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Centre démocrate humaniste

Centre démocrate humaniste

*Not to be confused with theChristian Social Party(1945–1968).*

The Humanist Democratic Centre (French: Centre démocrate humaniste, cdH) is a Christian democratic[1][2][3] French-speaking political party in Belgium.[9][10] Until 2002, the party was known as the Christian Social Party (French: Parti Social Chrétien, PSC). The cdH currently participates in the Government of the Brussels-Capital Region, the Government of the French Community the Walloon Government, but no longer, following the May 2014 national elections, the Belgian federal government.

Humanist Democratic Centre

Centre démocrate humaniste
PresidentMaxime Prévot
Founded1968
Preceded byChristian Social Party
HeadquartersNational secretariat
Rue des Deux Églises, Brussels
IdeologyChristian democracy[1][2][3][4][5]
Christian humanism[4]
Political positionCentre[6][7][8] to centre-left[4]
European affiliationEuropean People's Party
International affiliationNone
European Parliament groupEuropean People's Party
Flemish counterpartChristian Democratic and Flemish (CD&V)
German-speakingcounterpartChristian Social Party
ColoursBrown, Orange
Chamber of Representatives
(French-speaking seats)
5 / 63
Senate
(French-speaking seats)
4 / 24
Walloon Parliament
13 / 75
Parliament of the French Community
16 / 94
Brussels Parliament
(French-speaking seats)
8 / 72
European Parliament
(French-speaking seats)
1 / 8
Website
www.lecdh.be [14]
  • Politics of Belgium
  • Political parties
  • Elections

History

The PSC was officially founded in 1972. The foundation was the result of the split of the unitary Christian Social Party–Christian People's Party (PSC-CVP) into the Dutch-speaking Christian People's Party (CVP) and the French-speaking Christian Social Party (PSC), following the increased linguistic tensions after the crisis at the Catholic University of Leuven in 1968. The PSC performed particularly badly in the 1999 general election. This was linked to several scandals, such as the escape of Marc Dutroux and the discovery of dioxine in chickens (the PSC was a coalition partner in the Dehaene government). The decline in votes was also explained by declining adherence to Catholicism. The party was confined to opposition on all levels of government.

The party started a process of internal reform. In 2001 a new charter of principles the "Charter of Democratic Humanism" was adopted and 2002 the party adopted a new constitution and a new name, Humanist Democratic Centre.

In the 2003 general election the party did not perform much better and was still confined to opposition. After the 2004 regional elections the party returned to power in Brussels, in Walloon Region and the French Community together with the Socialist Party and Ecolo in Brussels, and with the Socialist Party in Walloon Region and the French Community. The current president of the party is Joëlle Milquet.

In the 2007 general elections, the party won 10 out of 150 seats in the Chamber of Representatives and two out of 40 seats in the Senate.

In the 2010 general elections, the party lost one seat in the Chamber and kept its two seats in the Senate.

Ideology

Its ideology is the "democratic humanism, inspired by personalism inherited notably from Christian humanism", which includes a centre-left policy towards the economy, supporting state interventionism and calling for the unity of Belgium.

Presidents

CVP/PSC

  • 1945-1947 August De Schryver

  • 1949-1950 François-Xavier van der Straten Waillet

  • 1950-1961 Théo Lefèvre

  • 1961-1966 Paul Vanden Boeynants

  • 1966-1972 Robert J. Houben

PSC

  • 1972-1976 Charles-Ferdinand Nothomb

  • 1976-1977 Georges Gramme

  • 1977-1979 Charles-Ferdinand Nothomb

  • 1979-1981 Paul Vanden Boeynants

  • 1981-1996 Gérard Deprez

  • 1996-1998 Charles-Ferdinand Nothomb

  • 1998-1999 Philippe Maystadt

  • 1999-2002 Joëlle Milquet

cdH

  • 2002-2011 Joëlle Milquet

  • 2011-2019 Benoît Lutgen

  • 2019–present Maxime Prévot

Until 1968 this lists gives the president of the Walloon part of the unitary CVP/PSC. The party changed its name from PSC to cdH on 18 May 2002.

Electoral results

Federal Parliament

Results for the Chamber of Representatives, in percentages for the Kingdom of Belgium.

Chamber of Representatives (Chambre des Représentants)
Election year

of


overall votes		% of
overall vote		% of language
group vote

of


overall seats won

of language


group seats won		+/–Government
1995469,1017.7(#3)
12 / 150
12 / 59
in coalition
1999365,3185.9(#4)
10 / 150
10 / 59
Decrease2in opposition
2003359,6605.5(#3)
8 / 150
8 / 62
Decrease2in opposition
2007404,0776.0(#3)
10 / 150
10 / 62
Increase2in coalition
2010360,4415.5(#3)
9 / 150
9 / 62
Decrease1in coalition
2014336,2815.0(#3)
9 / 150
9 / 63
Steadyin opposition
2019250,8613.7(#5)
5 / 150
5 / 63
Decrease4
Senate (Sénat)
Election year

of


overall votes		% of
overall vote		% of language
group vote

of


overall seats won

of language


group seats won		+/–
1995434,4927.3(#3)
3 / 40
3 / 15
1999374,0026.0(#4)
3 / 40
3 / 15
Steady0
2003362,7055.5(#3)
2 / 40
2 / 15
Decrease1
2007390,8525.9(#3)
2 / 40
2 / 15
Steady0
2010331,8705.1(#4)
2 / 40
2 / 15
Steady0

Regional parliaments

Brussels Parliament

Election year

of


overall votes		% of
overall vote		% of language
group vote

of


overall seats won

of language


group seats won		+/–Government
198951,90411.9 (#4)
9 / 75
in coalition
199538,2449.3 (#3)
7 / 75
Decrease2in opposition
199933,8157.9 (#4)
6 / 75
Decrease1in opposition
200455,07814.1 (#3)
10 / 89
10 / 72
Increase4in coalition
200960,52714.8 (#4)
11 / 89
11 / 72
Increase1in coalition

Walloon Parliament

Election year

of


overall votes		% of
overall vote

of


overall seats won		+/–Government
1995407,74121.6 (#3)
16 / 75
in coalition
1999325,22917.1 (#4)
14 / 75
Decrease2in opposition
2004347,34817.6 (#3)
14 / 75
Steady0in coalition
2009323,95216.1 (#4)
13 / 75
Decrease1in coalition
2014305,28115.09 (#3)
13 / 75
Steady0in coalition

European Parliament

Election year

of


overall votes		% of
overall vote		% of electoral
college vote

of


overall seats won

of electoral


college seats won		+/–
1979445,91221.2 (#2)
3 / 24
3 / 11
1984436,10819.5 (#3)
2 / 24
2 / 11
Decrease1
1989476,79521.3 (#2)
2 / 24
2 / 11
Steady0
1994420,19818.8 (#3)
2 / 25
2 / 10
Steady0
1999307,91213.3 (#4)
1 / 25
1 / 10
Decrease1
2004368,75315.2 (#3)
1 / 24
1 / 9
Steady0
2009327,82413.3 (#4)
1 / 22
1 / 8
Steady0
2014276,8794.1411.36 (#4)
1 / 21
1 / 8
Steady0

Further reading

  • Beke, Wouter (2004). Steven Van Hecke; Emmanuel Gerard (eds.). Living Apart Together: Christian Democracy in Belgium. Christian Democratic Parties in Europe Since the End of the Cold War. Leuven University Press. pp. 133–158. ISBN 90-5867-377-4.

  • Lamberts, Emiel (2004). Michael Gehler; Wolfram Kaiser (eds.). The Zenith of Christian Democracy: The Christelijke Volkspartij/Parti Social Chrétien in Belgium. Christian Democracy in Europe since 1945. Routledge. pp. 59–73. ISBN 0-7146-5662-3.

References

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Sep 26, 2019, 9:40 AM
[12]
Citation Linkwww.lesedh.becdH students
Sep 26, 2019, 9:40 AM
[13]
Citation Linkweb.archive.orgcdH page on the website of the European People's Party
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[14]
Citation Linkwww.lecdh.bewww.lecdh.be
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