View source for European Christian Political Party

{{Short description|Christian European political party}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{EngvarB|date=January 2020}}
{{Infobox political party
| logo_size        = 225
| colorcode        = {{EUPP data|color}}
| name             = {{EUPP data|official name}}
| abbreviation     = {{EUPP data|acronym}}
| logo             = File:European Christian Political Party logo.svg
| president        = [[Valeriu Ghilețchi]] ([[Moldova|MD]], [[Romania|RO]])
| secretary_general = Maarten van de Fliert ([[Netherlands|NL]])
| foundation       = {{start date and age|df=y|2002|11}}
| headquarters     = Bergstraat 33, 3811 NG [[Amersfoort]], [[Netherlands]]
| think_tank       = [[Sallux]]
| youth_wing       = [[European Christian Political Youth Network|ECPYouth]]
| membership_year  = {{EUPP data|individual members date}}
| membership       = {{EUPP data|individual members}}
| ideology         = {{ubl|class=nowrap|
  |[[Christian democracy]]<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I44WDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA120|title=How the EU Really Works|last1=Costa|first1=Olivier|last2=Brack|first2=Nathalie|date=29 April 2016|publisher=[[Routledge]]|isbn=9781317120735|page=120}}</ref>
 |[[Social conservatism]]<ref name="Nordsieck">{{cite web|url=http://www.parties-and-elections.eu/eu.html|title=European Union|website=Parties and Elections in Europe|last=Nordsieck|first=Wolfram|year=2019|access-date=30 May 2019|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170608032858/http://www.parties-and-elections.eu/eu.html|archive-date=8 June 2017}}</ref>
}}
| position         = [[Right-wing politics|Right-wing]]
| europarl         = [[European Conservatives and Reformists Group]]<ref name="Nordsieck"/> ([[Reformed Political Party|SGP]], [[Romanian National Conservative Party|PNCR]])<br />[[European People's Party Group]] ([[Family Party of Germany|Family Party]])<br />[[Non-attached members|Non-attached]] (Individual member [[Ondřej Dostál]])
| colours          = {{color box|#58d439|border=darkgray}} Green<br />{{color box|{{EUPP data|color}}|border=darkgray}} Blue
<!-- Values derived from Wikidata; do not manually edit -> https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1377279 -->
| seats1_title     = [[European Parliament]]
| seats1           = {{EUPP data|seat composition bar|EP}}
| seats2_title     = {{nobr|[[European Commission]]}}
| seats2           = {{EUPP data|seat composition bar|EC}}
| seats3_title     = [[European Council]]
| seats3           = {{EUPP data|seat composition bar|EUCO}}
| seats4_title     = [[National parliaments of the European Union|European<br/>Lower Houses]]
| seats4           = {{EUPP data|seat composition bar|ms-lower-house}}
| seats5_title     = [[National parliaments of the European Union|European<br/>Upper Houses]]
| seats5           = {{EUPP data|seat composition bar|ms-upper-house}}
| website          = {{EUPP data|website}}
| country          = the European Union
}}
The '''European Christian Political Party''' ('''ECPP'''), formerly known as the European Christian Political Movement (ECPM) from 2002 to April 2025, is a [[European political party]] exclusively working on promoting [[Christian values]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.appf.europa.eu/appf/en/european-christian-political-party-previ/products-details/20201022CPU32645|title=European Christian Political Party (previously European Christian Political Movement)|website=APPF}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ecpm.info/|title=European Christian Political Movement - What ECPM is all about|website=ECPM}}</ref> The party unites national parties and individuals from across Europe who share [[Christianity and politics|policies influenced by Christianity]], largely following the ideals of [[Christian democracy]] and the [[Christian right]]. The member parties are generally [[socially conservative]] and [[Eurosceptic]].

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 ECPP president was [[Peeter Võsu]] of the [[Party of Estonian Christian Democrats]]. The movement brings together over fifty Christian-Democratic political parties, NGOs, think-tanks and individual politicians from over twenty countries within EU and beyond. Youth movements are united in [[European Christian Political Youth Network|ECPYouth]]. The youth organisation started in 2004 and elected its first board in the summer of 2005.

During the 2014–2019 term, ECPP had six [[Members of the European Parliament]] (MEPs): [[Peter van Dalen]] of [[Christian Union (Netherlands)|Christian Union]] ([[Netherlands|NL]]), [[Bas Belder]] of the [[Reformed Political Party|Dutch Reformed Party (SGP)]] (NL), [[Branislav Škripek]] of {{ill|Kresťanská únia|sk|vertical-align=sup}} ([[Slovakia|SK]]), [[Arne Gericke]] of [[Alliance C – Christians for Germany|Bündnis C]] ([[Germany|DE]]), [[Marek Jurek]] of [[Right Wing of the Republic]] ([[Poland|PL]]) and [[Kazimierz Michał Ujazdowski|Kazimierz Ujazdowski]] (PL). All six MEPs sat with the [[European Conservatives and Reformists Group|European Conservatives and Reformists]] (ECR) group.

After the [[2019 European Parliament election]], the party got three seats in the [[European Parliament|EP]]: [[Peter van Dalen]] of the [[Christian Union (Netherlands)|Christian Union]], [[Bert-Jan Ruissen]] of the [[Reformed Political Party|SGP]], and [[Helmut Geuking]] of the [[Family Party of Germany]]. Peter Van Dalen and Helmut Geuking sit with the [[European People's Party Group]] while Bert-Jan Ruissen sits with the [[European Conservatives and Reformists Group|ECR]]. A fourth MEP, [[Cristian Terheș]], member of the [[Partidul National Taranesc Crestin-Democrat|Christian Democratic National Peasants' Party]] in Romania,  joined the party in May 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|title=PSD a pierdut un europarlamentar. Cristian Terheș a trecut la grupul extremiștilor din Parlamentul European|url=https://www.digi24.ro/stiri/actualitate/politica/psd-a-pierdut-un-europarlamentar-cristian-terhes-a-trecut-la-grupul-extremistilor-din-parlamentul-european-1305770|website=digi24.ro|date=12 May 2020 |language=ro|access-date=2020-05-12}}</ref>

==History==
{{Christian Democracy sidebar}}
The ECPP 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 at the conference "For a [[Christian Europe]]" at [[Lakitelek]], Hungary.

The ECPP started with Christian parties and organizations, regardless of their denomination. Parties from within and from outside the EU participated in those first years and made it possible to create a movement that is steadily growing from one year to the next. In 2003, the ECPP adopted eight guiding principles in the Lakitelek declaration "Values for Europe", which shaped the ECPP's vision of Europe. In January 2005, in [[Tallinn]], Estonia, the ECPP elected its first board. On 15 September 2005, the ECPP was officially registered with statutes as an association under Dutch law. In 2010 ECPP was officially recognized as a [[European political party]] by the [[European Parliament]].<ref>[http://www.europarl.europa.eu/pdf/grants/grant_amounts_parties_03-12-2012.pdf "Grants from the European Parliament to political parties at European level 2004–2012"], November 2012, from [http://www.europarl.europa.eu/ http://www.europarl.europa.eu/]. Retrieved 25 January 2013</ref> In 2014, ECPP took part in the European elections for the first time as a European Party. The ECPP board was chaired by MP [[Peter Östman]] from 2013 to 2016, from 2016 to 2021 by MEP Branislav Škripek and by Valeriu Ghileţchi (former Moldovan MP) since 2021.

==Membership==
===Full members===
[[File:ECPM members 2020.png|alt=|thumb|220x220px|Countries with full and associate ECPP members: {{legend|#22B14C|States with full (and possibly associate) member parties}}{{legend|#B5E61D|States with associate member parties}}]]
This table contains a list of full member parties of the ECPP.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ecpm.info/members-and-associates.html|title=Our members and associates|website=ECPM}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Party
! Abbr.
! Country
! MEPs{{efn|The number of MEPs listed below may not match the total number of MEPs of the European party, as it does not include MEPs who join as individual members.}}
! National MPs
|-
| [[VIA, the Way of the People]]
| VIA
| {{flagu|France}}
| –
| –
|-
|[[Alliance C – Christians for Germany]]
|AUF & PBC
| rowspan="2" | {{flagu|Germany}}
| –
| –
|-
|[[Family Party of Germany]]
|FAMILIE
|{{Composition bar|1|96}}
|–
|-
| [[Jobbik|Jobbik – Conservatives]]
| Jobbik
| {{flagu|Hungary}}
| –
| {{Composition bar|8|199|hex={{EUPP data|color}}}}
|-
|rowspan=2|[[Human Dignity Alliance]]
|rowspan=2| HDA
|rowspan=2| {{flagu|Ireland}}
|rowspan=2| –
| {{Composition bar|0|160|hex={{EUPP data|color}}}} {{small|(Dáil Éireann)}}
|-
| {{Composition bar|1|60|hex={{EUPP data|color}}}} {{small|(Senate)}}
|-
|[[Sovereign Power (Latvia)|Sovereign Power]]
|SV
| {{flagu|Latvia}}
|–
|–
|-
|[[Lithuanian Christian Democracy Party]]
|LKDP
|rowspan="2"|{{flagu|Lithuania}}
|–
|–
|-
|[[Christian Union (Lithuania)|Christian Union]]
|KS
|–
|–
|-
| [[Christian Union (Netherlands)|Christian Union]]
| CU
| rowspan="2"|{{flagu|Netherlands}}
| –
| {{Composition bar|3|150|hex={{EUPP data|color}}}}{{small|(House)}}{{Composition bar|3|75|hex={{EUPP data|color}}}}{{small|(Senate)}}
|-
| [[Reformed Political Party]]
| SGP
| {{Composition bar|1|31|hex={{EUPP data|color}}}}
| {{Composition bar|3|150|hex={{EUPP data|color}}}}{{small|(House)}}{{Composition bar|2|75|hex={{EUPP data|color}}}}{{small|(Senate)}}
|-
|[[Right Wing of the Republic]]
|PR
|{{flagu|Poland}}
| –
| –
|-
|[[People's Monarchist Party (Portugal)|People's Monarchist Party]]
|PPM
| {{flagu|Portugal}}
| –
| –
|-
|[[Democratic Union of Slovaks and Czechs of Romania]] 
|UDSCR
| rowspan="2" |{{flagu|Romania}}
| –
|{{Composition bar|1|329|hex={{EUPP data|color}}}}
|-
|[[Romanian National Conservative Party]]
| PNCR
|{{Composition bar|1|33|hex={{EUPP data|color}}}}
|–
|-
|[[Christian Union (Slovakia)|Christian Union]]
|KÚ
| {{flagu|Slovakia}}
| –
|{{Composition bar|2|150|hex={{EUPP data|color}}}}
|-
|[[Contigo Mas]]
|Mas
| rowspan="2" | {{flagu|Spain}}
|–
|–
|-
|Values
|Valores
|–
|–
|-
| [[Evangelical People's Party of Switzerland|Evangelical People's Party]]
| EVP – PEV
| {{flagu|Switzerland}}
| ''Not in EU''
| {{Composition bar|2|200|hex={{EUPP data|color}}}}
|-
|Christian Values Party Sweden
|KRVP
|{{Flagu|Sweden}}
|–
|–
|}

===Associate members===
{{EUR}}
* [[European Christian Political Youth Network|European Christian Political Youth]]
* [[European Evangelical Alliance]]

{{Flagu|Armenia}}
* [[Christian Democratic Union of Armenia]]

{{Flagu|Belgium}}
*[[Care for Europe]]
*{{ill|C'axent|nl|vertical-align=sup}}
*[[European Evangelical Alliance]]

{{Flagu|Bulgaria}}
* [[Crown Bulgaria]]
* [[Rule of Law Bulgaria]]

{{Flagu|France}}
* [[Amical Service]]

{{Flagu|Germany}}
* [[Institute for Ethics and Values]]

{{Flagu|Italy}}
* [[Associazione "Cercasi un fine"]]
*[[Unione per la Democrazia e la Libertà]]

{{Flagu|Ireland}}
* [[Rónán Mullen]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.appf.europa.eu/appf/en/transparency.html|title=List of registered European Political Parties and European Political Foundations|publisher=Europa (web portal)|access-date=27 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171016145034/http://www.appf.europa.eu/appf/en/transparency.html|archive-date=16 October 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>

{{Flagu|Republic of Moldova}}
* Academia pentru Integritate în Conducere (Academy for Integrity in Leadership (AIC))

{{Flagu|Netherlands}}
* [[Research Institute ChristianUnion]]
* [[Stichting Crown Financial Ministries]]
* [[Stichting vormingsactiviteiten Oost-Europa]]
* [[The Schuman Centre for European Studies]]

{{Flagu|Romania}}
*[[Areopagus Centru de Educaţie Creştină şi Cultură Contemporană|Areopagus. Centru de Educaţie Creştină şi Cultură Contemporană]] (Areopagus. Center for Christian Studies and Contemporary Culture)
* Asociaţia PRO VITA – Filiala Bucureşti (Pro-vita Association – Bucharest Branch)
* Centrul creștin pentru țigani ([[Christian Center for Roma]])
* Asociația democratică creștină ([[Christian Democratic Association]])
* Fundația românească pentru democrație ([[Romanian Foundation for Democracy]])
* Asociația "Worldteach" ([[Worldteach Association]])

{{flagu|Serbia}}
* [[Center for Christian-Democratic Studies]]

{{Flagu|United Kingdom}}
*[[Jubilee Centre]]

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

=== Presidents ===

* [[Peeter Võsu]], 2005–2013
* [[Peter Östman]], 2013–2016
* [[Branislav Škripek]], 2016–2021
* [[Valeriu Ghileţchi]], 2021–present

==Representation in European institutions==
{| class="wikitable"
<!-- Values derived from Wikidata; do not manually edit -> https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1377279 -->
|-
! Organisation !! Institution !! Number of seats 
|-
|rowspan=5 | {{EU}} || [[European Parliament]] || {{EUPP data|seat composition bar|EP|percent=yes|reference=yes}}
|-
| [[European Commission]] || {{EUPP data|seat composition bar|EC|percent=yes|reference=yes}}
|-
| [[European Council]]<br /><small>(Heads of Government)</small> || {{EUPP data|seat composition bar|EUCO|percent=yes|reference=yes}}
|-
| [[Council of the European Union]]<br /><small>(Participation in Government)</small> ||
|-
| [[Committee of the Regions]] || {{EUPP data|seat composition bar|COR|percent=yes|reference=yes}}
|-
| {{flag|Council of Europe}} || [[Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe|Parliamentary Assembly]] || <!-- {{Composition bar|{{wikidata|property|QXXX|P1410|P194=Q939743}}|{{wikidata|property|Q939743|P1342}}|hex={{EUPP data|color}}}} ({{wikidata|property|QXXX|P1813}}){{wikidata|references|QXXX|P1410|P194=Q939743}} -->
|}

== See also ==
* [[Christian politics]]
* [[Political Catholicism]]
* [[European political party]]
* [[Christianity in Europe]]
* [[Authority for European Political Parties and European Political Foundations]]
* [[European political foundation]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|European Christian Political Movement}}
* {{official website}}

{{European Christian Political Movement}}
{{European political parties}}
{{Political organisations at European Union level}}

[[Category:European Christian Political Party| ]]
[[Category:Political parties established in 2002]]
[[Category:Christian political organizations]]
[[Category:Christian democratic parties in Europe]]
[[Category:Organisations based in Utrecht (province)]]
[[Category:Amersfoort]]
[[Category:European political alliances]]
[[Category:European political parties]]
[[Category:Socially conservative parties]]