Evangelical People's Party (Netherlands)
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Evangelical People's Party Evangelische Volkspartij | |
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Elections |
The Evangelical People's Party (Dutch: Evangelische Volkspartij, EVP) was a minor progressive Protestant[1] political party in the Netherlands. It is one of the predecessor parties of the modern-day GroenLinks.
History
The EVP was founded in March 1981 by members of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), which were united in the group "Not by Bread Alone" (Niet bij Brood Alleen) and members of the Evangelical Progressive Party, which had previously left the Protestant Anti-Revolutionary Party. Both groups were opposed to the formation of the CDA and its conservative course.
After winning one seat in the 1982 general election - it was unable to do so in 1981 - the party joined the opposition. The party became divided between a left wing and a centrist wing. The left wing wanted to co-operate with the Political Party of Radicals (which had split from the Catholic People's Party in 1968) and its left-wing allies, the Pacifist Socialist Party and the destalinised Communist Party of the Netherlands. The EVP was more reserved towards the CPN. The centrist wing wanted to co-operate with the Labour Party and the CDA. Although some members were willing to co-operate, the party congress rejected the co-operation with the CPN, the PSP and the PPR in the 1984 European Parliament elections.
After the party lost its sole seat in the
Ideology and issues
The party combined left-wing ideas with a green program, inspired by the New Testament. The Sermon on the Mount was an important inspiration for the party. The Sermon was seen as an evangelical imperative to create a society where justice, peace and solidarity would rule. Important issues for the party were:
- A pacifist foreign policy, especially opposition to the placement of nuclear weapons.
- It sought to formulate an alternative to both incomes would be redistributed, people would get more rest (for instance by a government-financed sabbatical for all) and damage to the environmentwould be limited.
- The party was progressive on social and ethical issues, such as gay rights and abortion.
Representation
This table the EVP's results in elections to the
Year | HoR
|
Fractievoorzitter
|
Lijsttrekker
|
---|---|---|---|
1982 | 1 | Cathy Ubels
|
Cathy Ubels |
1983 | 1 | Cathy Ubels | no elections |
1984 | 1 | Cathy Ubels | no elections |
1985 | 1 | Cathy Ubels | no elections |
Electorate
The EVP's small electorate consisted out of left-wing Protestants, mostly former adherents of the
Organisation
Linked organisations
The EVP published a periodical called "EVP info", which was continued after 1990 as "The Leftwing Cheek" within GreenLeft. Its scientific institute was Foundation for Formation and Education, which published "Schering en Inslag"
Relationships to other parties
The party had good relations with the
International comparison
Internationally the party is comparable to other small parties which combine left-wing politics with religious inspiration, for instance the Swiss Christian Social Party.
References
- ISBN 978-3-89325-747-8.