Christian Democratic Appeal
Christian Democratic Appeal Christen-Democratisch Appèl | |
---|---|
Abbreviation | CDA |
Leader | Henri Bontenbal |
Chairperson | Jean Wiertz |
Leader in the Senate | Theo Bovens |
Leader in the House of Representatives | Henri Bontenbal |
Leader in the European Parliament | Tom Berendsen |
Founded | 23 June 1973 (alliance) 11 October 1980 (party) |
Merger of | Catholic People's Party Anti-Revolutionary Party Christian Historical Union |
Headquarters | Buitenom 18, The Hague |
Youth wing | Christian Democratic Youth Appeal |
Think tank | Wetenschappelijk Instituut voor het CDA |
Membership (2024) | 29,721[1] |
Ideology | Christian democracy Social conservatism |
Political position | Centre to centre-right |
Religion | Christianity |
Regional affiliation | Christian Group[2] |
European affiliation | European People's Party |
European Parliament group | European People's Party |
International affiliation | Centrist Democrat International |
Colours | Green |
Senate | 6 / 75 |
House of Representatives | 5 / 150 |
Provincial councils | 42 / 570 |
European Parliament | 3 / 31 |
King's Commissioners | 3 / 12 |
Benelux Parliament | 1 / 21 |
Website | |
cda | |
The Christian Democratic Appeal (Template:Lang-nl, 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 four of the Dutch cabinets formed since it became a unitary party.
History
Predecessor parties; history before 1977
Since 1880, the Catholics and the Protestant Anti-Revolutionary Party had worked together in the so-called Coalition. They shared a common interest in public funding of religious schools. In 1888, they formed the first Christian democratic government, led by the antirevolutionary Æneas Baron Mackay.[9] The cooperation was not without problems, and in 1894 the more anti-Catholic and aristocratic conservatives left the ARP, to found what would later become the Christian Historical Union (CHU).[10] Within both parties, there had always been some desire to reunite.[11] Meanwhile in 1904 the General League of Roman Catholic Caucuses was formed, which would later turn into the Roman Catholic State Party (RKSP) by 1926, and the Catholic People's Party (KVP) in 1945.[12] From 1918 to 1967, these three Christian parties had a majority in both houses of the States General, and at least two of them were included in every cabinet.
In the 1960s, Dutch society became more secularised and the pillars faded, and voters began to move away from the three Christian democratic parties. In the 1963 general election the three parties held 51% of the vote, whilst in 1972 general election they held only 32%. This decline forced the three parties to work closer together. In 1967, the Group of Eighteen was formed, a think tank consisting of six prominent politicians per party that planned the future cooperation of the three parties. In 1968 the three political leaders of the parties (Norbert Schmelzer (KVP), Barend Biesheuvel (ARP) and Jur Mellema (CHU)) made a public appearance, stating that the three parties would continue to work together.
This caused progressive forces within the three parties, especially the ARP and KVP, to regret their political affiliation. In 1968, they founded the Political Party of Radicals (PPR), a left-wing party that sought cooperation with the Labour Party (PvdA). Locally and provincially, however, the three parties had long cooperated well, and in some areas they contested with a joint candidate list and formed a joint Christian democratic parliamentary party. In the 1971 general election, the three parties presented a common political programme, which lay the foundation for the first Biesheuvel cabinet.
After the disastrous elections of 1972, the cooperation was given new momentum. Piet Steenkamp, a member of the Senate for the KVP was appointed chairman of a council which was to lay the foundation for a federation of the three parties, and provide a common manifesto of principles. In 1973, this federation was officially formed, with Steenkamp as chairperson.
The cooperation was frustrated by the formation of the Den Uyl cabinet, established by the PvdA leader and Prime Minister of the Netherlands Joop den Uyl. Den Uyl refused to allow members of the CHU in the cabinet that he would lead. This led to a situation where the CHU, ARP and KVP sat as a single parliamentary group in both houses of parliament, but only the KVP and ARP supplied ministers and junior ministers. Den Uyl's cabinet was riddled with political and personal conflicts. Another issue that split the three parties was the place that the Bible would take in the new party.
Period of premierships, 1977–1994
In 1976, the three parties announced that they would field a single candidate list at the 1977 general election under the name Christian Democratic Appeal. The KVP minister of Justice, Dries van Agt, was the lead candidate. In the election campaign he made clear the CDA was a centrist party, that would not lean to the left or to the right. The three parties were able to stabilise their proportion of the vote.
After the election, the cabinet formation started with discussions between PvdA, CDA and D66. Although Van Agt had been Deputy Prime Minister in the Den Uyl cabinet, the two had never gotten along well. The animosity between them frustrated the talks. After more than 150 days of negotiations, they finally failed, and Van Agt was able to negotiate a cabinet with the conservative liberal People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD). The first Van Agt cabinet had a very narrow majority. The unexpected cabinet with the VVD led to split within the newly founded CDA between more progressive and more conservative members. The progressives remained within the party, and were known as loyalists. On 11 October 1980, the three original parties ceased to exist and the CDA was founded as a unitary party. After the 1981 general election, the VVD and the CDA lost their majority, and the CDA was forced to cooperate with the PvdA. Den Uyl became Deputy Prime Minister under van Agt. The second Van Agt cabinet was troubled by ideological and personal conflicts, and fell after one year.
After the 1982 general election, the new CDA leader, Ruud Lubbers (formerly of the KVP), formed a majority coalition with the VVD. The first Lubbers cabinet set an ambitious reform program in motion, which included budget cuts, reform of the old age and disability pensions and liberalisation of public services. Lubbers was reelected in 1986 and in 1989. In 1989 however, the CDA only garnered a minimal majority with the VVD, which they had also gradually fallen out with during the previous cabinet, leading the CDA to instead cooperate with the PvdA in the new government. In the third Lubbers cabinet, a CDA–PvdA coalition, the ambitious reform project was continued, with some adaptations and protests from the PvdA.
Opposition to Purple, 1994–2002
The 1994 general election was fraught with problems for the CDA: personal conflicts between retiring prime minister Lubbers and lead candidate Elco Brinkman, a lack of support for the reforms of old age and disability pensions, and the perceived arrogance of the CDA caused a dramatic defeat at the polls. A new coalition was formed between PvdA and the liberal parties VVD and Democrats 66 (D66), consigning the CDA to opposition for the first time ever. It was also the first government without any Christian Democratic ministers since 1918. The party was marred by subsequent internal battles over leadership. The party also reflected on its principals: the party began to orient itself more toward communitarian ideals.
Balkenende cabinets, 2002–2010
During the tumultuous 2002 general election, which saw the murder of right-wing politician Pim Fortuyn, many people voted for the CDA, hoping that it could bring some stability to Dutch politics. The CDA led the first Balkenende cabinet, which included the VVD and the Pim Fortuyn List (LPF). This cabinet fell due to internal struggles within the LPF. After the 2003 general election, the Christian Democrats were forced to begin cabinet negotiations with the PvdA. Personal animosity between Balkenende and the leader of the PvdA, Wouter Bos, frustrated these negotiations. Balkenende eventually formed a coalition with the VVD and D66. The coalition proposed an ambitious program of reforms, including more restrictive immigration laws, democratisation of political institutions and reforms of the system of social security and labour laws.
After the 2006 general election the CDA changed their course radically: they formed a new fourth cabinet Balkenende still led by Balkenende, but now with the PvdA and the Christian Union (CU). The cabinet was more progressive, entailing increased government spending.
Rutte cabinets, 2010–2023
In the 2010 general election, the CDA lost half of its seats. Balkenende announced his resignation as party leader and was replaced by Maxime Verhagen. At first, Verhagen was aiming for opposition during the 2010 cabinet formation. However, after talks between purple plus collapsed, CDA entered negotiations with VVD and Party for Freedom (PVV), the latter would be providing confidence and supply. Within the party, some opposed a coalition with the radical right PVV. Verhagen's co-negotiator resigned over the negotiations and two other MPs threatened to oppose the coalition, which would make it lose its majority. A party congress was held to approve the result of the negotiations, which 68% of the record 4,700 members did.[13] On 14 October, the first Rutte cabinet was sworn in with Verhagen as Deputy Prime Minister.
After the fall of the short-lived first Rutte cabinet in 2012, held a leadership election. On 18 May 2012, the party announced that the leadership elections were won by Sybrand Buma, with runner-up Mona Keijzer receiving 26% of the votes. Buma would bring calm to the party, while following an explicitly right-conservative course, but would not lead to electoral recovery.[14] In the general election on 12 September 2012, the CDA fell to 13 seats and fell outside the second Rutte cabinet after the 2012 cabinet formation. In the 2017 general election, the CDA gained sixed seats[15] and would join the third Rutte cabinet, with the VVD, D66 and CU.
Buma resigned in May 2019 and was replaced as parliamentary leader by Pieter Heerma. A leadership election did not take place until July 2020. The chaotically election was barely won by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport Hugo de Jonge, with MP Pieter Omtzigt as runner-up. De Jonge withdrew as lead candidate in December, because he could not combine it with his duties during the COVID-19 pandemic. In his place, the party board appointed Minister of Finance Wopke Hoekstra. The party lost four seats in the March 2021 election. After the longest cabinet formation the party continued in fourth Rutte cabinet, which had the same composition as the previous. During the formation, Omtzigt had left the party, alleging he had been treated unfairly in the party, and later started the party New Social Contract (NSC). During the cabinet period, the party struggled with its position in the nitrogen crisis and the farmers' protests that followed. The party faced electoral competition from the new political party Farmer–Citizen Movement (BBB) on this issue.
Opposition, 2023–present
For the November 2023 general election, MP Henri Bontenbal was selected as party leader. The party received its worst result ever, securing only five seats.[16]
Ideology
The CDA is a centre[17][18][19] to centre-right[20][21][22][23] Christian democratic and socially conservative party. Christian values are seen as only one source of inspiration for individual members of the States General. The party also has Jewish, Muslim and Hindu members of parliament and favours the integration of minorities into Dutch culture.
The party has four main ideals: stewardship, solidarity, shared responsibility and public justice. Shared responsibility refers to the way society should be organised: not one organisation should control all society, instead the state, the market, and social institutions, like churches and unions should work together. This is called sphere sovereignty, a core concept of neo-Calvinist political philosophy. Furthermore, this refers to the way the state should be organised. Not one level of the state should have total control; instead, responsibility should be shared between local, provincial, national and European governments. This is called subsidiarity in Catholic political thought. With stewardship the Christian Democrats refer to the way the planet ought to be treated: the Earth is a gift from God. Therefore, we should try to preserve our environment.[24]
Practically, this means the CDA is a centrist party. The party also has a considerable centre-left wing that supports eco-friendly politics, a strong pro-European policy and favours centre-left coalitions. The position of the centre-left group within the party has been weakened since the party's participation in the centre-right minority cabinet with the VVD (the first Rutte cabinet), a cabinet that strongly depended on the parliamentary support of the far-right Party for Freedom (PVV). CDA politicians that can be considered centrist or centre-left: Jack Biskop (MP), Ad Koppejan (MP), Kathleen Ferrier (MP; daughter of the late Johan Ferrier, president of Suriname 1975–1980), Dries van Agt (former Prime Minister), Ruud Lubbers (former Prime Minister) and Herman Wijffels (former chairman of the Social Economic Council, former informateur). Although the CDA supports European Union membership, it also has developed a smaller but visible eurosceptic faction, which included former CDA parliamentarian Pieter Omtzigt, who, in 2020, encouraged the party to support the Netherlands opting-out of unpopular EU programs.[25]
In the past, Maxime Verhagen, then informal leader of the CDA and deputy Prime Minister, strongly denied the claim that the CDA is a right-wing party. Verhagen made it clear to the media that his party is a centrist and moderate party, and that the CDA participates in a centre-right coalition (with the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) as the right-wing component and the CDA as the centrist component).[26] Instead, his former colleague in the cabinet, minister of Defence Hans Hillen, was a strong proponent of a conservative CDA.
Election results
House of Representatives
Election | Lead candidate | List | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | Government |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1977 | Dries van Agt | List | 2,653,416 | 31.9 | 49 / 150
|
1 | Coalition |
1981 | List | 2,677,259 | 30.8 | 48 / 150
|
1 | Coalition | |
1982 | List | 2,420,441 | 29.4 | 45 / 150
|
3 | Coalition | |
1986 | Ruud Lubbers | List | 3,172,918 | 34.6 | 54 / 150
|
9 | Coalition |
1989 | List | 3,140,502 | 35.3 | 54 / 150
|
Coalition | ||
1994 | Elco Brinkman | List | 1,996,418 | 22.2 | 34 / 150
|
20 | Opposition |
1998 | Jaap de Hoop Scheffer | List | 1,581,053 | 18.4 | 29 / 150
|
5 | Opposition |
2002 | Jan Peter Balkenende | List | 2,653,723 | 27.9 | 43 / 150
|
14 | Coalition |
2003 | List | 2,763,480 | 28.6 | 44 / 150
|
1 | Coalition | |
2006 | List | 2,608,573 | 26.5 | 41 / 150
|
3 | Coalition | |
2010 | List | 1,281,886 | 13.6 | 21 / 150
|
20 | Coalition | |
2012 | Sybrand Buma | List | 801,620 | 8.5 | 13 / 150
|
8 | Opposition |
2017 | List | 1,301,796 | 12.4 | 19 / 150
|
6 | Coalition | |
2021 | Wopke Hoekstra | List | 989,385 | 9.5 | 15 / 150
|
4 | Coalition |
2023 | Henri Bontenbal | List | 345,822 | 3.3 | 5 / 150
|
10 | Opposition |
Senate
Election | Votes | Weight | % | Seats | +/– |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1977[a] | 24 / 75
|
5 | |||
1980 | 27 / 75
|
3 | |||
1981 | 28 / 75
|
1 | |||
1983 | 26 / 75
|
2 | |||
1986 | 26 / 75
|
||||
1987 | 26 / 75
|
||||
1991 | 27 / 75
|
1 | |||
1995 | 19 / 75
|
8 | |||
1999 | 20 / 75
|
1 | |||
2003 | 46,848 | 29.0 | 23 / 75
|
3 | |
2007 | 43,501 | 26.7 | 21 / 75
|
2 | |
2011 | 86 | 24,260 | 14.6 | 11 / 75
|
10 |
2015 | 89 | 25,145 | 14.9 | 12 / 75
|
1 |
2019 | 76 | 19,756 | 11.4 | 9 / 75
|
3 |
2023 | 47 | 13,136 | 7.3 | 6 / 75
|
3 |
European Parliament
Election | List | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | EP Group |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1979 | List | 2,017,743 | 35.60 | 10 / 25
|
New | EPP |
1984 | List | 1,590,218 | 30.02 | 8 / 25
|
2 | |
1989 | List | 1,813,035 | 34.60 | 10 / 25
|
2 | |
1994 | List | 1,271,840 | 30.77 | 10 / 31
|
0 | |
1999 | List | 951,898 | 26.94 | 9 / 31
|
1 | EPP–ED |
2004 | List | 1,164,431 | 24.43 | 7 / 27
|
2 | |
2009 | List | 913,233 | 20.05 | 5 / 25
|
2 | EPP |
5 / 26
|
0 | |||||
2014 | List | 721,766 | 15.18 | 5 / 26
|
0 | |
2019 | List | 669,555 | 12.18 | 4 / 26
|
1 | |
5 / 29
|
1 | |||||
2024 | List | 589,205 | 9.45 | 3 / 31
|
2 |
Representation
Members of the House of Representatives
Members of the Senate
Members of the European Parliament
The CDA has been a member of the European People's Party (EPP) since its founding in 1976;[27] CDA MEPs sit in the EPP group.
Current members
Electorate
This section needs additional citations for verification. (July 2024) |
The CDA is mainly supported by religious voters, both Catholics and Protestants. These tend to live in rural areas and tend to be elderly. In some periods, however, the CDA has functioned as a centrist party, attracting people from all classes and religions.
Geographically, the CDA is particularly strong in the provinces of North Brabant, Limburg and Overijssel and in the Veluwe and the Westland areas. In the 2006 elections the CDA received the highest percentage of votes in the municipality of Tubbergen, Overijssel (66.59% of the vote). The CDA is weaker in the four major cities (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht) and in Groningen and Drenthe.
Voter surveys held after the March 2021 general election and the March 2023 provincial elections showed that the average CDA voter's self-placement on a left-right axis was slightly to the right of the average voter. They were slightly less supportive of euthanasia and climate policy. CDA voters were more opposed to immigration than the average voter in 2021, but this difference had disappeared by 2023. 2023 CDA voters also had more trust in political parties than the average voter. The average CDA voter was older than the average voter, at 63 in 2021 (compared to 55 among all voters) and 61 in 2023 (compared to 56 among all voters). Around 60% of CDA voters described themselves as religious, a proportion twice as high as the proportion among all voters. Around 60 to 70% of CDA voters lived in rural areas, compared to roughly half of all voters. CDA voters felt considerably more connected to other people than voters of other parties and, in 2023, were slightly happier about their life.[28]
Organisation
Leadership
|
|
Linked organisations
The youth movement of the CDA is the Christian Democratic Youth Appeal (CDJA). The CDA publishes a monthly magazine, and its scientific bureau publishes the Christian Democratic Explorations (Template:Lang-nl).
As an effect of pillarisation, the CDA still has many personal and ideological ties with religious organisations, such as the broadcasting societies KRO and NCRV, the newspaper Trouw, the employers organisations NCW and the union CNV.
The CDA participates in the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy, a democracy assistance organisation of seven Dutch political parties.
International organisations
The CDA is a member of the European People's Party[31] and the Centrist Democrat International.[32]
Citations
- ^ "Ledentallen Nederlandse politieke partijen per 1 januari 2024" [Membership of Dutch political parties as of 1 January 2024]. University of Groningen (in Dutch). Documentation Centre Dutch Political Parties. 28 February 2024. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ^ "Politieke fracties". Benelux Parliament (in Dutch). Retrieved 8 August 2023.
- ^ Kees Van Kerbergen; André Krouwel (2013). "A double-edged sword! The Dutch centre-right and the 'foreigners issue'". In Tim Bale (ed.). Immigration and Integration Policy in Europe: Why Politics – and the Centre-Right – Matter. Routledge. pp. 91–92. ISBN 978-1-317-96827-6.
- ^ Wijbrandt H. Van Schuur; Gerrit Voerman (2010). "Democracy in Retreat? Decline in political party membership: the case of the Netherlands". In Barbara Wejnert (ed.). Democratic Paths and Trends. Emerald Group Publishing. p. 28. ISBN 978-0-85724-091-0.
{{cite book}}
:|access-date=
requires|url=
(help) - ^ Christopher Anderson (1995). Blaming the Government: Citizens and the Economy in Five European Democracies. M.E. Sharpe. p. 64. ISBN 978-1-56324-448-3. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
- ^ Nordsieck, Wolfram (2021). "Netherlands". Parties and Elections in Europe. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
- ^ Paul Lucardie; Hans-Martien Tennapel (1996). "Between Confessionalism and Liberal-Conservatism: the Christian Democratic Parties of Belgium and the Netherlands". In David Hanley (ed.). Christian Democracy in Europe. A&C Black. p. 64. ISBN 978-1-85567-382-3.
- ^ Lucardie 2004, pp. 169–170.
- ^ Ten Napel 1992, pp. 28–29.
- ^ Ten Napel 1992, p. 31.
- ^ Ten Napel 1992, pp. 33–35.
- ^ Ten Napel 1992, pp. 25–28.
- ^ Gradus et al. 2012, p. 85.
- ^ Van der Meer, Tom W.G. (5 June 2023). "Rust én stilstand: het CDA in de Buma-jaren" (in Dutch). Christen Democratische Verkenningen. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
- ^ Kiesraad (21 March 2017). "Kerngegevens Tweede Kamerverkiezing 2017 - Rapport - Kiesraad.nl". kiesraad.nl.
- ^ "NOS - Uitslagen Tweede Kamerverkiezingen 2023". app.nos.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 11 March 2024.
- ^ "Kieskompas". Kieskompas. Archived from the original on 1 April 2021. Retrieved 1 April 2021."Netherlands". Freedom in the World 2003. Freedom House. Archived from the original on 29 June 2019. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
- ^ Bremmer, Ian (13 September 2012). "Going Dutch: The Netherlands' election results roll in". Foreign Policy. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
- ^ Delcker, Janosch (18 February 2018). "Risk of bioweapon attack growing, Dutch defense minister says". POLITICO. Munich. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
Bijlevel, a member of the centrist Christian Democratic Appeal party, said that the technology for creating biological weapons had advanced dramatically in recent years, while at the same time "the international community continues to underestimate this risk".
- ^ Weaver, Matthew (16 March 2017). "Dutch elections: Rutte starts coalition talks after beating Wilders into second – as it happened". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 March 2019.
- ^ Syuzanna Vasilyan (2009). "The integration crisis in the Netherlands: the causes and the new policy measures". In Ditta Dolejšiová; Miguel Angel García López (eds.). European Citizenship in the Process of Construction: Challenges for Citizenship, Citizenship Education and Democratic Practice in Europe. Council of Europe. p. 73. ISBN 978-92-871-6478-0.
- ^ Hans Vollaard; Gerrit Voerman; Nelleke van de Walle (2015). "The Netherlands". In Donatella M. Viola (ed.). Routledge Handbook of European Elections. Routledge. p. 171. ISBN 978-1-317-50363-7.
- ^ Kees Van Kerbergen; André Krouwel (2013). "A double-edged sword! The Dutch centre-right and the 'foreigners issue'". In Tim Bale (ed.). Immigration and Integration Policy in Europe: Why Politics – and the Centre-Right – Matter. Routledge. pp. 91–92. ISBN 978-1-317-96827-6.
- ^ "Uitgangspunten". CDA (in Dutch). Retrieved 7 March 2018.
- ^ Tom-Jan Meeus (January 29, 2021), The man defying Mark Rutte Politico Europe.
- ^ "Weblog Tom Louwerse: CDA middenpartij? Niet volgens eigen kiezers". Archived from the original on 28 December 2010. Retrieved 31 July 2011.
- ^ Thomas Jansen; Steven Van Hecke (2011). At Europe's Service: The Origins and Evolution of the European People's Party. Springer. p. 51. ISBN 978-3-642-19413-9.
- ^ "Plaatjes van de electoraatjes 2023: het CDA". StukRoodVlees. 27 October 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
- ^ "Eerste Kamerfractie Christen-Democratisch Appèl (CDA)". Parlement & Politiek (in Dutch). Retrieved 7 March 2018.
- ^ "Tweede Kamerfractie Christen Democratisch Appel (CDA)". Parlement & Politiek (in Dutch). Retrieved 7 March 2018.
- ^ "European People's Party". Archived from the original on 13 February 2013.
- ^ "Parties". Archived from the original on 27 March 2012. Retrieved 6 June 2012.
References
- Gradus, Raymond; Harinck, George; Hoentjen, Karin; Van Kessel, Alexander; ten Napel, Hans-Martien (2012). Canon van de Christendemocratie (PDF) (in Dutch). Wetenschappelijk Instituut voor het CDA. ISBN 9789074493796.
- Lucardie, Paul (2004). Van Hecke, Steven; Gerard, Emmanuel (eds.). Paradise Lost, Paradise Regained? Christian Democracy in the Netherlands. Christian Democratic Parties in Europe Since the End of the Cold War. Leuven University Press. pp. 159–177. ISBN 90-5867-377-4.
- Ten Napel, H.-M.T.D. (1992). 'Een eigen weg' De totstandkoming van het CDA (1952-1980). Kampen: J.H. Kok. ISBN 9789024266258.
Notes
- ^ 11 seats as a stand-alone party.
Further reading
- Bosmans, Jac (2004). Michael Gehler; Wolfram Kaiser (eds.). The Primacy of Domestic Politics: Christian Democracy in the Netherlands. Christian Democracy in Europe since 1945. Routledge. pp. 47–58. ISBN 0-7146-5662-3.
- Kroeger, Pieter Gerrit (2020). Tand des tijds (in Dutch). Prometheus. ISBN 9789044633665.
- Voerman, Gerrit (2011). De conjunctuur van de macht (in Dutch). Boom. ISBN 9789461051073.
External links
- Media related to Christen Democratisch Appèl at Wikimedia Commons
- Official website
- Documentation Centre Dutch Political Parties about CDA (in Dutch)