| Christian Democratic and Flemish | |
| Native Name: | Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams |
| Abbreviation: | CD&V |
| Leader1 Title: | President |
| Leader1 Name: | Sammy Mahdi |
| Foundation: | (CVP) (CD&V) |
| Predecessor: | Christian Social Party |
| Headquarters: | Wetstraat 89 1040 Brussels |
| Membership Year: | 2017 |
| Membership: | 48,791[1] |
| Ideology: | Christian democracy[2] [3] Social conservatism |
| International: | Centrist Democrat International |
| European: | European People's Party |
| Europarl: | European People's Party |
| Regional: | Christian Group[4] |
| Affiliation1 Title: | Francophone counterpart |
| Affiliation1: | Humanist Democratic Centre (until 2022) |
| Affiliation2 Title: | Germanophone counterpart |
| Affiliation2: | Christian Social Party |
| Seats1 Title: | Chamber of Representatives |
| Seats2 Title: | Senate |
| Seats3 Title: | Flemish Parliament |
| Seats4 Title: | Brussels Parliament |
| Seats5 Title: | European Parliament |
| Seats6 Title: | Flemish Provincial Councils |
| Seats7 Title: | Benelux Parliament |
| Colours: | Orange |
| Website: | www.cdenv.be |
| Country: | Belgium |
Christian Democratic and Flemish[5] [6] (pronounced as /nl/, CD&V) is a Flemish Christian-democratic political party in Belgium.[2] [7] The party has historical ties to both trade unionism (ACV) and trade associations (UNIZO) and the Farmer's League. Until 2001, the party was named the Christian People's Party (Christelijke Volkspartij, CVP).
It was traditionally the largest political party of Flanders, until it was overtaken by the New Flemish Alliance (N-VA) in the 2010s. CD&V participated in most governments and has generally the largest number of mayors. Most Prime Ministers of Belgium and Ministers-President of Flanders have been CD&V politicians. Herman Van Rompuy, the president of the European Council from 2009 to 2014, is one of the leading politicians of CD&V.
CD&V is a member of the European People's Party (EPP) and Centrist Democrat International.
The history of the CD&V dates back to the 19th century. It originated in the 19th century Catholic Party. At the end of the century, the new fraction of Christian democrats shifted the focus of the party slightly to the left. In the interwar years the party was renamed Catholic Bloc. Then, the Christian Social Party (PSC-CVP) existed from 1945 until 1968. In 1968, the PSC-CVP was split into the French-speaking Christian Social Party (PSC, now Les Engagés) and Flemish Christian People's Party (Christelijke Volkspartij CVP).[8] [9] In 2001 the CVP changed its name to the CD&V.
The party was almost continually in power from its establishment until 1999, with the exception of 1954–1958. In 1999, the Flemish Liberals and Democrats (VLD) became the largest party in Belgium, and formed a majority purple government of liberals, social democrats and greens. The same happened in the Flemish Government, but with the addition of Flemish nationalists. In 2003 CD&V again lost the federal elections which continued the federal centre-left coalition, but this time without the Greens.
In 2004, Flemish elections were held and the CD&V once more became the largest political party by representation in the Flemish Parliament. Yves Leterme became Flemish minister-president. After successful local elections in 2006, the party became the largest party in the Belgian Chamber of Representatives after the federal elections of 2007. The CD&V led the subsequent coalition talks, which repeatedly stalled (see 2007–2008 Belgian government formation). On the 20 March 2008, a new federal government was finally assembled, led by Yves Leterme. Kris Peeters subsequently became the next minister-president of Flanders. From 30 December 2008 till 25 November 2009, Herman Van Rompuy led his first cabinet before becoming the first permanent president of the European Council. Afterwards, Yves Leterme led his second government.
In June 2009, Flemish elections were held and the CD&V remained the largest party of Flanders. Kris Peeters stayed as Flemish minister-president. The party also remained the largest Flemish party in the European Parliament after the 2009 European elections.
In 2010, the Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats (Open VLD) decided to step out of the federal coalition, consequently ending the government. The federal elections of 2010 resulted in a major loss of historic proportions for CD&V, largely due to votes lost to the Flemish-nationalist New Flemish Alliance. In the campaign, former prime minister Yves Leterme took a subtle step aside as frontrunner of the party. The president of the party, Marianne Thyssen, had pre-electorally stated that she was a candidate to become Prime Minister.
On 6 December 2011, the Di Rupo Government was formed, with the CD&V as the largest Flemish party.
During the local elections in 2012, CD&V managed to remain the largest Flemish party on the local level. It remained in the coalition of all five Flemish provinces and in three quarters of the municipalities. Almost half of these municipalities were subsequently led by CD&V mayors.
CD&V is a Flemish party that follows the principle of Christian democracy. Its core values include the importance of the family, promoting a respectful and warm society, and recognizing the intrinsic value of each individual. The party places a strong emphasis on well-being and health care, as well as the pursuit of an equitable income for all citizens. However, on the ethical front, CD&V holds conservative positions, particularly on issues such as abortion and euthanasia, where the party is reluctant to fast-track relaxations. Combining these conservative ethics with progressive socioeconomic policies, CD&V is often considered a "centre party". In its administrative activities, CD&V nurtures close ties with civil society, including trade unions, professional federations and various associations. In doing so, the party strives to represent the voice of rural areas and the agricultural sector.[10]
| European Parliament | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Committees | Notes | |
| Cindy Franssen | Employment and Social Affairs Women's Rights and Gender Equality Special Committee on Beating Cancer | ||
| Tom Vandenkendelaere | Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Subcommittee on Security and Defence | Replaces Kris Peeters, who became Vice-president of the EIB[11] | |
| Chamber of Representatives | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Notes | Name | Notes | |
| Servais Verherstraeten | Faction leader | Jef Van den Bergh | ||
| Nahima Lanjri | Koen Geens | |||
| Els Van Hoof | Steven Matheï | Replaces Wouter Beke, who became Flemish Minister | ||
| Nawal Farih | Jan Briers | |||
| Leen Dierick | Nathalie Muylle | |||
| Hendrik Bogaert | Franky Demon | |||
| Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Name | Notes | |
| Co-opted Senator | Baroness Sabine de Bethune | Faction leader | |
| Community Senator | Peter Van Rompuy | Son of Herman Van Rompuy | |
| Community Senator | Karin Brouwers | ||
| Community Senator | Orry Van de Wauwer | ||
| Community Senator | Martine Fournier | ||
| Belgian Federal De Croo Government | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Public Office | Name | Function | |
| Deputy Prime Minister | Vincent Van Peteghem | Finance and the Coordination of the fight against fraud | |
| Minister | Annelies Verlinden | the Interior, Institutional Reforms and Democratic Renewal | |
| Secretary of State | Sammy Mahdi | Asylum and Migration | |
| Flemish Parliament | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Notes | Name | Notes | ||
| Peter Van Rompuy | Fraction Leader | Karin Brouwers | Community Senator | ||
| Katrien Partyka | Mayor of Tienen | Jo Brouns | Mayor of Kinrooi | ||
| Lode Ceyssens | Mayor of Oudsbergen | Vera Jans | |||
| Orry Van de Wauwer | Community Senator | Tinne Rombouts | |||
| Katrien Schryvers | Koen Van den Heuvel | Mayor of Puurs-Sint-Amands | |||
| Joke Schauvliege | Stijn De Roo | Replaces Vincent Van Peteghem, who became Federal Minister | |||
| Robrecht Bothuyne | Maaike De Rudder | Mayor of Sint-Gillis-Waas | |||
| Martine Fournier | Community Senator | Brecht Warnez | Replace Hilde Crevits, who became Flemish Minister | ||
| Bart Dochy | Mayor of Ledegem | Loes Vandromme | |||
| Kurt Vanryckeghem | Mayor of Waregem | ||||
| Flemish Government Jambon | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Public Office | Name | Function | |
| Vice minister-president | Hilde Crevits | Economy, Employment, Social Economy, Innovation and Agriculture | |
| Minister | Wouter Beke | Welfare, Health, Family and Poverty Reduction | |
| Minister | Benjamin Dalle | relations with Brussels, Media and Youth | |
Results for the Chamber of Representatives, in percentages for the Kingdom of Belgium. From 1971 tot 1999: CVP figures. 2003: CD&V figures. 2007: CD&V/N-VA figures. From 2010 onwards: CD&V figures.
DateFormat = x.yPeriod = from:0 till:30TimeAxis = orientation:verticalAlignBars = justifyScaleMajor = unit:year increment:5 start:0
PlotData= bar:% color:orange width:22 mark:(line,white) align:left fontsize:S
bar:1971 from:start till:19.7 text:"19.7" bar:1974 from:start till:23.3 text:"23.3" bar:1977 from:start till:23.3 text:"23.3" bar:1978 from:start till:26.1 text:"26.1" bar:1981 from:start till:19.3 text:"19.3" bar:1985 from:start till:21.3 text:"21.3" bar:1987 from:start till:19.5 text:"19.5" bar:1991 from:start till:16.8 text:"16.8" bar:1995 from:start till:17.2 text:"17.2" bar:1999 from:start till:14.1 text:"14.1" bar:2003 from:start till:13.3 text:"13.3" bar:2007 from:start till:18.5 text:"18.5" bar:2010 from:start till:10.9 text:"10.9" bar:2014 from:start till:11.6 text:"11.6" bar:2019 from:start till: 8.9 text:"8.9" bar:2024 from:start till: 7.9 text:7.9
| Election | Votes | % | Seats | +/- | Government | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 967,701 | 18.3 | ||||
| 1974 | 1,222,646 | 23.2 | 3 | |||
| 1977 | 1,460,757 | 26.2 | 6 | |||
| 1978 | 1,447,112 | 26.1 | 1 | |||
| 1981 | 1,165,239 | 19.3 | 14 | |||
| 1985 | 1,291,244 | 21.3 | 6 | |||
| 1987 | 1,195,363 | 19.4 | 6 | |||
| 1991 | 1,036,165 | 16.8 | 4 | |||
| 1995 | 1,042,933 | 17.2 | 10 | |||
| 1999 | 875,967 | 14.1 | 7 | |||
| 2003 | 870,749 | 13.3 | 1 | |||
| 2007 | 1,234,950 | 18.5 | 4 | |||
| 2010 | 707,986 | 10.9 | 8 | |||
| 2014 | 783,060 | 11.6 | 1 | |||
| 2019 | 602,520 | 8.9 | 6 | |||
| 2024 | 557,392 | 7.9 | 1 |
| Election | Votes | % | Seats | +/- | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 1,547,853 | 29.7 | |||
| 1974 | 1,219,811 | 25.5 | 15 | ||
| 1977 | 1,446,806 | 26.2 | 1 | ||
| 1978 | 1,420,777 | 25.9 | 1 | ||
| 1981 | 1,149,353 | 19.3 | 7 | ||
| 1985 | 1,260,113 | 21.0 | 3 | ||
| 1987 | 1,169,377 | 19.2 | 3 | ||
| 1991 | 1,028,699 | 16.8 | 2 | ||
| 1995 | 1,009,656 | 16.8 | 13 | ||
| 1999 | 913,508 | 14.7 | 1 | ||
| 2003 | 832,849 | 12.7 | 0 | ||
| 2007 | 1,287,389 | 19.4 | 2 | ||
| 2010 | 646,375 | 10.0 | 4 |
| Election | Votes | % | Seats | +/- | Government | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | |||||||
| 1989 | 18,523 | 4.2 (#6) | |||||
| 1995 | 13,586 | 3.3 (#6) | 1 | ||||
| 1999 | 14,284 | 23.6 (#2) | 2.3 (#6) | 0 | |||
| 2004 | 10,482 | 16.8 (#4) | 2.3 (#9) | 0 | |||
| 2009 | 7,696 | 14.8 (#4) | 1.7 (#9) | 0 | |||
| 2014 | 6,105 | 11.4 (#5) | 1.3 (#13) | 1 | |||
| 2019 | 5,231 | 7.5 (#6) | 1.1 (#14) | 1 | |||
| Election | Votes | % | Seats | +/- | Government | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 1,010,505 | 26.8 (#1) | ||||
| 1999 | 857,732 | 22.1 (#1) | 7 | |||
| 2004 | 1,060,580 | 26.1 (#1) | 1 | |||
| 2009 | 939,873 | 22.9 (#1) | 2 | |||
| 2014 | 860,685 | 20.5 (#2) | 4 | |||
| 2019 | 652,766 | 15.4 (#3) | 8 |
| Election | Votes | % | Councilors | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | ||||
| 2000 | ||||
| 2006 | 1,231,655 | 30.6 | ||
| 2012 | 877,019 | 21.5 | ||
| 2018 | 822,488 | 19.7 |
| Election | List leader | Votes | % | Seats | +/- | EP Group | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | |||||||
| 1979 | Leo Tindemans | 1,607,941 | 48.09 (#1) | 29.54 | New | EPP | |
| 1984 | 1,132,682 | 32.53 (#1) | 19.80 | 3 | |||
| 1989 | 1,247,075 | 34.08 (#1) | 21.14 | 1 | |||
| 1994 | 1,013,266 | 27.43 (#1) | 16.98 | 1 | |||
| 1999 | Miet Smet | 839,720 | 21.68 (#2) | 13.49 | 1 | EPP-ED | |
| 2004 | Jean-Luc Dehaene | 1,131,119 | 28.15 (#1) | 17.43 | 0 | ||
| 2009 | 948,123 | 23.26 (#1) | 14.43 | 0 | EPP | ||
| 2014 | Marianne Thyssen | 840,814 | 19.96 (#3) | 12.56 | 1 | ||
| 2019 | Kris Peeters | 617,651 | 14.53 (#4) | 9.17 | 0 | ||
| 2024 | Wouter Beke | 594,968 | 13.20 (#3) | 8.84 | 0 | ||
CVP/PSC
CVP
CD&V
Until 1968 this lists gives the president of the Flemish part of the unitary CVP/PSC.The party changed its name from CVP to CD&V on 29 September 2001.