
, same-sex marriageSame-sex marriage in the NetherlandsSame-sex marriage has been legal in the Netherlands since 1 April 2001...
, prostitutionProstitution in the NetherlandsProstitution in the Netherlands is legal and regulated. Operating a brothel is also legal. In the last few years, a significant number of brothels and "windows" have been closed because of suspected criminal activity...
, abortionAbortionAbortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
and euthanasia
Leadership and support
This table shows the GPV's results in elections to the House of Representatives, Senate and European Parliament, as well as the party's political leadership: the fractievoorzitter, is the chair of the parliamentary party and the lijsttrekker is the party's top candidate in the general election, these posts are normally taken by the party's leader. The membership of the GPV is also represented.| Year | HoR | S | EP European Parliament The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world... |
Lijsttrekker Lijsttrekker Lijsttrekker is a Dutch term for the top candidate of a party on a party list. He or she is almost always the party's political leader. After an election, this person usually leads the party's faction in the States-General, or serves in a senior position in the Cabinet if his party is part of... |
Fractievoorzitter | membership |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 Dutch general election, 1948 A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands on July 7, 1948.-National summary:-Parties:* Anti Revolutionary Party... |
0 | 0 | n/a | did not participate | none | unknown |
| 1949 | 0 | 0 | n/a | no elections | none | unknown |
| 1950 | 0 | 0 | n/a | no elections | none | 1,200 |
| 1951 | 0 | 0 | n/a | no elections | none | 2,250 |
| 1952 Dutch general election, 1952 A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands on June 25, 1952.-National summary:-Parties:* Anti Revolutionary Party... |
0 | 0 | n/a | Albertus Zijlstra | none | 3,300 |
| 1953 | 0 | 0 | n/a | no elections | none | unknown |
| 1954 | 0 | 0 | n/a | no elections | none | 5,100 |
| 1955 | 0 | 0 | n/a | no elections | none | 5,600 |
| 1956 Dutch general election, 1956 A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands on June 13, 1956.The 1956 election marks an important change in the history of the Dutch House of Representatives: the number of seats in the House was increased from 100 to 150.-National... |
0 | 0 | n/a | L.P. Laning | none | 5,400 |
| 1957 | 0 | 0 | n/a | no elections | none | 5,820 |
| 1958 | 0 | 0 | n/a | no elections | none | 6,400 |
| 1959 Dutch general election, 1959 A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands on March 12, 1959.-National summary:-Parties:* Anti Revolutionary Party... |
0 | 0 | n/a | L.P. Laning | none | 6,500 |
| 1960 | 0 | 0 | n/a | no elections | none | 6,311 |
| 1961 | 0 | 0 | n/a | no elections | none | 6,223 |
| 1962 | 0 | 0 | n/a | no elections | none | 6,608 |
| 1963 Dutch general election, 1963 A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands on May 15, 1963.-National summary:-Parties:* Anti Revolutionary Party... |
1 | 0 | n/a | Piet Jongeling Piet Jongeling Piet Jongeling was a Dutch politician. He was a member of the Reformed Political League and of the House of Representatives of the Netherlands.-References:... |
Piet Jongeling | 7,039 |
| 1964 | 1 | 0 | n/a | no elections | Piet Jongeling | 7,146 |
| 1965 | 1 | 0 | n/a | no elections | Piet Jongeling | 7,200 |
| 1966 | 1 | 0 | n/a | no elections | Piet Jongeling | 8,005 |
| 1967 Dutch general election, 1967 A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands on 15 February 1967.-National summary:-Parties:* Anti Revolutionary Party... |
1 | 0 | n/a | Piet Jongeling | Piet Jongeling | 8,355 |
| 1968 | 1 | 0 | n/a | no elections | Piet Jongeling | 8,028 |
| 1969 | 1 | 0 | n/a | no elections | Piet Jongeling | 7,823 |
| 1970 | 1 | 0 | n/a | no elections | Piet Jongeling | 8,702 |
| 1971 Dutch general election, 1971 The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on April 28, 1971.-National summary:turnout: 79.1%... |
2 | 0 | n/a | Piet Jongeling | Piet Jongeling | 8,973 |
| 1972 Dutch general election, 1972 The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on November 29, 1972.-National summary:... |
2 | 0 | n/a | Piet Jongeling | Piet Jongeling | 9,491 |
| 1973 | 2 | 0 | n/a | no elections | Piet Jongeling | 9,836 |
| 1974 | 2 | 0 | n/a | no elections | Piet Jongeling | 10,498 |
| 1975 | 2 | 0 | n/a | no elections | Piet Jongeling | 10,728 |
| 1976 | 2 | 0 | n/a | no elections | Piet Jongeling | 11,371 |
| 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.... |
1 | 1 | n/a | Bart Verbrugh Bart Verbrugh Albertus Johannes Verbrugh was a Dutch politician. He was a MP for the Reformed Political League from 1971 to 1981.-References:... |
Bart Verbrugh | 12,000 |
| 1978 | 1 | 1 | n/a | no elections | Bart Verbrugh | 12,463 |
| 1979 | 1 | 1 | 0 | no elections | Bart Verbrugh | 12,700 |
| 1980 | 1 | 1 | 0 | no elections | Bart Verbrugh | 12,922 |
| 1981 Dutch general election, 1981 The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on May 26, 1981.-National summary:... |
1 | 0 | 0 | Gert Schutte Gert Schutte Gerrit Jan Schutte is a former Dutch politician. He was a member of the Dutch House of Representatives for the Reformed Political League and in the end for the ChristianUnion.- Biography :... |
Gert Schutte | 13,181 |
| 1982 Dutch general election, 1982 The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on September 8, 1982.-National summary:... |
1 | 0 | 0 | Gert Schutte | Gert Schutte | 13,114 |
| 1983 | 1 | 1 | 0 | no elections | Gert Schutte | 13,181 |
| 1984 | 1 | 1 | 0 | no elections | Gert Schutte | 12,909 |
| 1985 | 1 | 1 | 0 | no elections | Gert Schutte | 13,044 |
| 1986 Dutch general election, 1986 The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on May 21, 1986.-National summary:... |
1 | 1 | 0 | Gert Schutte | Gert Schutte | 13,365 |
| 1987 | 1 | 1 | 0 | no elections | Gert Schutte | 13,554 |
| 1988 | 1 | 1 | 0 | no elections | Gert Schutte | 12,639 |
| 1989 Dutch general election, 1989 The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on September 6, 1989.-National summary:... |
2 | 1 | 0 | Gert Schutte | Gert Schutte | 13,015 |
| 1990 | 2 | 1 | 0 | no elections | Gert Schutte | 12,917 |
| 1991 | 2 | 1 | 0 | no elections | Gert Schutte | 14,276 |
| 1992 | 2 | 1 | 0 | no elections | Gert Schutte | 14,358 |
| 1993 | 2 | 1 | 0 | no elections | Gert Schutte | 14,179 |
| 1994 Dutch general election, 1994 The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on May 3, 1994.-Results:... |
2 | 1 | 1** | Gert Schutte | Gert Schutte | 14,269 |
| 1995 | 2 | 1 | 1** | no elections | Gert Schutte | 14,650 |
| 1996 | 2 | 1 | 1** | no elections | Gert Schutte | 14,535 |
| 1997 | 2 | 1 | 1** | no elections | Gert Schutte | 14,366 |
| 1998 Dutch general election, 1998 The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on 6 May 1998.-Result:... |
2 | 1 | 1** | Gert Schutte | Gert Schutte | 14,121 |
| 1999 | 2 | 2* | 1** | no elections | Gert Schutte | 13,687 |
| 2000 | 2 | 2* | 1** | no elections | Gert Schutte | 12,940 |
| 2001 | 2 | 2* | 1** | no elections | Eimert van Middelkoop Eimert van Middelkoop Eimert van Middelkoop is a Dutch politician of the ChristianUnion party.From 2007 till 2010 he was Minister of Defence in the Cabinet Balkenende IV... |
unknown |
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...
;
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...
and the Political Reformed Party.
Municipal and provincial government
The party had some representatives in the provincial legislatives of GelderlandGelderland
Gelderland is the largest province of the Netherlands, located in the central eastern part of the country. The capital city is Arnhem. The two other major cities, Nijmegen and Apeldoorn have more inhabitants. Other major regional centers in Gelderland are Ede, Doetinchem, Zutphen, Tiel, Wijchen,...
, Utrecht
Utrecht (province)
Utrecht is the smallest province of the Netherlands in terms of area, and is located in the centre of the country. It is bordered by the Eemmeer in the north, Gelderland in the east, the river Rhine in the south, South Holland in the west, and North Holland in the northwest...
and South Holland
South Holland
South Holland is a province situated on the North Sea in the western part of the Netherlands. The provincial capital is The Hague and its largest city is Rotterdam.South Holland is one of the most densely populated and industrialised areas in the world...
, which form part of the Dutch Bible belt it also held some representation in Groningen
Groningen (province)
Groningen [] is the northeasternmost province of the Netherlands. In the east it borders the German state of Niedersachsen , in the south Drenthe, in the west Friesland and in the north the Wadden Sea...
. It never cooperated in any provincial executives.
The party had several mayors in small municipalities in the Dutch Bible belt. In the same region the party cooperated in local executives.
Electorate
The GPV's electorate was almost entirely made up out of members of the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (Liberated). These were concentrated in Gelderland, Utrecht and South Holland, which form part of the Dutch Bible belt, and GroningenOrganizational structure
The highest organ of the GPV was the congres, it is formed by delegates from the municipal branches. It convenes once every year. It appoints the party board and decides the order of candidates on electoral lists for the Senate, House of Representatives and European Parliament, and has the last word on the party program. The party secretariat was located in DordrechtDordrecht
Dordrecht , colloquially Dordt, historically in English named Dort, is a city and municipality in the western Netherlands, located in the province of South Holland. It is the fourth largest city of the province, having a population of 118,601 in 2009...
and later in Amersfoort
Amersfoort
Amersfoort is a municipality and the second largest city of the province of Utrecht in central Netherlands. The city is growing quickly but has a well-preserved and protected medieval centre. Amersfoort is one of the largest railway junctions in the country, because of its location on two of the...
.
Linked organisations
The party published Ons Politeuma ("Our citizenship"). It scientific institute was the Groen van Prinsterer Stichting ("Groen van Prinsterer Foundation") and its education institute was Mandaat - Gereformeerd Politiek Vormingswerk ("Mandate, Reformed Political Education work"). Its youth organization was the Gereformeerde Politieke Jongeren Club ("Reformed Political Youth Club"), which published Plein ("Square") and Stand-By.Pillarized organisations
The party had a small liberated Reformed pillar around, consisting out of like minded organizations. Most prominent was the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (Liberated). The paper Nederlands DagbladNederlands 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....
was closely linked to the GPV, until 1974 Pieter Jongeling, who also led the parliamentary party, led the paper. The Kampen Theological University of the Reformed Church (Liberated)
Kampen Theological University of the Reformed Church (Liberated)
Theological University of the Reformed Churches is one of two theological universities in the Dutch city of Kampen. It was founded in 1944.-History:...
was also linked to the liberated Reformed Church.
Relationships to other parties
Before 1981 the party was very isolated, this was caused by their own dogmatic position on non-liberated Christians. Nonetheless the knowledge and conscience of its MPs was respected throughout parliament.After 1981 the party began to cooperate with more with other parties, especially with the orthodox Protestant Political Reformed Party (SGP) and Reformatory Political Federation
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...
(RPF). In 1981 the GPV allowed municipal branches to cooperate with branches of other parties, this led to the formation of several combined lists with either the SGP or RPF or both. In 1984 the party entered in the European elections
European Parliament election, 1984
The 1984 election to the European Parliament was the first since the inaugural election of 1979 and the 1981 enlargement of the European Community to include Greece. It was also the last before the accession of Spain and Portugal in 1987....
with a combined list the RPF and SGP. It won only one seat. In 1994 they were more successful and won two seats, one of which was taken by the GPV.
In 1993 the party allowed non-liberated to become member of the party, this started a slow cooperation process with the RPF which resulted in the fusion in the ChristenUnie in 2003.
International Comparison
Internationally the party was comparable to the AmericanPolitics of the United States
The United States is a federal constitutional republic, in which the President of the United States , Congress, and judiciary share powers reserved to the national government, and the federal government shares sovereignty with the state governments.The executive branch is headed by the President...
Christian Right
Christian right
Christian right is a term used predominantly in the United States to describe "right-wing" Christian political groups that are characterized by their strong support of socially conservative policies...
and the small Protestant parties of Scandinavia, such as the Christian Democratic Party of Norway, the Swedish
Christian Democrats (Sweden)
The Christian Democrats ) is a political party in Sweden. The party was founded in 1964 but did not enter parliament until 1985 in an electoral cooperation with the Centre Party and on the Christian Democrats' own accord in 1991. The leader since April 3, 2004 is Göran Hägglund. He succeeded Alf...
and Danish Christian Democrats
Christian Democrats (Denmark)
The Christian Democrats are a political party in Denmark. The party was founded in 1970 to oppose the liberalization of restrictions on pornography and the legalization of abortion....
. The party has never been in a government coalition however, instead it has chosen to voice its concerns with government policy, while acknowledging that they are not big enough to force their opinion upon others.
Literature
- Klei, E.H., 'Klein maar krachtig, dat maakt ons uniek'. Een geschiedenis van het GPV, 1948-2003 (Amsterdam 2011).