Political position Centre-right | Founded November 2002 | |
Ideology Christian democracySocial conservatism European Parliament group European Conservatives and Reformists | ||
The European Christian Political Movement (ECPM) is a political party at European level that unites national parties from across Europe that share Christian democratic politics. The member parties are generally more socially conservative and Eurosceptic than the European People's Party. The ECPM unites parties with a Christian social view.
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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 welcome in the European Christian Political Youth Network that started in 2004 and installed its first board in summer 2005.
The ECPM has five Members of the European Parliament: Peter van Dalen of ChristianUnion (NL), Bas Belder of the Dutch Reformed Party (NL), Branislav Škripek of OL'aNO (SK), Arne Gericke of Family Party of Germany (DE) and Marek Jurek of Right Wing of the Republic (PL), who sit with the European Conservatives and Reformists.
History
This platform had started 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 organizations regardless of their denominative background. Parties residing in and outside the EU participate in this first years and make 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 recognized as a European political party by the European parliament. ECPM is chaired by Peter Östman. In 2014 ECPM took part in the European Elections for the first time as a European Party.
Foundation
The Christian Political Foundation for Europe (CPFE) is the official thinktank of the ECPM.
Associates
Romania
United Kingdom
Belgium
United States
Netherlands
Serbia
France
Italy
Armenia
Bulgaria
Moldova
Russia
Germany
Hungary
Congresses
The ECPM organizes an annual member congress. Specific themes are discussed during these congresses. The ECPM also organizes regional conferences all over Europe.