Christian Democratic Appeal
Christian Democratic Appeal Christen-Democratisch Appèl | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | CDA |
| Leader | Henri Bontenbal (list) |
| Chairperson | Jean Wiertz (list) |
| Leader in the Senate | Theo Bovens (list) |
| Leader in the House of Representatives | Henri Bontenbal (list) |
| Leader in the European Parliament | Tom Berendsen |
| Founded | 23 June 1973 (pre-federation) 11 October 1980 (party) |
| Merger of | Catholic People's Party Anti-Revolutionary Party Christian Historical Union |
| Headquarters | Buitenom 18, The Hague |
| Youth wing | Christian Democratic Youth Appeal |
| Think tank | Wetenschappelijk Instituut voor het CDA |
| Membership (January 2025) | 26,227 |
| Ideology | Christian democracy Conservatism |
| Political position | Centre to centre-right |
| Regional affiliation | Christian Group |
| European affiliation | European People's Party |
| European Parliament group | European People's Party Group |
| International affiliation | Centrist Democrat International |
| Colours | Green |
| Senate | 6 / 75 |
| House of Representatives | 5 / 150 |
| Provincial councils | 42 / 570 |
| European Parliament | 3 / 31 |
| Benelux Parliament | 1 / 21 |
| Website | |
| cda.nl | |
The Christian Democratic Appeal (Dutch: Christen-Democratisch Appèl [ˌkrɪstə(n)deːmoːˈkraːtis ɑˈpɛl], CDA) is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in the Netherlands.
Formed as a federation in 1975 by the Catholic People's Party, the Anti-Revolutionary Party, and the Christian Historical Union, it first participated in a general election in 1977 and unified into a single party in 1980. The party dominated Dutch politics from 1977 to 1994, becoming the largest party all but twice, with leaders Dries van Agt and Ruud Lubbers serving as prime minister.
The party faced a major defeat in the 1994 general election, after which the first two cabinets without its participation were formed. The CDA regained its status as the largest party between 2002 and 2010, during which leader Jan Peter Balkenende headed four cabinets. Between 2010 and 2023, the party saw further electoral decline under varied leadership, participating in three of four cabinets as a junior coalition partner. Following the 2023 general election, the party holds five seats in opposition, now led by Henri Bontenbal.