The Catholic Italian party, founded in 1942 in Milan by former members of the Partito Popolare, the Catholic lay movement, Azione cattolica, and FUCI, the association of Catholic university students. In 1944 the party, led by Alcide De Gasperi, joined the Badoglio government. Its different components - big industry, the lower middle classes, landowners - were united in their fear of a left-wing takeover. Helped by the USA and the Church, the DC was successful at the 1946 elections and swept to victory with an absolute majority in 1948. It implemented several reforms aimed at creating a large conservative middle class while protecting industry. Moro's opening to the PSI (Partito socialista italiano) with the centrosinistra cost the party the conservative vote in 1963. The DC's internal division into an increasing number of currents led to short-term centre or centre-left governments. The crisis provoked by the divorce referendum debacle (1974) and the 1975 poll defeat was briefly stopped by the national outcry at Moro's terrorist murder. Left-winger Ciriaco De Mita unsuccessfully tried, when leader (19829), to uproot the currents system. The party's heavy involvement in the 1992 enquiries on political corruption and loss of votes at the 1992 and 1993 polls prompted the final crisis. In 1994 the majority re-formed under the name Partito popolare italiano or PPI (Italian Popular Party), while the right-wing re-assembled as Centro cristiano democratico or CCD (Christian Democratic Centre).
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Ideologies of parties Parties by ideology Politics portal |
Christian Democracy is a heterogeneous political ideology and movement.
Broadly speaking, Christian Democracy is conservative in regard to moral and cultural issues, and issues of public morality and tradition.
Christian Democracy is a significant force in the political mainstream of Europe and Latin America, but is less common on other continents. Christian Democratic parties in Latin America are generally more inclined to support left-leaning economic views, while their European counterparts tend to be more right-wing.
Political viewpoints
As with every category of political thought, in practice, the policies and priorities of Christian Democratic parties can vary considerably over time and between countries.
Christian Democrats are usually socially conservative, and, as such, many Christian Democrats are opposed to abortion and same-sex marriage, although some Christian Democratic parties have accepted the legalization of both, within certain limits. Christian Democratic parties are often likely to assert the Christian heritage of their country, and to explicitly affirm Christian ethics, rather than adopting a more liberal and secular stance that all religions are to be considered equivalent.
Christian Democracy sees the economy as being at the service of humanity; Some Christian Democrats oppose Christian socialism, while others may at times seem to hold political opinions close to it. In recent decades, some major Christian Democratic parties in Europe have shifted more towards a right-leaning policy of economic liberalism, based on reducing the role of the state in the economy. Roberts and Patricia Hogwood describe the basis of Christian Democracy by writing "In terms of ideology, Christian Democracy has incorporated many of the views held by liberals, conservatives and socialists within a wider framework of moral and Christian principles." They describe the basis of Christian Democracy in terms of comparisons to and contrasts with liberalism, socialism and conservatism, a useful approach to understanding Christian Democracy.
History of Christian Democracy
Christian Democracy as a political movement was born at the end of the 19th century, largely as a result of the papal encyclical Rerum Novarum of Pope Leo XIII, in which the Vatican recognized workers' misery and agreed that something should be done about it, in reaction to the rise of the socialist and trade union movements. In Germany, for example, the Christian Democratic Party emerged as a grouping dominated by Bavarian Catholics, but also encompassed the more conservative elements of the overall protestant population.
In Protestant countries, Christian Democratic parties were founded by more conservative protestants in reaction to the political power of liberal tendencies within the protestant churches.
While Christian Democracy is of Roman Catholic origin, it has been adopted by many Protestant and Orthodox Christians as well. Some Christian Democratic parties, particularly in Europe, no longer emphasize religion and have become much more secular in recent years.
Christian Democracy can trace its philosophical roots back to Thomas Aquinas and his thoughts about Aristotelian ontology and the Christian tradition.
Christian Democracy around the world
The international organization of Christian Democratic parties, the Christian Democrat and People's Parties International, is the second largest international political organization in the world (second only to the Socialist International). European Christian Democratic parties have their own regional organization called the European People's Party, which forms the largest group in the European Parliament. However, not all Christian Democratic parties in Europe are members of it.
Christian Democracy in Europe
Christian Democracy has been especially important in Italy, inspired by Luigi Sturzo (see Democrazia Cristiana), Norway (see Christian Democratic Party of Norway), and Germany (see Christian Democratic Union and Christian Social Union). Major Christian Democratic influence can also be seen in the politics of Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia, Spain (People's Party), and Sweden (Christian Democrats). Christian Democracy is not very strong in the United Kingdom where the Conservative Party dominates conservative politics, although they do contain elements of Christian Democrat ideology and, as a party, are roughly comparable to Christian Democrat Parties throughout the rest of Europe. For example, they have been part of the European People's Party–European Democrats in the European Parliament, which contains many of Europe's major Christian Democrat parties.
Christian Democracy in Latin America
Christian Democracy has been especially important in Chile (see Christian Democrat Party of Chile), in a government coalition since 1990 with the socialdemocrats, and most recently in Mexico with the National Action Party of Vicente Fox.
Christian Democracy in Asia
The Philippines
In the Philippines, the influence of Christian Democracy as well as the Roman Catholic and Protestant clergy is very evident, especially in the People Power uprisings it has produced. Filipino Christian Democrats have always focused on economic growth and development, stronger ties with the United States, creation of jobs, and strong cooperation between the executive and legislative branches of government. Christian Democrats in the country have been known for their advocacy of a shift from the present presidential system to a parliamentary form of government through constitutional amendments and through establishing peace talks with Muslim separatists and communist rebels.
What makes Filipino Christian Democracy distinct from others is its inclusion of Muslim leaders in its political alliance (see Lakas-Christian-Muslim Democrats Party). This is an example of Christian Democracy being "ecumenical" in its political agenda.
Christian Democracy in Australia and New Zealand
In Australia and New Zealand, two different national histories exist, related to conservative Catholic/Christian Democratic involvement in politics within both societies. Within the New Zealand National Party, Bill English has often voiced anxieties about the New Right direction of his party since the late nineties, consistent with what one would expect from a European Christian Democrat, but has failed to present a coherent alternative, and has served as prior Cabinet Minister and current shadow Cabinet Education spokesperson in Jenny Shipley and Don Brash's National-led coalition government and current National Opposition.
By contrast, Jim Anderton broke away from the Labour Party and was party leader of the New Labour Party and Alliance until left/pragmatist strains broke it apart in 2001-2. Since then, his Progressive Party has adopted social conservative stances against prostitution in New Zealand, euthanasia, and decriminalisation of marijuana, as one would expect from a left-wing Christian Democrat.
Due to the disaggregation of the New Zealand Catholic vote, then, some conservative moralist "Christian Democrats" might vote for Copeland and United Future New Zealand, while other "Christian Democrats" might find Jim Anderton's centre-left social policy stances to be more compatible with their own approach to Catholic social ethics.
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