Christian Democratic Appeal
The Christian Democratic Appeal (Dutch: Christen-Democratisch Appèl, pronounced [krɪstə(n)deːmoːkraːtis ɑˈpɛl], CDA) is a Christian-democratic[3][4][5][6] and socially conservative[7][8] political party in the Netherlands. It was originally formed in 1977 from a confederation of the Catholic People's Party, the Anti-Revolutionary Party and the Christian Historical Union; it has participated in all but three of the Dutch cabinets formed since it became a unitary party.
Health Minister Hugo de Jonge served as Leader of the Christian Democratic Appeal from July 2020 until his resignation the following December. Finance Minister Wopke Hoekstra was then chosen as lead candidate for the 2021 general election, becoming the de facto party leader.[9] After the 2017 general election, in which the party won 19 seats (third place), the CDA became a junior coalition partner in the Third Rutte cabinet with the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, Democrats 66 and Christian Union. The Fourth Rutte cabinet was formed upon the same coalition.
History[edit]
Predecessor parties; history before 1977[edit]
Since 1880, the sizeable Catholic and Protestant parties had worked together in the so-called Coalitie. They shared a common interest in public funding of religious schools. In 1888, they formed the first Christian-democratic government, led by the Anti-Revolutionary Æneas Baron Mackay. The cooperation was not without problems, and in 1894 the more anti-Catholic and aristocratic conservatives left the Protestant Anti-Revolutionary Party, to found the Christian Historical Union (CHU). The main issues dividing Protestants and Catholics was the position of the Dutch Representation at the Holy See and the future of the Dutch Indies.
