The Anti-Revolutionary Party ( nl, Anti-Revolutionaire Partij, ARP) was a
Protestant
Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
conservative and
Christian democratic
Christian democracy (sometimes named Centrist democracy) is a political ideology that emerged in 19th-century Europe under the influence of Catholic social teaching and neo-Calvinism.
It was conceived as a combination of modern democrati ...
political party in the Netherlands. The party was founded in 1879 by
Abraham Kuyper
Abraham Kuyper (; ; 29 October 1837 – 8 November 1920) was the Prime Minister of the Netherlands between 1901 and 1905, an influential neo-Calvinist theologian and a journalist. He established the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands, which u ...
, a
neo-Calvinist
Neo-Calvinism, a form of Dutch Calvinism, is a theological movement initiated by the theologian and former Dutch prime minister Abraham Kuyper. James Bratt has identified a number of different types of Dutch Calvinism: The Seceders, split into ...
theologian and
minister. In 1980 the party merged with the
Catholic People's Party
The Catholic People's Party ( nl, Katholieke Volkspartij, KVP) was a Catholic Christian democratic political party in the Netherlands. The party was founded in 1945 as a continuation of the Roman Catholic State Party, which was a continuation of ...
(KVP) and the
Christian Historical Union (CHU) to form the
Christian Democratic Appeal
The Christian Democratic Appeal ( nl, Christen-Democratisch Appèl, ; CDA) is a Christian-democratic political party in the Netherlands. It was originally formed in 1977 from a confederation of the Catholic People's Party, the Anti-Revolution ...
(CDA).
History
History before 1879
They anti-revolutionary parliamentary caucus had existed since the 1840s. It represented
orthodox tendencies within the
Dutch Reformed Church
The Dutch Reformed Church (, abbreviated NHK) was the largest Christian denomination in the Netherlands from the onset of the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century until 1930. It was the original denomination of the Dutch Royal Family and ...
. Under the leadership of
Guillaume Groen van Prinsterer
Guillaume Groen van Prinsterer (21 August 1801 – 19 May 1876), was a Dutch politician and historian; he was born in Voorburg, near The Hague.
Overview
Groen is a Dutch historical icon. He was an educated and devout man of the Dutch middle c ...
the anti-revolutionaries became a real political force, which opposed the
liberal tendencies within the Dutch Reformed Church and the liberal tendencies within Dutch politics. Their three values were "God, the
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
, and the
House of Orange
The House of Orange-Nassau (Dutch: ''Huis van Oranje-Nassau'', ) is the current reigning house of the Netherlands. A branch of the European House of Nassau, the house has played a central role in the politics and government of the Netherlands ...
".
An important issue was
public education
State schools (in England, Wales, Australia and New Zealand) or public schools (Scottish English and North American English) are generally primary or secondary educational institution, schools that educate all students without charge. They are ...
, which in the view of the anti-revolutionaries should be Protestant-Christian in nature. The anti-revolutionaries had ties with the , which opposed the official re-establishment of Roman Catholic
bishoprics
In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associat ...
, and a mixed relationship with (liberal-) conservatives in the
House of Representatives
House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...
, who also opposed reforms to the social and political system but often on the basis of a mix of liberal Protestantism and secular
humanism
Humanism is a philosophical stance that emphasizes the individual and social potential and agency of human beings. It considers human beings the starting point for serious moral and philosophical inquiry.
The meaning of the term "human ...
. During the 1860s Groen van Prinsterer became more isolated from his conservative allies. He also began to reformulate his Protestant-Christian ideals, and began to plead for ''souvereiniteit in eigen kring'' (
sphere sovereignty
In neo-Calvinism, sphere sovereignty ( nl, soevereiniteit in eigen kring), also known as differentiated responsibility, is the concept that each sphere (or sector) of life has its own distinct responsibilities and authority or competence, and stan ...
) instead of theocracy. This meant that instead of one Protestant-Christian society, Groen van Prinsterer wanted a Protestant society within a pluralistic society. Orthodox Protestants would have their own churches, schools, papers, political parties and sports clubs. This laid the basis for
pillarisation
Pillarisation (from the nl, verzuiling) is the politico-denominational segregation of a society into groups by religion and associated political beliefs. These societies were (and in some areas, still are) vertically divided into two or more gr ...
, which was to dominate Dutch society between 1880 and 1960.
In 1864 Groen van Prinsterer began to correspond with a young Dutch Reformed theologian named
Abraham Kuyper
Abraham Kuyper (; ; 29 October 1837 – 8 November 1920) was the Prime Minister of the Netherlands between 1901 and 1905, an influential neo-Calvinist theologian and a journalist. He established the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands, which u ...
. Kuyper was heavily influenced by Groen van Prinsterer's ideas and began to put the latter's ideal of an orthodox Protestant society within Dutch society into practice.
Foundation
On 3 April 1879, Abraham Kuyper founded the ARP as part of the larger separate orthodox Protestant society within society. It was the first nationally organised political party in the Netherlands. An 1878 petition for
equal payment for religious schools became one of the catalysts for the foundation of the political movement. In 1877 Kuyper had already written "Our Program" in which the political ideals of the ARP were written down (see
below
Below may refer to:
*Earth
* Ground (disambiguation)
*Soil
*Floor
* Bottom (disambiguation)
*Less than
*Temperatures below freezing
*Hell or underworld
People with the surname
*Ernst von Below (1863–1955), German World War I general
*Fred Below ...
). Around the ARP the separate Protestant society began to grow: many Protestant schools were founded, a Protestant university (the
Free University
A free university is an organization offering uncredited, public classes without restrictions to who can teach or learn. They differ in structure. In 1980 in the United States, about half were associated with a traditional university, about a ...
was founded in 1880), and a paper (''
De Standaard
''De Standaard'' (meaning ''The Standard'' in English) is a Flemish daily newspaper published in Belgium by Mediahuis (formerly Corelio and VUM). It was traditionally a Christian-Democratic paper, associated with the Christian-Democratic and F ...
''). In 1886 Kuyper broke free from the liberal
Dutch Reformed Church
The Dutch Reformed Church (, abbreviated NHK) was the largest Christian denomination in the Netherlands from the onset of the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century until 1930. It was the original denomination of the Dutch Royal Family and ...
(in Dutch: ''Nederlands-Hervormde Kerk'') to found the
Reformed Churches in the Netherlands
{{Infobox Christian denomination
, name = Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (Dutch ''Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland'')
, image =
, caption =
, main_classification = Protestant
, orientation = Calvinist
, polity = Presbyterianism
, ...
in 1892 (in Dutch: ''Gereformeerde Kerken Nederland'').
The ARP had one practical political goal: equalisation of payment between public and religious schools. It had one political strategy: the
Antithesis
Antithesis ( Greek for "setting opposite", from "against" and "placing") is used in writing or speech either as a proposition that contrasts with or reverses some previously mentioned proposition, or when two opposites are introduced together ...
between religious and non-religious parties, which meant that he sought to break the cooperation between liberals and Catholics and to create an alliance between Catholics and Protestants.
1879–1917
In 1879 thirteen anti-revolutionaries were among the hundred members of the
House of Representatives
House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...
, although not all were members of the ARP. During the period 1879–1883 their numbers grew slowly, peaking at 19. After the 1884 election they had 21 members of parliament. In 1886 they won their first seat in the
Senate
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
.
In the
1888 election the ARP won 31.4% of the vote and 27 seats. A
confessional
A confessional is a box, cabinet, booth, or stall in which the priest in some Christian churches sits to hear the confessions of penitents. It is the usual venue for the sacrament in the Roman Catholic Church and the Lutheran Churches, but s ...
cabinet was formed led by the anti-revolutionary
Æneas Baron Mackay: it combined anti-revolutionary and Catholic ministers, joined by two conservative independents. Because the liberals still controlled the Senate, many of the cabinet's proposals met resistance there and the cabinet fell before the end of its four-year term.
In the
1891 election the ARP lost 2% of its votes, but six of its seats. The confessional parties also lost their majority. A
liberal cabinet, led by
Van Tienhoven was formed. It proposed drastic changes to the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...
, which would result practically in universal male suffrage, proposed by minister Tak. The ARP was divided on the issue: Kuyper and a majority of the parliamentary party voted in favour of the law, while
Alexander de Savornin Lohman
Jhr. Alexander Frederik de Savornin Lohman (29 May 1837 – 11 June 1924) was a Dutch politician and leader of the Christian Historical Union during the first quarter of the 20th century.
He was a member of the lower Dutch nobility and held the ...
vehemently opposed it. Kuyper had tactical reasons to support enlarged franchise – the 'kleine luyden' (middle class) who would be allowed to vote often supported the ARP. De Savorin-Lohman opposed the law because it would imply some form of
popular sovereignty
Popular sovereignty is the principle that the authority of a state and its government are created and sustained by the consent of its people, who are the source of all political power. Popular sovereignty, being a principle, does not imply any ...
instead of
divine sovereignty. In 1894 this resulted in a split between the ARP and the group around De Savorin-Lohman.
Party discipline also played a role in the conflict between Kuyper and De Savorin-Lohman: Kuyper, the party leader, favoured strong party discipline, while De Savorin Lohman opposed strong parties. The split results in the foundation of the
Free Anti Revolutionary Party
The Free Anti Revolutionary Party (in Dutch: ''Vrij-Antirevolutionaire Partij'', VAR) was a Dutch conservative Reformed political party, which existed from 1898 to 1903. The VAR is historically linked to the Christian Democratic Appeal which i ...
in 1898, which would become the
Christian Historical Union in 1904. With De Savorin-Lohman a group of prominent party politicians left the party, including many of its aristocratic members (who like De Savorin-Lohman have
double names). The CHU continued its opposition against universal suffrage and was more
anti-papist
Anti-Catholicism is hostility towards Catholics or opposition to the Catholic Church, its clergy, and/or its adherents. At various points after the Reformation, some majority Protestant states, including England, Prussia, Scotland, and th ...
than the ARP.
In the
1894 election the ARP lost almost half of its vote and six of its twenty-one seats. The Catholics broke their alliance with the ARP and supported a conservative cabinet. In the
1897 election the ARP won back some ground: it was supported by 26% of the electorate and won seventeen seats. The group around De Savorin Lohman, won 11% of the vote and six seats. A liberal cabinet was formed and the ARP was confined to opposition.
In
1901
Events
January
* January 1 – The British colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia federate as the Commonwealth of Australia; Edmund Barton becomes the first Prime Minist ...
the ARP won a decisive victory. It won 27.4% of the vote and twenty-three seats. A cabinet was formed out of the ARP, the
Catholics
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
and the group around De Savorin-Lohman, now called the
Christian Historical Party
The Christian Historical Party (in Dutch: ''Christelijk Historische Partij'', CHP) was a Dutch conservative Reformed political party, which existed from 1903 to 1908. The CHP is historically linked to the Christian Democratic Appeal which is curre ...
. The cabinet was led by Kuyper, being the first person to
formally lead the cabinet for four years. It was characterised by Kuypers' authoritarian leadership. This can best be seen by the railway
strike of 1903, in which Kuyper showed no mercy to the strikers and instead pushed several particularly harsh anti-strike laws through parliament. After the Senate, where there was a liberal majority, rejected Kuypers' law on higher education, which sought to bring equal titles for alumni of the Free University, which Kuyper himself founded, Kuyper called for new elections for the Senate. With a confessional majority in the Senate, the law was pushed through.
In the
1905 election the ARP lost only 3% of vote, but eight seats, although it was able to strengthen its position in the Senate. Kuyper, the party's leader, lost his own seat in Amsterdam to a
progressive liberal.
Theo Heemskerk
Theodorus "Theo" Heemskerk (20 July 1852 – 12 June 1932) was a Dutch politician of the Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP) who served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 12 February 1908 until 29 August 1913.
Heemskerk is particularly known ...
led the anti-revolutionary
parliamentary party. A minority liberal cabinet was formed. Former anti-revolutionary MP Staalman left ARP and founded the Christian Democratic Party, which later became the
Christian Democratic Union, which would play a minor role in the interbellum political landscape.
In a 1908 Kuyper returned to the House of Representatives. After a crisis in the liberal cabinet Theo Heemskerk was given the chance to form a new cabinet. A minority confessional cabinet was formed. In the
1909 election the ARP won 3% of vote and twenty-five seats. The Heemskerk cabinet continues.
In 1912 Kuyper left national politics because of health reasons, and in 1913 he was elected to the Senate. In the
1913 election the ARP lost 6% of the votes, but lost more than half of its seats and was left with 11 seats. Another minority liberal cabinet was formed. The leadership of the ARP lay in the hands of less prominent politicians. Although a relatively small opposition party, the ARP played an important role in Dutch politics. The liberal minority cabinet, led by
Cort van der Linden sought to resolve two important issues in Dutch politics: the conflict over the equalisation of payment for religious schools and universal suffrage. In the
constitution change of 1917 both items were resolved. The ARP was given equal payment for religious schools, but it had to accept
women's suffrage
Women's suffrage is the right of women to vote in elections. Beginning in the start of the 18th century, some people sought to change voting laws to allow women to vote. Liberal political parties would go on to grant women the right to vot ...
and
proportional representation
Proportional representation (PR) refers to a type of electoral system under which subgroups of an electorate are reflected proportionately in the elected body. The concept applies mainly to geographical (e.g. states, regions) and political divis ...
.
1917–1945
After the
Pacification of 1917, marked by the introduction of
universal suffrage
Universal suffrage (also called universal franchise, general suffrage, and common suffrage of the common man) gives the right to vote to all adult citizens, regardless of wealth, income, gender, social status, race, ethnicity, or political sta ...
, the party never received more than twenty percent of the vote. The
1918 election provided a decisive test for the party, where the party won two additional seats. The three confessional parties won 50 seats. The confessional parties formed a new cabinet, led by the Catholic
Charles Ruijs de Beerenbrouck
Charles Joseph Marie Ruijs de Beerenbrouck (1 December 1873 – 17 April 1936) was a Dutch politician of the defunct Roman Catholic State Party (RKSP), later formed to the Catholic People's Party (KVP) now merged into the Christian Democratic ...
. The ARP supplied three ministers and former prime minister Theo Heemskerk became Minister of Justice. A group of concerned anti-revolutionaries, led by
Gerrit Kersten, founded the
Reformed Political Party
The Reformed Political Party ( nl, Staatkundig Gereformeerde Partij, SGP) is a conservative CalvinistThese sources describe the SGP as a Calvinist political party:
*
*
*
*
* political party in the Netherlands. The term ''Reformed'' is not a refere ...
, which opposed universal suffrage and cooperation with the Catholics. The electorate of the ARP changed in the interbellum – the difference between lower class Protestants who voted ARP and middle class Protestant Protestants who voted CHU began to disappear, with religious differences between the
Dutch Reformed Church
The Dutch Reformed Church (, abbreviated NHK) was the largest Christian denomination in the Netherlands from the onset of the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century until 1930. It was the original denomination of the Dutch Royal Family and ...
(CHU) and the
Reformed Churches in the Netherlands
{{Infobox Christian denomination
, name = Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (Dutch ''Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland'')
, image =
, caption =
, main_classification = Protestant
, orientation = Calvinist
, polity = Presbyterianism
, ...
(ARP) becoming more important.
In the
1922 election former minister of war
Hendrikus Colijn became the leader of the ARP. He emphasised
defence
Defense or defence may refer to:
Tactical, martial, and political acts or groups
* Defense (military), forces primarily intended for warfare
* Civil defense, the organizing of civilians to deal with emergencies or enemy attacks
* Defense indus ...
and
fiscal conservatism
Fiscal conservatism is a political and economic philosophy regarding fiscal policy and fiscal responsibility with an ideological basis in capitalism, individualism, limited government, and ''laissez-faire'' economics.M. O. Dickerson et al., '' ...
as core issues of the party. With him the ARP got sixteen seats in the House of Representatives and fifteen in the
Senate
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
. He became
Minister of Finance
A finance minister is an executive or cabinet position in charge of one or more of government finances, economic policy and financial regulation.
A finance minister's portfolio has a large variety of names around the world, such as "treasury", ...
in the second cabinet of Charles Ruijs de Beerenbrouck. He led the party in the
1925 election and the party lost three seats. The ARP continued in government with
Jan Donner
Jan Donner (3 February 1891 – 2 February 1981) was a Dutch politician of the defunct Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP) now merged into the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) and jurist. He was granted the honorary title of Minister of State on 16 ...
as minister of Justice. In the
1929 election the ARP lost another seat. The confessional parties continued to govern.
In the 1930s with the growing international political threats and
economic crisis
An economy is an area of the production, distribution and trade, as well as consumption of goods and services. In general, it is defined as a social domain that emphasize the practices, discourses, and material expressions associated with th ...
, the ARP began to regain its popularity, under the leadership of Colijn. In
1933
Events
January
* January 11 – Sir Charles Kingsford Smith makes the first commercial flight between Australia and New Zealand.
* January 17 – The United States Congress votes in favour of Philippines independence, against the wis ...
, the ARP gained two seats and Colijn formed a broad cabinet comprising the
Roman Catholic State Party (RKSP), CHU, ARP,
Liberal State Party
The Liberal State Party, "the Freedom League" ( nl, Liberale Staatspartij "de Vrijheidsbond", LSP), was a conservative liberal political party in the Netherlands from 1921 to 1948. It is historically linked to the People's Party for Freedom and ...
(LSP) and
Free-thinking Democratic League
The Free-thinking Democratic League ( nl, Vrijzinnig Democratische Bond, VDB) was a progressive liberal political party in the Netherlands. Established in 1901, it played a relatively large role in Dutch politics, supplying one Prime Minister, ...
(VDB).
Jan Schouten led the party's parliamentary party. Between 1933 and 1939 Colijn led several parliamentary and
extra-parliamentary cabinets with changing composition, although the CHU, ARP, and RKSP continued to form the core of the cabinet. Colijn refused to
devalue the
guilder
Guilder is the English translation of the Dutch and German ''gulden'', originally shortened from Middle High German ''guldin pfenninc'' " gold penny". This was the term that became current in the southern and western parts of the Holy Roman Emp ...
but was unable to resolve the economic crisis. In
1937
Events
January
* January 1 – Anastasio Somoza García becomes President of Nicaragua.
* January 5 – Water levels begin to rise in the Ohio River in the United States, leading to the Ohio River flood of 1937, which continues into ...
the ARP gained three seats and reached a historic 17 seats. Colijn continued to govern. In 1939 his fifth cabinet fell and Colijn was succeeded by
Dirk Jan de Geer.
Pieter Gerbrandy
Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy (born Pieter Gerbrandij; 13 April 1885 – 7 September 1961) was a Dutch politician and jurist who served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 3 September 1940 until 25 June 1945. He oversaw the government-in-exile ...
joined the cabinet without support of his parliamentary party.
During World War II members of the ARP played a role in both the
governments-in-exile, of which many were led by
Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy and the
resistance movements. The resistance paper ''
Trouw'' was founded by ARP members. Many future ARP MPs began their political career in the Dutch resistance.
1945–1980
After World War II the ARP returned to Dutch politics. The anti-revolutionary
Jo Meynen
Johannes Meynen (13 April 1901, Winsum, Friesland – 13 February 1980, Velp) was a Dutch politician. He was a member of the Steering Committee of the Bilderberg Group.
See also
*List of Dutch politicians
A list of most notable Dutch polit ...
was minister of War, albeit without support of his parliamentary party.
In the
1946 election Jan Schouten led the party. It lost four seats. During the formation in became clear that the ARP could not govern: it strongly opposed the decolonisation of the
Dutch Indies. It saw maintenance of the Dutch colonial empire as necessary for the continued wealth and power of the Netherlands. The
Labour Party (PvdA) and the
Catholics
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
however favoured decolonisation, under heavy pressure from the United States. For six years the ARP was relatively isolated. In 1944 a theological conflict within the
Reformed Churches in the Netherlands
{{Infobox Christian denomination
, name = Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (Dutch ''Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland'')
, image =
, caption =
, main_classification = Protestant
, orientation = Calvinist
, polity = Presbyterianism
, ...
led to a break between the Reformed Church and the Reformed Churches (liberated). This also had political repercussions, as in 1948 the
Reformed Political League
The Reformed Political LeagueTranslation used by Andeweg and Irwin in ''Governance and Politics of the Netherlands'' (2002: 45) ( nl, Gereformeerd Politiek Verbond, GPV) was an orthodox Protestant political party in the Netherlands. The GPV is ...
was set up by members of the liberated churches. They were unable to win seats until 1963. The party remained stable in the
1948 election and remained in opposition.
After the
1952 election the ARP returned to the cabinet, which consisted of the confessional ARP, CHU, KVP and the social democratic PvdA, led by the social democrat
Drees
Drees is an ''Ortsgemeinde'' – a municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Vulkaneifel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' of Kelberg, whose sea ...
.
Jelle Zijlstra became minister of economic affairs. In the
1956 election in which Jelle Zijlstra became political leader the ARP kept its 10% of the vote, but due to the enlargement of the House of Representatives it got 15 seats. A conflict between the PvdA and the KVP caused the early downfall of the cabinet. The ARP remained part of the care-taker cabinet led by
Louis Beel. In the
1959 election the ARP lost another seat. It continued to be part of the cabinet, now led by
Jan de Quay. The three confessional parties were joined by the conservative liberal
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
The People's Party for Freedom and Democracy ( nl, Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie ; VVD) is a conservative-liberal Andeweg, R. and G. Irwin ''Politics and Governance in the Netherlands'', Basingstoke (Palgrave) p.49 political party i ...
.
After the
1963 election the cabinet continued, now led by Victor Marijnen. The new anti-revolutionary leader
Barend Biesheuvel became
Minister of Agriculture. In 1965 this cabinet fell over a conflict between the liberals and the confessionals. The PvdA joins the ARP and the KVP in a new cabinet, led by
Jo Cals
Jozef Maria Laurens Theo "Jo" Cals (18 July 1914 – 30 December 1971) was a Dutch politician of the defunct Catholic People's Party (KVP) now the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) party and jurist who served as Prime Minister of the Netherland ...
. This cabinet fell after one year, over conflict between the KVP and PvdA over government spending. The ARP joins the PvdA in its plea for more government spending. A caretaker government is formed by the KVP and ARP, led by former ARP-leader Jelle Zijlstra. In the
1967 election campaign the ARP, CHU and KVP declared that they would continue to govern together. This led to considerable conflict with the KVP, which also spilled over into the ARP, as the younger generation wanted to govern with the PvdA. The ARP gained two seats, but the KVP loses eight seats. A new liberal/confessional cabinet is formed. Biesheuvel does not enter government but instead chooses to remain in parliament.
In the
1971 election the ARP lost two seats, and its confessional allies (KVP and CHU) lost seven and three seats respectively. They faced competition from the
left-wing Christian Political Party of Radicals
The Political Party of Radicals ( nl, Politieke Partij Radikalen, PPR) was a progressive Christian and green political party in the Netherlands. The PPR played a relatively small role in Dutch politics and merged with other left-wing parties to ...
(PPR), which was formed by former KVP members and joined by some prominent anti-revolutionaries, including
Bas de Gaay Fortman
Bastiaan "Bas" de Gaay Fortman (born 6 November 1937) is a retired Dutch politician and diplomat of the Political Party of Radicals (PPR) and later the GreenLeft (GL) party and economist.
Career before politics
After attending public elementar ...
, son of
Wilhelm de Gaay Fortman
Wilhelm Friedrich "Gaius" de Gaay Fortman (8 May 1911 – 29 March 1997) was a Dutch jurist and politician of the Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP), which later merged into the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) party.
De Gaay Fortman attended a ...
, one of the party's ministers. The liberal/confessional cabinet lost its majority. A new government was formed consisting of liberals and confessionals, now joined by
Democratic Socialists '70, a group of moderate social democrats who left the "radicalising" PvdA. This cabinet was led by Barend Biesheuvel.
Willem Aantjes
Willem "Wim" Aantjes (; 16 January 1923 – 22 October 2015) was a Dutch politician of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA).
Aantjes a jurist by occupation, was elected as a Member of the House of Representatives on 26 May 1959 after the gen ...
became the chair of the party's parliamentary party. Under his leadership the ARP fashioned itself a new left-wing ''radical evangelical'' image, while the CHU retains its conservative image. The cabinet did not hold together for long: DS '70 were unable to agree with proposed budget cuts, and the cabinet fell. In the subsequent
election
An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office.
Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has operat ...
the ARP gained one seat. After long coalition talks several prominent anti-revolutionaries, including Wilhelm de Gaay Fortman, joined the progressive cabinet led by
Joop den Uyl
Johannes Marten den Uijl, better known as Joop den Uyl (; 9 August 1919 – 24 December 1987) was a Dutch politician and economist who served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 1973 to 1977. He was a member of the Labour Party (PvdA).
...
. The cabinet was riddled with conflicts between confessional and progressive politicians.
Dissolution
Meanwhile, a process of merger had started between the KVP, ARP and CHU. In 1974 they founded a federation called the
Christian Democratic Appeal
The Christian Democratic Appeal ( nl, Christen-Democratisch Appèl, ; CDA) is a Christian-democratic political party in the Netherlands. It was originally formed in 1977 from a confederation of the Catholic People's Party, the Anti-Revolution ...
(CDA). In the formation of a common Christian democratic identity anti-revolutionary Aantjes played a decisive role: he orients the party towards the
sermon on the Mount
The Sermon on the Mount ( anglicized from the Matthean Vulgate Latin section title: ) is a collection of sayings attributed to Jesus of Nazareth found in the Gospel of Matthew (chapters 5, 6, and 7). that emphasizes his moral teachings. It ...
where Christ says that Christians should clothe the naked and feed the hungry. In the 1977 election they campaigned together under as the CDA. Some prominent anti-revolutionaries, like Aantjes did not agree the CDA/VVD cabinet that was formed after the election and wanted to continue with the PvdA. However, they supported the cabinet politically. A group of these anti-revolutionaries left the CDA in 1981 to found the left-wing Christian
Evangelical People's Party.
While the ARP was one of the dominant forces in the merged party, it was not until 2002 that a CDA member with anti-revolutionary roots became Prime Minister,
Jan Peter Balkenende
Jan Pieter "Jan Peter" Balkenende Jr. (; born 7 May 1956) is a Dutch politician of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) party and jurist who served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 22 July 2002 to 14 October 2010.
Balkenende studied ...
.
Name
The Anti-Revolutionary Party derived its name from its opposition to the ideals of the liberal
French Revolution
The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are conside ...
(and certainly against those of
Marxists
Marxism is a left-wing to far-left method of socioeconomic analysis that uses a materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to understand class relations and social conflict and a dialectical ...
). The label ''conservative'' was already taken by a parliamentary group of
monarchists
Monarchism is the advocacy of the system of monarchy or monarchical rule. A monarchist is an individual who supports this form of government independently of any specific monarch, whereas one who supports a particular monarch is a royalist. ...
and
colonialists
Colonialism is a practice or policy of control by one people or power over other people or areas, often by establishing colonies and generally with the aim of economic dominance. In the process of colonisation, colonisers may impose their relig ...
, who fell out of favour in the late 19th century. In its early years the terms ''anti-revolutionary'' and ''Christian historical'' were used interchangeably. With the split between the ARP and the
Christian Historical Union the terms began to gain their own separate meanings.
Ideology and issues
The ARP started out as an orthodox
Protestant
Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
party, heavily opposed to the ideals of the French revolution. Against the revolution, they put the Bible: instead of
liberty
Liberty is the ability to do as one pleases, or a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant (i.e. privilege). It is a synonym for the word freedom.
In modern politics, liberty is understood as the state of being free within society fr ...
, it favoured
divine providence
In theology, Divine Providence, or simply Providence, is God's intervention in the Universe. The term ''Divine Providence'' (usually capitalized) is also used as a title of God. A distinction is usually made between "general providence", which ...
, instead of
equality it favoured
hierarchy
A hierarchy (from Greek: , from , 'president of sacred rites') is an arrangement of items (objects, names, values, categories, etc.) that are represented as being "above", "below", or "at the same level as" one another. Hierarchy is an important ...
and instead of brotherhood it favoured
sovereignty in its own circle. Its ideals could be summed up in the
tripartite motto
Hendiatris (; ) is a figure of speech used for emphasis, in which three words are used to express one idea. The phrases "sun, sea and sand", and "wine, women and song" are examples.
A tripartite motto is the conventional English term for a motto ...
"God, the Netherlands and the
House of Orange
The House of Orange-Nassau (Dutch: ''Huis van Oranje-Nassau'', ) is the current reigning house of the Netherlands. A branch of the European House of Nassau, the house has played a central role in the politics and government of the Netherlands ...
". For most of its history it maintained this conservative Protestant image. In the 1960s and 1970s the party began to adopt a more left-wing "radical evangelical" image.
God
The ARP was a confessional Protestant party which based its politics on the Bible and opposed the concept of
popular sovereignty
Popular sovereignty is the principle that the authority of a state and its government are created and sustained by the consent of its people, who are the source of all political power. Popular sovereignty, being a principle, does not imply any ...
.
The concept of
sphere sovereignty
In neo-Calvinism, sphere sovereignty ( nl, soevereiniteit in eigen kring), also known as differentiated responsibility, is the concept that each sphere (or sector) of life has its own distinct responsibilities and authority or competence, and stan ...
was very important for the party. It wanted to create an independent Protestant society within the Dutch society, with its own schools, papers, hospitals etc. It sought
equal government finances for its own institutions. Societies should care for their own, therefore they opposed a large role for the state in social-economic policy.
The ARP saw an important role for the state in upholding the values of the Dutch people. It was
socially conservative: it opposed
mixed-sex education
Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to t ...
,
mandatory vaccination, divorce, pornography,
euthanasia
Euthanasia (from el, εὐθανασία 'good death': εὖ, ''eu'' 'well, good' + θάνατος, ''thanatos'' 'death') is the practice of intentionally ending life to eliminate pain and suffering.
Different countries have different eut ...
, abortion etc. It also favoured capital punishment.
Netherlands
The party can be seen as rather
nationalist
Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: Th ...
. It favoured a strong defence to retain Dutch
neutrality. It opposed decolonisation. It saw the colonies in
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Gui ...
as vital for the continued wealth and influence of the Dutch people. It also wanted to enlighten the native population with Christian values.
Monarchy
The ARP favoured monarchy, and saw the House of Orange as historically and religiously linked to the Dutch people. It opposed changes to Dutch political system, it wanted to retain
bicameralism
Bicameralism is a type of legislature, one divided into two separate assemblies, chambers, or houses, known as a bicameral legislature. Bicameralism is distinguished from unicameralism, in which all members deliberate and vote as a single gr ...
, opposed popular
referendum
A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a Direct democracy, direct vote by the Constituency, electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a Representative democr ...
s etc. Its commitment to
universal suffrage
Universal suffrage (also called universal franchise, general suffrage, and common suffrage of the common man) gives the right to vote to all adult citizens, regardless of wealth, income, gender, social status, race, ethnicity, or political sta ...
was only tactical as the ARP expected that it would be able to gain more seats this way. Principally it wanted
Householder Franchise where the father of each family would vote for his family.
The party was
fiscally conservative: the Dutch government should be like a good father: it should not spend more than it got through taxes.
Christian radicalism
In the 1960s and 1970s the party became more left-wing on many issues. Social justice became an important ideal of the party, both nationally, where it began to favour a stronger
welfare state
A welfare state is a form of government in which the state (or a well-established network of social institutions) protects and promotes the economic and social well-being of its citizens, based upon the principles of equal opportunity, equita ...
, and internationally, where
development aid
Development aid is a type of foreign/international/overseas aid given by governments and other agencies to support the economic, environmental, social, and political development of developing countries. Closely-related concepts include: develop ...
became an important issue.
Representation
This table shows the results of the ARP in elections to the House of Representatives and Senate, 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. If the party is in government, a high ranking minister, often the prime minister can also be party leader. If the high ranking minister is the Prime Minister, this can be seen by the "PM" behind his name. If he is in the cabinet without support of his party his is listed as "independent". The party's membership is also presented in this figure.
Organisation
Leaders
:
Prime Ministers
*
Barend Biesheuvel (1971–1973)
*
Jelle Zijlstra (1966–1967)
*
Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy (1940–1945)
*
Hendrikus Colijn (1925–1926, 1933–1939)
*
Theo Heemskerk
Theodorus "Theo" Heemskerk (20 July 1852 – 12 June 1932) was a Dutch politician of the Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP) who served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 12 February 1908 until 29 August 1913.
Heemskerk is particularly known ...
(1908–1913)
*
Abraham Kuyper
Abraham Kuyper (; ; 29 October 1837 – 8 November 1920) was the Prime Minister of the Netherlands between 1901 and 1905, an influential neo-Calvinist theologian and a journalist. He established the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands, which u ...
(1901–1905)
*
Æneas Mackay
Aeneas, Baron Mackay (29 November 1838 – 13 November 1909) was a Dutch Anti-Revolutionary politician who served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 1888 to 1891. Born into a noble family from Gelderland, he studied law in Utrecht and ...
(1888–1891)
Leadership
*
Party chair
** 1975–1980
Hans de Boer
Hans Andries de Boer (born 30 May 1937) is a former Dutch politician of the defunct Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP) and later the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) party and trade association executive.
De Boer attended a Lyceum in Velsen from ...
** 1973–1975
Jan de Koning
** 1968–1973
Antoon Veerman
** 1968
Anton Roosjen
** 1956–1968
Wiert Berghuis
** 1955–1956
Anton Roosjen
** 1941–1955
Jan Schouten
** 1939–1941
Hendrikus Colijn
** 1933–1939
Jan Schouten
** 1920–1933
Hendrikus Colijn
** 1907–1920
Abraham Kuyper
Abraham Kuyper (; ; 29 October 1837 – 8 November 1920) was the Prime Minister of the Netherlands between 1901 and 1905, an influential neo-Calvinist theologian and a journalist. He established the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands, which u ...
** 1905–1907
Herman Bavinck
Herman Bavinck (13 December 1854 – 29 July 1921) was a Dutch Calvinist theologian and churchman. He was a significant scholar in the Calvinist tradition, alongside Abraham Kuyper and B. B. Warfield.
Biography Background
Bavinck was bo ...
** 1879–1905
Abraham Kuyper
Abraham Kuyper (; ; 29 October 1837 – 8 November 1920) was the Prime Minister of the Netherlands between 1901 and 1905, an influential neo-Calvinist theologian and a journalist. He established the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands, which u ...
*
Lijsttrekker
In politics, a lead candidate (; , ) is the leader of a political party in an election to a legislative body. In parliamentary systems, it is often the party's nominee for the position of head of government. In open list electoral systems, it is ...
**
Barend Biesheuvel –
1963
Events January
* January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Co ...
,
1967
Events
January
* January 1 – Canada begins a year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of Confederation, featuring the Expo 67 World's Fair.
* January 5
** Spain and Romania sign an agreement in Paris, establishing full consular and ...
,
1971 *
The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses ( February 25, July 22 and August 20) and two total lunar eclipses ( February 10, and August 6).
The world population increased by 2.1% this year, the highest increase in history.
Events
J ...
,
1972
**
Jelle Zijlstra –
1956
Events
January
* January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan.
* January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, Ed McCully, Jim Elliot and Pete Fleming, are kille ...
,
1959
Events January
* January 1 - Cuba: Fulgencio Batista flees Havana when the forces of Fidel Castro advance.
* January 2 - Lunar probe Luna 1 was the first man-made object to attain escape velocity from Earth. It reached the vicinity of E ...
**
Jan Schouten –
1946
Events January
* January 6 - The first general election ever in Vietnam is held.
* January 7 – The Allies recognize the Austrian republic with its 1937 borders, and divide the country into four occupation zones.
* January 10
** The ...
,
1948
Events January
* January 1
** The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is inaugurated.
** The Constitution of New Jersey (later subject to amendment) goes into effect.
** The railways of Britain are nationalized, to form British ...
,
1952
Events January–February
* January 26 – Black Saturday in Egypt: Rioters burn Cairo's central business district, targeting British and upper-class Egyptian businesses.
* February 6
** Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh, becomes m ...
**
Hendrikus Colijn –
1922
Events
January
* January 7 – Dáil Éireann (Irish Republic), Dáil Éireann, the parliament of the Irish Republic, ratifies the Anglo-Irish Treaty by 64–57 votes.
* January 10 – Arthur Griffith is elected President of Dáil Éirean ...
,
1925,
1929
This year marked the end of a period known in American history as the Roaring Twenties after the Wall Street Crash of 1929 ushered in a worldwide Great Depression. In the Americas, an agreement was brokered to end the Cristero War, a Catholic ...
,
1933
Events
January
* January 11 – Sir Charles Kingsford Smith makes the first commercial flight between Australia and New Zealand.
* January 17 – The United States Congress votes in favour of Philippines independence, against the wis ...
,
1937
Events
January
* January 1 – Anastasio Somoza García becomes President of Nicaragua.
* January 5 – Water levels begin to rise in the Ohio River in the United States, leading to the Ohio River flood of 1937, which continues into ...
**
Abraham Kuyper
Abraham Kuyper (; ; 29 October 1837 – 8 November 1920) was the Prime Minister of the Netherlands between 1901 and 1905, an influential neo-Calvinist theologian and a journalist. He established the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands, which u ...
–
1918
This year is noted for the end of the First World War, on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, as well as for the Spanish flu pandemic that killed 50–100 million people worldwide.
Events
Below, the events ...
*
Parliamentary leader
A parliamentary leader is a political title or a descriptive term used in various countries to designate the person leading a parliamentary group or caucus in a legislative body, whether it be a national or sub-national legislature. They are their ...
s in the
Senate
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
**
Alexander Idenburg (1922–1924)
**
Anne Anema (1925–1926)
**
Hendrikus Colijn (1926–1929)
**
Anne Anema (1929–1960)
**
Wiert Berghuis (1960–1971)
**
Gaius de Gaay Fortman (1971–1973)
**
Wil Albeda
Willem "Wil" Albeda (13 June 1925 – 6 May 2014) was a Dutch politician of the defunct Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP) and later of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) party and economist.
Albeda attended a gymnasium in Leeuwarden from Ma ...
(1973–1977)
*
Parliamentary leader
A parliamentary leader is a political title or a descriptive term used in various countries to designate the person leading a parliamentary group or caucus in a legislative body, whether it be a national or sub-national legislature. They are their ...
s in the
House of Representatives
House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...
**
Abraham Kuyper
Abraham Kuyper (; ; 29 October 1837 – 8 November 1920) was the Prime Minister of the Netherlands between 1901 and 1905, an influential neo-Calvinist theologian and a journalist. He established the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands, which u ...
(1894)
**
Jan van Alphen
Jan, JaN or JAN may refer to:
Acronyms
* Jackson, Mississippi (Amtrak station), US, Amtrak station code JAN
* Jackson-Evers International Airport, Mississippi, US, IATA code
* Jabhat al-Nusra (JaN), a Syrian militant group
* Japanese Article Nu ...
(1894–1896)
**
Abraham Kuyper
Abraham Kuyper (; ; 29 October 1837 – 8 November 1920) was the Prime Minister of the Netherlands between 1901 and 1905, an influential neo-Calvinist theologian and a journalist. He established the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands, which u ...
(1896–1901)
**
Jan van Alphen
Jan, JaN or JAN may refer to:
Acronyms
* Jackson, Mississippi (Amtrak station), US, Amtrak station code JAN
* Jackson-Evers International Airport, Mississippi, US, IATA code
* Jabhat al-Nusra (JaN), a Syrian militant group
* Japanese Article Nu ...
(1901–1903)
**
Theo Heemskerk
Theodorus "Theo" Heemskerk (20 July 1852 – 12 June 1932) was a Dutch politician of the Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP) who served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 12 February 1908 until 29 August 1913.
Heemskerk is particularly known ...
(1903–1908)
**
Jan Hendrik de Waal Malefijt
Jan Hendrik de Waal Malefijt (31 January 1852, Overveen, North Holland – 14 March 1931, Katwijk) was a Dutch politician.
Political functions
* City council of Zeist: 1884-1890
* Mayor of Westbroek: 1890-1903
* Mayor of Achttienhoven: 1890-1 ...
(1908)
**
Abraham Kuyper
Abraham Kuyper (; ; 29 October 1837 – 8 November 1920) was the Prime Minister of the Netherlands between 1901 and 1905, an influential neo-Calvinist theologian and a journalist. He established the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands, which u ...
(1908–1912)
**
Gerrit Middelberg (1912–1913)
**
Coenraad van der Voort van Zijp (1913–1919)
**
Victor Henri Rutgers
The name Victor or Viktor may refer to:
* Victor (name), including a list of people with the given name, mononym, or surname
Arts and entertainment
Film
* ''Victor'' (1951 film), a French drama film
* ''Victor'' (1993 film), a French shor ...
(1919–1922)
**
Hendrikus Colijn (1922–1923)
**
Victor Henri Rutgers
The name Victor or Viktor may refer to:
* Victor (name), including a list of people with the given name, mononym, or surname
Arts and entertainment
Film
* ''Victor'' (1951 film), a French drama film
* ''Victor'' (1993 film), a French shor ...
(1923–1925)
**
Theo Heemskerk
Theodorus "Theo" Heemskerk (20 July 1852 – 12 June 1932) was a Dutch politician of the Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP) who served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 12 February 1908 until 29 August 1913.
Heemskerk is particularly known ...
(1925–1929)
**
Hendrikus Colijn (1929–1933)
**
Jan Schouten (1933–1956)
**
Jelle Zijlstra (1956)
**
Sieuwert Bruins Slot (1956–1963)
**
Henk van Eijsden
Henk is a Dutch male given name, originally a short form of Hendrik. It influenced " Hank" which is used in English-speaking countries (mainly in the US) as a form of " Henry". People named "Henk" include:
Academics
* Henk Aertsen (born 1943), D ...
(1963)
**
Barend Biesheuvel (1963)
**
Jan Smallenbroek
Jan Smallenbroek (21 February 1909 – 29 September 1974) was a Dutch politician of the defunct Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP) now merged into the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) party and nonprofit director.
Smallenbroek attended the State ...
(1963–1965)
**
Bauke Roolvink
Bauke Roolvink (31 January 1912 – 25 November 1979) was a Dutch politician of the defunct Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP) now merged into the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) party and trade union leader
Roolvink worked as a foundry-man at a ...
(1965–1967)
**
Barend Biesheuvel (1967–1971)
**
Willem Aantjes
Willem "Wim" Aantjes (; 16 January 1923 – 22 October 2015) was a Dutch politician of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA).
Aantjes a jurist by occupation, was elected as a Member of the House of Representatives on 26 May 1959 after the gen ...
(1971–1972)
**
Barend Biesheuvel (1972–1973)
**
Willem Aantjes
Willem "Wim" Aantjes (; 16 January 1923 – 22 October 2015) was a Dutch politician of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA).
Aantjes a jurist by occupation, was elected as a Member of the House of Representatives on 26 May 1959 after the gen ...
(1973–1977)
Municipal and provincial government
The party was particularly strong in rural
municipal
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the ...
and
provincial governments. Especially in
Friesland
Friesland (, ; official fry, Fryslân ), historically and traditionally known as Frisia, is a province of the Netherlands located in the country's northern part. It is situated west of Groningen, northwest of Drenthe and Overijssel, north of ...
,
Overijssel
Overijssel (, ; nds, Oaveriessel ; german: Oberyssel) is a province of the Netherlands located in the eastern part of the country. The province's name translates to "across the IJssel", from the perspective of the Episcopal principality of U ...
,
Zeeland
, nl, Ik worstel en kom boven("I struggle and emerge")
, anthem = "Zeeuws volkslied"("Zeelandic Anthem")
, image_map = Zeeland in the Netherlands.svg
, map_alt =
, m ...
and the
Veluwe
The Veluwe () is a forest-rich ridge of hills (1100 km2) in the province of Gelderland in the Netherlands. The Veluwe features many different landscapes, including woodland, heath, some small lakes and Europe's largest sand drifts.
The Ve ...
the party was particularly strong.
Electorate
The electorate of the ARP has seen three decisive shifts, especially in its relation with the CHU, the other Protestant party. Although dates are given here, the changes were gradual.
* Between 1879 and 1917 the ARP appealed to "" (Dutch for the little people), the middle class, farmers, and workers, as a confessional party that favoured
universal suffrage
Universal suffrage (also called universal franchise, general suffrage, and common suffrage of the common man) gives the right to vote to all adult citizens, regardless of wealth, income, gender, social status, race, ethnicity, or political sta ...
.
* Between 1917 and 1967 the ARP appealed to members of the
Reformed Churches in the Netherlands
{{Infobox Christian denomination
, name = Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (Dutch ''Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland'')
, image =
, caption =
, main_classification = Protestant
, orientation = Calvinist
, polity = Presbyterianism
, ...
.
* Between 1967 and 1977, in the time of secularisation and
depillarisation the party was able to appeal to younger generations, as the more left-wing confessional party.
Organisation
National organisation
The party's national secretariat was long housed in the Kuyper House in
The Hague
The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital o ...
. It now houses the national secretariat of the
Christian Democratic Appeal
The Christian Democratic Appeal ( nl, Christen-Democratisch Appèl, ; CDA) is a Christian-democratic political party in the Netherlands. It was originally formed in 1977 from a confederation of the Catholic People's Party, the Anti-Revolution ...
.
Linked organisations
The party published the magazine ''Nederlandse Gedachten'' ("Dutch Thoughts"). Its youth organisation was the ''Anti-Revolutionaire Jongeren Studieclubs'' ("Anti-Revolutionary Youth Studyclubs"). Its scientific institute was the Dr. A. Kuyper foundation.
International organisations
Internationally the ARP was a relatively isolated party. In the
European Parliament
The European Parliament (EP) is one of the Legislature, legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven Institutions of the European Union, institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and in ...
its members sat in the
Christian Democratic faction.
Pillarised organisations
The party had close ties to many Protestant organisations, such as the
Reformed Churches in the Netherlands
{{Infobox Christian denomination
, name = Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (Dutch ''Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland'')
, image =
, caption =
, main_classification = Protestant
, orientation = Calvinist
, polity = Presbyterianism
, ...
, the Protestant broadcaster
NCRV, the employers' organisation
NCW, the trade union
CNV, and the paper ''
De Standaard
''De Standaard'' (meaning ''The Standard'' in English) is a Flemish daily newspaper published in Belgium by Mediahuis (formerly Corelio and VUM). It was traditionally a Christian-Democratic paper, associated with the Christian-Democratic and F ...
'' and after World War II, the ''
Trouw''. Together these organisations formed the Protestant
pillar.
Relationships to other parties
Because of the philosophy of
Antithesis
Antithesis ( Greek for "setting opposite", from "against" and "placing") is used in writing or speech either as a proposition that contrasts with or reverses some previously mentioned proposition, or when two opposites are introduced together ...
it has strong links with the Catholic parties (
General League
A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED ...
/
Roman Catholic State Party/
Catholic People's Party
The Catholic People's Party ( nl, Katholieke Volkspartij, KVP) was a Catholic Christian democratic political party in the Netherlands. The party was founded in 1945 as a continuation of the Roman Catholic State Party, which was a continuation of ...
(KVP) and the
Christian Historical Union (CHU). In the period 1879 to 1917 it saw the
Liberal Union (LU) as its main opponent. After 1917 it saw the social democratic
Social Democratic Workers' Party as its main opponent, and it formed several governments with liberals.
After World War II, the ARP became more isolated because of its position on the decolonisation of the
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies ( nl, Nederlands(ch)-Indië; ), was a Dutch colony consisting of what is now Indonesia. It was formed from the nationalised trading posts of the Dutch East India Company, whic ...
. After Indonesia became independent, it joined the
Labour Party (PvdA), KVP and the CHU in the cabinet. Links with the KVP were exceptionally good and it governed with the KVP and either the CHU and the PvdA. After the 1960s, calls to govern with the PvdA became stronger.
International comparison
Internationally the ARP was very similar to the Scandinavian Christian Democratic parties (such as the
Swedish,
Norwegian,
Danish and the
Finnish Christian Democrats), that are all socially and fiscally conservative, with a social heart. All have their roots in orthodox tendencies within the national church. In its conservative policies the ARP also shared similarities with the
UK Conservatives (the
paternalistic or moderate conservative wing of that party). Comparing the ARP to an American party is more difficult, but is seemed somewhat close to the moderate wing of the
US Republicans (although the ARP was more socially inclined) or the
conservative wing of the US Democratic Party.
References
Further reading
*
* "Changing Procedures and Changing Strategies in Dutch Coalition Building" by Hans Daalder. In: ''
Legislative Studies Quarterly
''Legislative Studies Quarterly'' is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal published by Wiley-Blackwell and is the official journal of the Legislative Studies Section of the American Political Science Association. The journal was established i ...
'' Vol. 11, No. 4 (Nov. 1986), pp. 507–531.
* "Conservatism in the Netherlands" by
Hermann von der Dunk
Hermann Walther von der Dunk (October 9, 1928 in Bonn – August 22, 2018 in Bilthoven) was a Dutch historian of German origin.
Life
Von der Dunk's family fled from Nazi-Germany to the Netherlands in 1937. As his mother was Jewish, his father ...
. In: ''
Journal of Contemporary History
The ''Journal of Contemporary History'' is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal covering the study of history in all parts of the world since 1930. It was established in 1966 by Walter Laqueur and George L. Mosse. Originally published by ...
'', Vol. 13, No. 4 (Oct. 1978), pp. 741–763.
{{Authority control
Defunct political parties in the Netherlands
Protestant political parties
Political parties established in 1879
Political parties disestablished in 1980
Confessional parties in the Netherlands
Defunct Christian political parties
Defunct nationalist parties in the Netherlands
Conservative parties in the Netherlands
Monarchist parties in the Netherlands
Organisations based in The Hague
1879 establishments in the Netherlands
1980 disestablishments in the Netherlands
Social conservative parties