European Christian Political Movement

Christian European political party

European Christian Political Movement

Abbreviation| ECPM
President| Valeriu Ghilețchi (MD, RO)
Secretary-General| Maarten van de Fliert (NL)
Founded| November 2002; 22 years ago (2002-11)
Headquarters| Bergstraat 33, 3811 NG Amersfoort, Netherlands
Think tank| Sallux
Youth wing| ECPYouth
Membership (26 January 2025)| 10[1]
Ideology|

* Christian right[2]
* Christian democracy[3]
* Social conservatism[2]

Political position| Right-wing
European Parliament group| European Conservatives and Reformists Group[2] (SGP, PNCR)
European People's Party Group (Family Party)
Patriots for Europe (LPV)
Non-attached (Individual member Ondřej Dostál)
Colours|  Green
Blue
European Parliament|

5 / 720 (0.7%)

[4][5]
European Council|

0 / 27 (0%)

[6]
European Commission|

0 / 27 (0%)

[7]
European
Lower Houses|

27 / 6,312

European
Upper Houses|

6 / 1,498

Website
ecpm.info

* Politics of European Union
* Political parties
* Elections

The European Christian Political Movement (ECPM) is a European political party exclusively working on promoting Christian values.[8] The party unites national parties and individuals from across Europe who share policies influenced by Christianity, largely following the ideals of Christian democracy and the Christian right. The member parties are generally socially conservative and Eurosceptic.

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 movement brings together over fifty Christian-Democratic political parties, NGOs, think-tanks and individual politicians from over twenty countries within EU and beyond. Youth movements are united in ECPYouth. The youth organisation started in 2004 and elected its first board in the summer of 2005.

During the 2014–2019 term, ECPM had six Members of the European Parliament (MEPs): Peter van Dalen of Christian Union (NL), Bas Belder of the Dutch Reformed Party (SGP) (NL), Branislav Škripek of Kresťanská únia [sk] (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) group.

After the 2019 European Parliament election, the party got three seats in the EP: Peter van Dalen of the Christian Union, Bert-Jan Ruissen of the SGP, and Helmut Geuking of the Family Party of Germany. Peter Van Dalen and Helmut Geuking sit with the European People's Party Group while Bert-Jan Ruissen sits with the ECR. A fourth MEP, Cristian Terheș, member of the Christian Democratic National Peasants' Party in Romania, joined the party in May 2020.[9]

## History

[edit]

Part of a series on

Christian democracy

Principles

* Catholic social teaching
* Christian corporatism
* Christian ethics
* Communitarianism
* Conservatism
* Liberal
* Progressive
* Social
* Consistent life ethic
* Cultural mandate
* Culture of life
* Dignity of labor
* Distributism
* Economic progressivism
* Familialism
* Human dignity
* Just war theory
* Liberalism
* Conservative
* Ordo
* Mixed economy
* Multiculturalism
* Neo-Calvinism
* Neo-Thomism
* Option for the poor
* Person Dignity Theory
* Popularism
* Public morality
* Religious liberty
* Friendly separation of church and state
* Religious pluralism
* Social Gospel
* Social justice
* Social market economy
* Solidarity
* Sphere sovereignty
* Stewardship
* Environmentalism
* Environmental protection
* Subsidiarity
* in Catholicism
* Welfare
* State

Philosophers

* Arizmendiarrieta
* Baader
* Belloc
* Berggrav
* Chesterton
* Day
* Dooyeweerd
* Gebhardt
* Gilson
* Görres
* Groen
* Habsburg
* John Paul II
* Ketteler
* Korfanty
* Lamennais
* Leo XIII
* Lewis
* Maritain
* Mounier
* Nell-Breuning
* Ozanam
* Pesch
* Pius XI
* Pottier
* Röpke
* Stein
* Sturzo
* Tischner
* Vogelsang
* Williams

Politicians

* Adenauer
* Andreotti
* Aznar
* Beel
* Busch
* Buzek
* Caldera
* Clerides
* Cosgrave
* De Gasperi
* Erhard
* Fenech Adami
* Frei
* Groen
* Joseph
* Ketteler
* Kohl
* Korfanty
* Kurz
* Kuyper
* Letta
* Lipinski
* Lubbers
* Martens
* Mazowiecki
* Merkel
* Metsola
* Mikołajczyk
* Moro
* Quadros
* Pastrana
* Pethrus
* Pöttering
* Prodi
* Raab
* Schäffer
* Schuman
* Söder
* Stegerwald
* Strauss
* Sturzo
* Tindemans
* Vogelsang
* von der Leyen
* Wałęsa
* Weber
* Werner
* Windthorst

Parties

* American Solidarity Party
* Austrian People's Party
* Christian Democracy
* Christian Democratic Appeal
* Christian Democratic and Flemish
* Christian Democratic Party
* Christian Democratic People's Party
* Christian Democratic Union of Germany
* Christian Social People's Party
* Christian Social Union in Bavaria
* Centre Party
* Civic Platform
* Croatian Democratic Union
* Democratic Rally
* Fianna Fáil
* Fine Gael
* Kataeb Party
* National Action Party
* National Party
* Nationalist Party
* New Democracy
* Patriotic Union
* People's Party
* Polish People's Party
* Popular Republican Movement
* VMRO-DPMNE
* More

Organizations

* Catholic Action
* Centrist Democrat International
* Christian Democrat Organization of America
* European People's Party
* European Christian Political Movement
* Konrad Adenauer Foundation
* Conservative Christian Fellowship
* Centre for European Studies
* European Ideas Network
* Schuman Foundation
* Center for Public Justice
* Paneuropean Union

Documents

* Rerum novarum
* Populorum progressio
* Graves de communi re
* Quadragesimo anno
* Laborem exercens
* Sollicitudo rei socialis
* Centesimus annus
* Laudato si'

Related topics

* Catholic Church and politics
* Christian left
* Christian anarchism
* Christian communism
* Christian socialism
* Christian right
* Christian libertarianism
* Christian nationalism
* Theoconservatism
* Clerical philosophers
* Ethical socialism
* Integralism
* Illiberal democracy
* Religious democracy
* Buddhist
* Islamic
* Jewish
* Mormon
* Social democracy
* Traditionalist Catholicism

* Politics portal

Christianity portal

* v
* t
* e

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 at the conference "For a Christian Europe" at Lakitelek, Hungary.

The ECPM started with Christian parties and organizations, regardless of their denomination. Parties from within and from outside the EU participated in those first years and made it possible to create a movement that is steadily growing from one year to the next. In 2003, the ECPM adopted eight guiding principles in the Lakitelek declaration "Values for Europe", which shaped ECPM's vision of Europe. 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 recognized as a European political party by the European Parliament.[10] 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, from 2016 to 2021 by MEP Branislav Škripek and by Valeriu Ghileţchi (former Moldovan MP) since 2021.

## Membership

[edit]

### Full members

[edit]

Countries with full and associate ECPM members:

States with full (and possibly associate) member parties

States with associate member parties

This table contains a list of full member parties of the ECPM.[11]

Party  | Abbr.  | Country  | MEPs[a] | National MPs

|
|
|
|

VIA, the Way of the People | VIA  |  France  | –  | –
Alliance C – Christians for Germany | AUF & PBC  |  Germany  | –  | –
Family Party of Germany | FAMILIE  |

1 / 96

| –
Jobbik – Conservatives | Jobbik  |  Hungary  | –  |

8 / 199

Human Dignity Alliance | HDA  |  Ireland  | –  |

0 / 160

(Dáil Éireann)

1 / 60

(Senate)
Sovereign Power | SV  |  Latvia  | –  | –
Latvia First | LPV  |

1 / 9

8 / 100

Lithuanian Christian Democracy Party | LKDP  |  Lithuania  | –  | –
Christian Union | KS  | –  | –
Christian Union | CU  |  Netherlands  | –  |

3 / 150

(House)

3 / 75

(Senate)
Reformed Political Party | SGP  |

1 / 31

3 / 150

(House)

2 / 75

(Senate)
Right Wing of the Republic | PR  |  Poland  | –  | –
People's Monarchist Party | PPM  |  Portugal  | –  | –
Democratic Union of Slovaks and Czechs of Romania | UDSCR  |  Romania  | –  |

1 / 329

Romanian National Conservative Party | PNCR  |

1 / 33

| –
Christian Union | KÚ  |  Slovakia  | –  |

2 / 150

Contigo Mas | Mas  |  Spain  | –  | –
Values  | Valores  | –  | –
Evangelical People's Party | EVP – PEV  |  Switzerland  | Not in EU |

2 / 200

Christian Values Party Sweden  | KRVP  |  Sweden  | –  | –

### Associate members

[edit]

Europe

* European Christian Political Youth
* European Evangelical Alliance

Armenia

* Christian Democratic Union of Armenia

Belgium

* Care for Europe
* C'axent [nl]
* European Evangelical Alliance

Bulgaria

* Crown Bulgaria
* Rule of Law Bulgaria

France

* Amical Service

Germany

* Institute for Ethics and Values

Italy

* Associazione "Cercasi un fine"
* Unione per la Democrazia e la Libertà

Ireland

* Rónán Mullen[12]

Republic of Moldova

* Academia pentru Integritate în Conducere (Academy for Integrity in Leadership (AIC))

Netherlands

* Research Institute ChristianUnion
* Stichting Crown Financial Ministries
* Stichting vormingsactiviteiten Oost-Europa
* The Schuman Centre for European Studies

Romania

* Areopagus. Centru de Educaţie Creştină şi Cultură Contemporană (Areopagus. Center for Christian Studies and Contemporary Culture)
* Asociaţia PRO VITA – Filiala Bucureşti (Pro-vita Association – Bucharest Branch)
* Centrul creștin pentru țigani (Christian Center for Roma)
* Asociația democratică creștină (Christian Democratic Association)
* Fundația românească pentru democrație (Romanian Foundation for Democracy)
* Asociația "Worldteach" (Worldteach Association)

Serbia

* Center for Christian-Democratic Studies

United Kingdom

* Jubilee Centre

## Organisation

[edit]

### Congresses

[edit]

The ECPM organizes two General Assemblies per year. An annual member congress is held as well where specific themes are discussed. The ECPM also organizes regional conferences and other events all over Europe.

### Presidents

[edit]

* Peeter Võsu, 2005–2013
* Peter Östman, 2013–2016
* Branislav Škripek, 2016–2021
* Valeriu Ghileţchi, 2021–present

## Representation in European institutions

[edit]

Organisation | Institution | Number of seats

|
|

European Union | European Parliament |

5 / 720 (0.7%)

[4][5]
European Commission |

0 / 27 (0%)

[7]
European Council
(Heads of Government) |

0 / 27 (0%)

[6]
Council of the European Union
(Participation in Government) |
Committee of the Regions |

0 / 329 (0%)

[13]
Council of Europe | Parliamentary Assembly |

## See also

[edit]

* Christian politics
* Political Catholicism
* European political party
* Authority for European Political Parties and European Political Foundations
* European political foundation

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ The number of MEPs listed below may not match the total number of MEPs of the European party, as it does not include MEPs who join as individual members.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "List of members as per Article 32(2) of Regulation 1141/2014 (English)". Retrieved 26 January 2025.
2. ^ a b c Nordsieck, Wolfram (2019). "European Union". Parties and Elections in Europe. Archived from the original on 8 June 2017. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
3. ^ Costa, Olivier; Brack, Nathalie (29 April 2016). How the EU Really Works. Routledge. p. 120\. ISBN 9781317120735.
4. ^ a b "The European Christian Political Movement expands its representation in the EuropeanParliament". Retrieved 8 October 2024.
5. ^ a b "European Christian Political Movement". Authority for European Political Parties and European Political Foundations. Retrieved 4 November 2024.
6. ^ a b "Members of the European Council". Retrieved 7 February 2025.
7. ^ a b "College of Commissioners". Retrieved 7 February 2025.
8. ^ "European Christian Political Movement - What ECPM is all about". ECPM.
9. ^ "PSD a pierdut un europarlamentar. Cristian Terheș a trecut la grupul extremiștilor din Parlamentul European". digi24.ro (in Romanian). Retrieved 12 May 2020.
10. ^ "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
11. ^ "Our members and associates". ECPM.
12. ^ "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.
13. ^ "European Committee of the Regions Members Page". Retrieved 6 February 2025.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to European Christian Political Movement.

* Official website

* v
* t
* e

European Christian Political Movement

National parties|

| Member parties (EU)|

* CPÖ
* VIA
* AUF & PBC, FAMILIE
* Jobbik
* HDA
* IDeA
* SV, LPV
* LKDP, KS
* ABBA
* CU, SGP
* UPR, PR
* PPM
* UDSCR, PNȚ-CD, PNCR
* KÚ
* Mas, Valores
* KV

|

Associated parties (non-EU)|

* EVP

Presidents|

* Peeter Võsu
* Peter Östman
* Branislav Škripek
* Valeriu Ghileţchi

Associate organisations|

* European Christian Political Youth
* Political Academy for Integrity in Leadership
* C'axent
* SGP-International
* Foundation for International Christian Democratic Development

European political foundation: Sallux

* v
* t
* e

European political parties

* Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party
* Europe of Sovereign Nations
* European Christian Political Movement
* European Conservatives and Reformists Party
* European Democratic Party
* European Free Alliance
* European Green Party
* European Left Alliance for the People and the Planet
* European People's Party
* Party of European Socialists
* Party of the European Left
* Patriots.eu

* European political foundations
* Political groups of the European Parliament
* European Union Portal
* Politics Portal

* v
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European political alliances

European political parties

* Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party
* Europe of Sovereign Nations
* European Christian Political Movement
* European Conservatives and Reformists Party
* European Democratic Party
* European Free Alliance
* European Green Party
* European Left Alliance for the People and the Planet
* European People's Party
* Party of European Socialists
* Party of the European Left
* Patriots.eu

Other political alliances

* Alliance for Peace and Freedom
* Animal Politics EU
* Central-Eastern European Green Left Alliance
* Democracy in Europe Movement 2025
* Europe–Democracy–Esperanto
* European Anti-Capitalist Left
* European Communist Action
* European Federalist Party
* European Pirate Party
* Free Palestine Party
* Liberal South East European Network
* Now the People!
* Volt Europa

Party groups in the Nordic Council

* Centre Group
* Conservative Group
* Nordic Freedom
* Nordic Green Left Alliance
* The Social Democratic Group (SAMAK)

PACE political groups

* Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
* European Conservatives Group and Democratic Alliance
* Socialists, Democrats and Greens Group
* Unified European Left Group

Former European parties

* Alliance for Direct Democracy in Europe
* Alliance for Europe of the Nations
* Alliance for Peace and Freedom
* Alliance of European National Movements
* Alliance of Independent Democrats in Europe
* Coalition pour la vie et la famille
* European Alliance for Freedom
* Europeans United for Democracy
* Libertas.eu
* Movement for a Europe of Liberties and Democracy

* European political alliances
* National parties by European organisation
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* European political foundation
* European parliamentary elections
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* Politics portal

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