European Christian Political Movement
The European Christian Political Movement (ECPM) is a European political party that unites national parties from across Europe that share policies influenced by Christianity, generally following the ideals of Christian democracy or the Christian right. The member parties are generally more socially conservative and Eurosceptic than the European People's Party.
European Christian Political Movement | |
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President | Branislav Škripek |
Founded | November 2002 |
Headquarters | Bergstraat 33, 3811 NG Amersfoort, Netherlands |
Ideology | Christian democracy[1] Christian right[2] Social conservatism[2] |
Political position | Centre-right to right-wing |
European Parliament group | European Conservatives and Reformists[2] European People's Party (ChristianUnion, 1 MEP) |
Colours | Green and blue |
European Parliament | 4 / 705 |
Website | |
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The party was founded in November 2002 in Lakitelek, Hungary. It elected its first board in January 2005, and was registered in the Netherlands in September 2005. The first ECPM president was Peeter Võsu of the Party of Estonian Christian Democrats. The party has thirty members from across sixteen countries. Youth movements are united in ECPYouth. The youth organisation started in 2004 and installed its first board in summer 2005.
The ECPM for the 2014–2019 term had six Members of the European Parliament: Peter van Dalen of ChristianUnion (NL), Bas Belder of the Dutch Reformed Party (SGP) (NL), Branislav Škripek of OL'aNO (SK), Arne Gericke of Bündnis C (DE), Marek Jurek of Right Wing of the Republic (PL) and Kazimierz Ujazdowski (PL). All six MEPs sat with the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR).
After the most recent 2019 European Parliament election, the party is now represented by 3 MEPs: Peter Van Dalen of the ChristianUnion, Bas Belder of the SGP, and Helmut Geuking of the Family Party of Germany. Peter Van Dalen sits with the European People's Party Group while the others sit with the ECR. A fourth MEP, Cristian Terheș, elected on the Social Democratic Party, joined the party in May 2020.[3]
History
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Ideas
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The ECPM started as a platform in November 2002 when representatives of political parties from more than 15 countries decided to examine new chances for Christian politics in Europe on the conference "For a Christian Europe" at Lakitelek, Hungary.
The ECPM started with parties and organisations regardless of their denominative background. Parties residing in and outside the EU participated in those first years and made it possible to create a movement that is solidly continuing. In 2003 the ECPM adopted eight Guiding Principles in the Lakitelek declaration "Values for Europe", which shapes ECPM's vision on Europe and in January 2005 in Tallinn, Estonia the ECPM elected its first board. On 15 September 2005 ECPM was officially registered with statutes as an association under Dutch law. In 2010 ECPM was officially recognised as a European political party by the European Parliament.[4] In 2014 ECPM took part in the European Elections for the first time as a European Party. The ECPM board was chaired by MP Peter Östman from 2013 to 2016 and since 2016, by MEP Branislav Škripek.
Foundation
Sallux is the official thinktank of ECPM.
Member parties
Full members
This table contains a list of full member parties of the ECPM.[5]
Party | Abbr. | Country | European MPs | National MPs |
---|---|---|---|---|
Christian Democratic Union | CDU | – | – | |
Croatian Growth | Hrast | – | 1 / 151 | |
Estonian Christian Democrats | EKD | – | – | |
Christian Democratic Party | PCD | – | – | |
Christian Democratic People's Party | KDM | – | – | |
Alliance C – Christians for Germany | AUF & PBC | – | – | |
Family Party of Germany | FP | 1 / 96 |
– | |
Human Dignity Alliance | HDA | – | 1 / 60 (senate) | |
Identity and Action | IDeA | – | 1 / 315 (senate) | |
Christian Democratic Union | KDS | – | – | |
For Latvia from the Heart | NSL | – | – | |
Alleanza Bidla | AB | – | – | |
Christian-Democratic People's Party | PPCD | – | – | |
Christian Union | CU | 1 / 26 |
5 / 150 | |
Reformed Political Party | SGP | 1 / 26 |
3 / 150 | |
Right Wing of the Republic | PR | – | 1 / 460 | |
People's Monarchist Party | PPM | – | – | |
Democratic Union of Slovaks and Czechs of Romania | DUSCR | – | 1 / 329 | |
Christian Democratic National Peasants' Party | PNȚ-CD | 1 / 32 |
– | |
Evangelical People's Party | EVP – PEV | – | 3 / 200 | |
Christian Democratic Union | ХДС | – | – | |
Christian Peoples Alliance | CPA | – | – | |
Associate members
- European Christian Political Youth
- European Evangelical Alliance
- Christian People's Unity of Armenia
- Care for Europe
- C'axent *C'axent *C'axent officiële website
- Dignitatis Humanea Institute
- European Evangelical Alliance
- Crown Bulgaria
- Rule of Law Bulgaria
- Amical Service
- Christian Democratic Party
- Institute for Ethics and Values
- Centre Party (Germany)
- Keresztény Demokrata Fórum
- Associazione "Cercasi un fine"
- Dignitatis Humanae Institute
- Unione per la Democrazia e la Libertà
- European Foundation of Moldova
- Foundation for Christian Democracy of Moldova
- Research Institute ChristianUnion
- Stichting Crown Financial Ministries
- Stichting vormingsactiviteiten Oost-Europa
- The Schuman Centre for European Studies
- Areopagus Centru de Educaţie Creştină şi Cultură Contemporană (Areopagus Center for Christian Studies and Contemporary Culture)
- Asociaţia Pro-vita pentru Născuţi şi Nenăscuţi – Filiala Bucureşti (Pro-vita for Born and Unborn Association – Bucharest Branch)
- Christian Center for Roma
- Christian Democratic Association
- Romanian Foundation for Democracy
- Worldteach Association
- Graceful Russia
Organisation
Congresses
The ECPM organises two General Assemblies per year. An annual member congress is held as well where specific themes are discussed. The ECPM also organises regional conferences and other events all over Europe.
Presidents
- Peeter Võsu, 2005–2013
- Peter Östman, 2013–2016
- Branislav Škripek, 2016–present
See also
- Christian politics
- Political catholicism
References
- Costa, Olivier; Brack, Nathalie (29 April 2016). How the EU Really Works. Routledge. p. 120. ISBN 9781317120735.
- Nordsieck, Wolfram (2019). "European Union". Parties and Elections in Europe. Archived from the original on 8 June 2017. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
- "PSD a pierdut un europarlamentar. Cristian Terheș a trecut la grupul extremiștilor din Parlamentul European". www.digi24.ro (in Romanian). Retrieved 12 May 2020.
- "Grants from the European Parliament to political parties at European level 2004–2012", November 2012, from http://www.europarl.europa.eu/. Retrieved 25 January 2013
- "Our members and associates". ECPM.
- "List of registered European Political Parties and European Political Foundations". Europa (web portal). Archived from the original on 16 October 2017. Retrieved 27 September 2017.