Christian democratic parties are political parties that seek to apply Christian principles to public policy. The underlying Christian democracy movement emerged in 19th-century Europe, largely under the influence of Catholic social teaching and Neo-Calvinist theology.[1][2] Christian democracy continues to be influential in Europe and Latin America, though in a number of countries its Christian ethos has been diluted by secularisation. In practice, Christian democracy is often considered centre-right on cultural, social and moral issues, but centre-left "with respect to economic and labor issues, civil rights, and foreign policy" as well as the environment,[3][nb 1] generally supporting a social market economy.[5] Christian democracy can be seen as either conservative, centrist, or liberal / left of, right of, or center of the mainstream political parties depending on the social and political atmosphere of a given country and the positions held by individual Christian democratic parties. In Europe, where their opponents have traditionally been secularist socialists, Christian democratic parties are moderately conservative overall, whereas in the very different cultural and political environment of Latin America they tend to lean to the left. It is the dominant centre-right political movement in Europe, but by contrast, Christian democratic parties in Latin America tend to be left-leaning.[6] Christian democracy includes elements common to several other political ideologies, including conservatism, liberalism, and social democracy. In the United States, Christian democratic parties of Europe and Latin America, deemed conservative and liberal respectively in their geopolitical regions, are both generally regarded as farther left-wing of the mainstream.[citation needed]
Alphabetical list by country
A
B
- Croatian Democratic Union 1990[11]
- Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina[11]
- Croatian Christian Democrats
- Union of Democratic Forces
- Christ Democratic Party of Bulgaria
- Reformist Bloc[12]
C
- Movement for Democracy
- União Caboverdeana Independente e Democratica (Cape Verdean Union for an Independent Democracy) – UCID
- Christian National Party
- Christians for Community
- Christian Social Democratic Party[7]
- Christian Democratic Party[7]
- Reform Party[7]
- Social Christian Unity Party
- Social Christian Republican Party
- Christian Democratic Alliance
D
- Christian Democratic Party (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
- Convention of Christian Democrats
- Democratic Social Christian Party
- Federalist Christian Democracy – Convention of Federalists for Christian Democracy
- Movement for the Liberation of the Congo
- Christian Democratic Union
- Christian Democratic Party[7]
- Social Christian Reformist Party
E
- Christian Democratic Party (Ecuador)[7]
- Social Christian Party
- Christian Democratic Party (Egypt), a Coptic party in Egypt founded in the 1950s.[16]
F
G
- Christian Democratic Union of Germany[21]
- Christian Social Union in Bavaria[21]
- Centre Party
- Family Party of Germany
- Alliance C – Christians for Germany
H
I
- Forza Italia[26]
- Popular Alternative
- Populars for Italy
- Solidary Democracy
- South Tyrolean People's Party[26]
- Union of the Centre[26]
K
L
- Lithuanian Christian Democracy Party
- Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats[28]
- Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania[28]
- Christian Union
- National Alliance
M
N
- Alliance
- Christian Democratic Appeal[30]
- Christian Union[30]
- Farmer–Citizen Movement
- New Social Contract
P
- Lakas–CMD (Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats)
- Bangon Pilipinas Party
- Centrist Democratic Party of the Philippines
- Liberal Party (Philippines) (factions)
- Agreement
- Christian Democracy of the 3rd Polish Republic
- Civic Platform[34]
- Law and Justice
- Polish People's Party[34]
R
- Christian-Democratic National Peasants' Party
- National Liberal Party
- Force of the Right
- People's Movement Party[36]
S
U
V
- Project Venezuela[50]
- Political Electoral Independent Organization Committee (COPEI)[7]
- National Convergence
Other entities
- Global – Centrist Democrat International – headquartered in Brussels
- European Union – European People's Party – Centrist Democratic regional in Europe; and the largest group in European Parliament
European Christian Political Movement - Americas – Christian Democrat Organization of America – Centrist Democratic regional in the Americas, North and South
Related philosophies
- Catholic social teaching
- Communitarianism
- Distributism
- Neo-Calvinism
- Social conservatism
- Social market economy
- Political Catholicism
- Christian politics
- Christian Zionism
- Liberal Conservatism
- Abolitionism
- New World Order