The European Christian Democrats

Abstract

CHRISTIAN Democracy1 is a comparatively new political force that has emerged from the chaos of World War II to challenge the old Liberal, Socialist, and Communist forces. Political parties in eight Western European states subcribe to its principles and attend its international conventions,2 as do exile committees from five dictator states3 and adherents from other countries, including Great Britain.4 In Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Italy Christian Democrats are the largest parliamentary party; in France they are second, and in Switzerland, third. The German Christian Democrats are a majority in the state legislatures of the western zones and in the Bizonal Government. A smaller group in Norway called the Christian People's Party, although unaffiliated with the others, is based on many of the same principles, and has increased in popularity since the war.5 The nucleus of all these organizations existed before the war, but the post-war Christian Democrat parties differ from their pre-war next-of-kin in several important respects. Made up for the most part of younger men who played prominent roles in the various resistance movements,6 the post-war parties are non-denominational7 and genuinely democratic. In collaboration with Socialists and other constitutional parties they are playing an important role in preserving law-limited government in Western Europe, in extending economic well-being, and in keeping the peace as part of the Atlantic community of nations. The Christian Democrat parties have, for the most part, a social and political heterogeneity which distinguishes them from the Liberal, Socialist, and Communist political groupings; they are the only political parties in continental Europe which are similar to major American parties, in that they cut across the great interest groupings of the population.8