European Christian Political Movement


The European Christian Political Movement is a European political party that unites national parties from across Europe that share policies influenced by Christianity, generally following the ideals of Christian democracy or the Christian right. The member parties are generally more socially conservative and Eurosceptic than the European People's Party.
The party was founded in November 2002 in Lakitelek, Hungary. It elected its first board in January 2005, and was registered in the Netherlands in September 2005. The first ECPM president was Peeter Võsu of the Party of Estonian Christian Democrats. The party has thirty members from across sixteen countries. Youth movements are united in ECPYouth. The youth organisation started in 2004 and installed its first board in summer 2005.
The ECPM for the 2014–2019 term had six Members of the European Parliament: Peter van Dalen of ChristianUnion, Bas Belder of the Dutch Reformed Party , Branislav Škripek of OL'aNO, Arne Gericke of Bündnis C, Marek Jurek of Right Wing of the Republic and Kazimierz Ujazdowski. All six MEPs sat with the European Conservatives and Reformists.
After the most recent 2019 European Parliament election, the party is now represented by 3 MEPs: Peter Van Dalen of the ChristianUnion, Bas Belder of the SGP, and Helmut Geuking of the Family Party of Germany. Peter Van Dalen sits with the European People's Party Group while the others sit with the ECR. A fourth MEP, Cristian Terheș, elected on the Social Democratic Party, joined the party in May 2020.

History

The ECPM started as a platform in November 2002 when representatives of political parties from more than 15 countries decided to examine new chances for Christian politics in Europe on the conference "For a Christian Europe" at Lakitelek, Hungary.
The ECPM started with parties and organisations regardless of their denominative background. Parties residing in and outside the EU participated in those first years and made it possible to create a movement that is solidly continuing. In 2003 the ECPM adopted eight Guiding Principles in the Lakitelek declaration "Values for Europe", which shapes ECPM's vision on Europe and in January 2005 in Tallinn, Estonia the ECPM elected its first board. On 15 September 2005 ECPM was officially registered with statutes as an association under Dutch law. In 2010 ECPM was officially recognised as a European political party by the European Parliament. In 2014 ECPM took part in the European Elections for the first time as a European Party. The ECPM board was chaired by MP Peter Östman from 2013 to 2016 and since 2016, by MEP Branislav Škripek.

Foundation

Sallux is the official thinktank of ECPM.

Member parties

Full members

This table contains a list of full member parties of the ECPM.
PartyAbbr.CountryEuropean MPsNational MPs
Christian Democratic UnionCDUArmenia––
Croatian GrowthHrastCroatia–
Estonian Christian DemocratsEKDEstonia––
Christian Democratic PartyPCDFrance––
Christian Democratic People's PartyKDMGeorgia––
Alliance C – Christians for GermanyAUF & PBCGermany––
Family Party of GermanyFPGermany–
Human Dignity AllianceHDAIreland– '
Identity and ActionIDeAItaly– '
Christian Democratic UnionKDSLatvia––
For Latvia from the HeartNSLLatvia––
Alleanza BidlaABMalta––
Christian-Democratic People's PartyPPCDMoldova––
Christian UnionCUNetherlands
Reformed Political PartySGPNetherlands
Integra-Macedonian Conservative PartyNorth Macedonia--
Right Wing of the RepublicPRPoland--
Real Politics UnionUPRPoland--
People's Monarchist PartyPPMPortugal––
Democratic Union of Slovaks and Czechs of RomaniaDUSCRRomania–
Christian Democratic National Peasants' PartyPNȚ-CDRomania–
Evangelical People's PartyEVP – PEVSwitzerland–
Christian Democratic UnionХДСUkraine––
Christian Peoples AllianceCPAUnited Kingdom––

Associate members

Congresses

The ECPM organises two General Assemblies per year. An annual member congress is held as well where specific themes are discussed. The ECPM also organises regional conferences and other events all over Europe.

Presidents