Roman Catholic People's Party
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The Roman Catholic People's Party (in Dutch: Roomsch-katholieke Volkspartij, RKVP) was a Dutch Social Catholic political party. The RKVP played only a marginal role in Dutch politics.
Party History[edit]
The RKVP was founded in 1923[1] by Pius Arts. In the 1925 election the party won one seat which was taken by Aarts. In the 1929 election the party lost its one seat. In the 1933 election the party regained one seat. In the same year the party merged with the Catholic Democratic League to form the Catholic Democratic Party. In 1939[1] this party merged with the Roman Catholic State Party, the larger, centrist, catholic party.
Ideology & Issues[edit]
The RKVP combined a conservative Catholic stance on ethical issues with a progressive, leftwing stance on economic issues.
It advocated the interest of Catholic workers and it wanted just taxation and a strong influence of labour unions in companies. It wanted to increase support for large families and also price controls. The party was in favour of private home-ownership and lower rents. It also supported national disarmament.
In ethical issues, it was as conservative as the Roman Catholic State Party, the larger, centrist, Catholic party. It advocated the re-institution of the envoy at the Holy See and an end to the ban on processions.
Leadership & Support[edit]
This table shows the RKVP's results in elections to the House of Representatives and Senate, as well as the party's political leadership: the fractievoorzitter, is the chair of the parliamentary party and the lijsttrekker is the party's top candidate in the general election, these posts are normally taken by the party's leader.
| Year | HoR | S | Lijsttrekker | Fractievoorzitter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1925 | 1 | 0 | Pius Aarts | Pius Aarts |
| 1926 | 1 | 0 | no elections | Pius Aarts |
| 1927 | 1 | 0 | no elections | Pius Aarts |
| 1928 | 1 | 0 | no elections | Pius Aarts |
| 1929 | 0 | 0 | Pius Aarts | extra-parliamentary |
| 1930 | 0 | 0 | no elections | extra-parliamentary |
| 1931 | 0 | 0 | no elections | extra-parliamentary |
| 1932 | 0 | 0 | no elections | extra-parliamentary |
| 1933 | 1 | 0 | Pius Aarts | Pius Aarts |
| 1934 | 1 | 0 | no elections | Pius Aarts |
| 1935 | 1 | 0 | no elections | Pius Aarts |
| 1936 | 1 | 0 | no elections | Pius Aarts |
Electorate[edit]
The party drew most its support from catholic workers from the region around Tiel, Aarts' home town.
References[edit]
- ^ a b Page 110, Catholic Political Movements in Germany, Switzerland, and the Netherlands: Notes for a Comparative Approach, Ellen L. Evans, Central European History
