Spanningen in de K.V.P.

Abstract

The process of re-orientation in Dutch politics is most strongly manifest in the Catholic People’s Party (K.V.P.). A comparison between the pattern of tensions in the five major Dutch parties shows that the Catholic People’s Party — and the other confessional parties A.R.P. and C.H.U. as well — have a high percentage of tension-indications in the field of socio-economic polity (35% compared with 21% for the five parties together). Conversely the K.V.P. displays a low percentage of tension-indications in the field of cultural policy (7% compared with 19% for the five parties together). It can be stated with a high degree of probability that the confessional parties have cultural policy as their basic sphere. On that point there is a high degree of harmony in the various parties, but on others there is more disagreement and therefore more tension-indications. Similarly, it may be assumed that the socialists (P.v.d.A.) and the liberals (V.V.D.) display few tension-indications in their basic sphere of socio-economic policy and more in the field of international and cultural policy. In a confessional party such as the K.V.P. two integrating factors exist — the religious principles and the political program — which may conflict with one another. In recent years the integrating factor of religious principles has decreased in importance in the Catholic People’s Party; some groups within the patty seek to eliminate it entirely. As far as socio-economic policy is concerned, the coordination between left and right has always presented great problems. In February 1968 part of the left wing (the Radicals) left the party. A significant proportion (58%) of the opponents on the right manifests a distinct relation with the class of employers, while no less than 44% of the opponents on the left display a distinct relation with the working class. The two major controversies in Dutch foreign policy after World War II — the decolonization of Indonesia and Western New Guinea — also gave rise to many tensions in the K.V.P, The first controversy led to a succession of part of the right wing (1947), which rejoined the K.V.P. when the issue became out of date (1955). Since 1918 it has not been possible to form a stable Dutch cabinet without the participation of the Catholic party. This party can choose its coalition partners from the right (V.V.D.) or from the left (P.v.d.A.). This problem of choice results in many conflicts between the left and right wings of the K.V.P. In the first decade after the war the Roman Catholic Church strongly supported the Catholic People’s Patty; this support, however, has now ceased. The Dutch Roman Catholics are now also more integrated in national life. All this means that the differences in political ideas within the K.V.P. are no longer compensated by a strongly integrating factor of common religious principles.