Principles of Christian Democratic Ideology

In the second half of the 20th century, Christian democracy has been one of the most influential political movements in Western Europe. Christian democratic political parties such as Christlich Demokratische Union (CDU) in Germany, Democrazia Christiana (DC) in Italy, and Parti Social Chrétien-Christelijke Volkspartij (CVP-PSC) in Belgium played decisive roles in their domestic political affairs most commonly taking governmental positions. In France, the Mouvement Républicain Populaire (MRP) – as a Christian democratic party – was also part of governing coalitions and significantly influenced France’s foreign policy. Moreover, Christian democrat politicians were leading figures of European integration from its birth. As Roberto Papini highlights: “On 9 May 1950, Schuman, then the French foreign minister, after consultations with Konrad Adenauer and Alcide de Gasperi, presented a first draft of a blueprint for the construction of Europe, conceived, as he said, ‘as a great work of domestic peace and external cooperation” (Papini, 1997, p. 58). Papini also emphasizes that the prime ministers and the foreign ministers who signed the Treaty of Rome in 1957 were all Christian democrats..