Centre Party (Netherlands)
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Centre Party
Centrumpartij |
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Chairman
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Founded
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11 March 1980
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Dissolved
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13 May 1986
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Succeeded by
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The Centre Party (Dutch: Centrumpartij, Dutch pronunciation: [ˈsɛntrəmpɑrˌtɛi], CP) was a Dutch nationalist extreme right-wing[1][2] political party espousing an anti-immigrant program. The party was founded by Henry Brookman in 1980, and was represented by Hans Janmaat in the Dutch House of Representatives from 1982, until he was expelled from the party in 1984 and joined the more moderate Centre Democrats. The CP, as well as the CD, was subject to a cordon sanitaire by the other parties in the House of Representatives. After much infighting and finally legal proceedings against the party, it was declared bankrupt in 1986. The party was soon after succeeded by the Centre Party '86, which would become increasingly radical, until it was banned in 1998.
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Party
History[edit]
Foundation[edit]
The Centre Party was founded on 11 March 1980 by Henry Brookman, one of the founders of the short-lived National Centre Party (NCP) in 1979 (which had been dissolved the day before the founding of the CP), and a prominent member of the Dutch Peoples-Union (NVU).[3] In February 1980 some radical NCP members had harassed Moroccan refugees who held a hunger strike at the Moses and Aaron church in Amsterdam. This led to a conflict within the NCP. Brookman dissolved the NCP and founded the Centre Party (CP). The party contested the 1981 elections unsuccessfully, winning just 0.1% of the vote, the same as the Dutch Peoples-Union.[3]
In
Parliament (1982–1984)[edit]
Demonstration
outside parliament in The Hague against the entrance of the Centre Party in the
House in 1982. In the picture, a large banner reading "they are
back."
In the 1982 election the party won 0.8% of the vote, and one seat, which was taken by Hans Janmaat. This was the first time in the Netherlands, that a party considered to be right-wing extremist had won a seat in parliament. Janmaat soon took over the leadership of the party, helped by the small membership of the party, his political background in mainstream political parties, and as Brookman had to move into the background due to pressure from his employer.[4]
In the following years, the party continued its growth, and claimed 3,500 members in 1984. It was highly successful in elections, for instance winning almost 10% of the vote in the 1983 local elections in Almere, and 2.5% of the vote nationwide in the 1984 European elections.[5]
Janmaat, leader
of the Centre Party, during a television broadcast for political parties (February
1984).
Conflict soon erupted however, between the party leadership led by Nico Konst and Henk de Wijer, and the parliamentary section, of Janmaat and his assistants. Janmaat was accused of financial and personal improprieties, while Janmaat in turn accused the party leadership of neo-Nazi sympathies and political and organisational incompetence.[5] While Janmaat had thought that by steering a more moderate course the CP would be able to attract more voters at the polls, he was expelled from the party by the party leadership.[6] Janmaat then joined the recently founded Centre Democrats (CD) and kept his seat in parliament. The CP became even more isolated, and suffered from disruptive internal struggles, which were very costly. In 1986 the CP and CD organized a reconciliation meeting in Kedichem, which was turned into a disaster by radical anti-fascists. A group of these anti-fascist activists set the hotel where the meeting was located on fire, causing several heavy injuries.[6][7]
The party had some moderate success in local elections of March 1986, winning 6 seats. The new optimism in the party was shattered however, when party leader Albrecht Lier defected from the party and joined the Centre Democrats in May. The CP, like the CD, was unable to obtain a seat in the 1986 election, but nevertheless won 0.4% of the vote, compared to the mere 0.1% of the CD.[8]
Dissolution[edit]
By the 1986 election the party was disintegrating rapidly, with the party membership after the split counting a mere 100 persons, and most of the leading party members having gone over to the CD, or left politics. The party was officially declared bankrupt on 13 May 1986, after being fined a sum of money it was not able to pay. The party re-organized itself under the name Centre Party '86 (CP'86) a week later.[9] They were never able to obtain any seats in national elections since then, and were eventually abrogated in 1998 by a Dutch court, because of the racist and xenophobic statements of its party board at a 1995 meeting. The radical neo-Nazi wing of the new party expelled the moderate nationalist wing, and several of the latter members founded the People's Nationalists Netherlands in 1997,[10] which later became the New National Party.
Ideology[edit]
The CP saw itself as defending the rights of autochthonic Dutch people in the face of massive immigration. After it lost its parliamentary representation in 1984 the party continued in 1986 under the name Centre Party '86 and became even more radical.
The party's initial manifesto was titled "not left, not right," and combined right-wing, left-wing and green political positions. Its tenth point contained its immigration stance; "The Netherlands is not an immigration country, so put a stop to the stream of foreigners." Together with the history of some of the party's early members, this point in the program was the main background for portraying the CP as an "extreme right" party in the media. The party itself however fiercely rejected any accusations of racism and fascism.[3]
Election
results[edit]
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Election year
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# of total votes
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% of
overall vote
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# of seats won
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12,242
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0.1%
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0 (out of 150)
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68,423
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0.8%
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1* (out of 150)
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36,741
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0.4%
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0 (out of 150)
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* In 1984 the party's sole representative in parliament, Hans Janmaat, became an independent MP.
The Centre
Party (Faroese: Miðflokkurin) is a Christian democratic,[1]
agrarian and conservative
political
party in the Faroe Islands, led by Jenis av Rana.
At the 2008 parliamentary election,
the party won 8.4% of the popular vote and 3 out of 33 seats. In early elections in 2011, the
party fell to 6.2% and two seats.
Parliament members[edit]
From 2008 to
2011, these member represented the party in the Løgting:
References[edit]
- ^ a
b
Parties and
Elections in Europe: The database about parliamentary elections and
political parties in Europe, by Wolfram Nordsieck
The Estonian
Centre Party (Estonian: Eesti Keskerakond) is a centrist[4]
and social liberal[4]
political party in Estonia. The
Centre Party is a member of the European Liberal Democrat
and Reform Party. It has the largest membership of an Estonian party, with
over 12,000 members.[citation needed]
The party was
founded on 12 October 1991 from the basis of the Popular Front of Estonia after several
parties split from it. At that time, the party was called People's Centre Party
(Rahvakeskerakond) in order to differentiate from the smaller Rural Centre Party (Maa-Keskerakond).
The party's chairman is Edgar Savisaar. Vice chairmen of the party are Kadri Simson and Enn Eesmaa.
The Centre
Party has become by far the most popular party among Russians in Estonia, being supported by up to
75% of ethnic non-Estonians.[5]
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Contents
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Ideology[edit]
The party
claims that its goal is the formation of a strong middle
class in Estonia. The Centre Party declares itself as "middle class liberal
party"; however, against the backdrop of Estonia's economic liberal policies, the Centre Party has
a reputation of having more left-leaning policies. The party holds positions
considered contrary to social liberalism on a number of issues. For example,
the party suggests that Estonia should deliberate re-establishing criminal
punishments for the possession of even small amounts of illegal substances.[6]
Nor could Centre Party's parliamentary faction agree on its stance in regards
to same-sex marriage,[7]
which is traditionally supported by social liberals. In an Estonian Public Broadcasting program
'Foorum', Estonian Reform Party parliamentarian Remo Holsmer listed the
ideologies of other three political parties represented in the Parliament, but could not name the
ideological position of the Centre Party. Centre Party parliamentarian Kadri Simson then helped to
clarify that the ideology of the Centre Party is "Centre Party".[8]
The party is
ofted described by critics as populist[9][10][11]
and having an authoritarian leadership.
History[edit]
In the parliamentary elections of March
1995, the Centre Party was placed third with 14.2% of votes and 16 seats.
It entered the coalition, Savisaar taking the position of the Minister of
Internal Affairs, and 4 other ministerial positions (Social Affairs, Economy,
Education and Transportation& Communications). After the "tape scandal" (secret
taping of talks with other politicians) where Savisaar was involved, the party
was forced to go to opposition. A new party was formed by those who were
disappointed by their leader's behaviour. Edgar Savisaar became the Chairman of
the City Council of the capital city Tallinn.
In 1996, CPE
candidate Siiri Oviir ran for the presidency of Estonia.
In the parliamentary elections of March
1999, the Centre Party, whose main slogan was progressive
income
tax, gained 23.4% of votes (the first result) and 28 seats in the Riigikogu.
CPE members are active in its 26 branches – eight of them are active in Tallinn, 18 in
towns and counties.
The Centre
Party became a member of the Alliance of
Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party (then known as the European Liberal
Democrat and Reform Party) at the organisation's July 2003 London Congress. The
party also applied for the membership of the Liberal International (LI) in 2001, but the
LI decided to reject the party's application in August 2001, as Savisaar's
conduct was adjudged to 'not always conform to liberal principles'.[12]
In 2001,
Kreitzberg ran for the presidency of Estonia.
In January
2002, the Centre Party and the Estonian Reform Party formed a new
governmental coalition where Centre Party got 8 ministerial seats (Minister of
Defense, Education, Social Affairs, Finances, Economy & Communications,
Interior, Agriculture and Minister of integration and national minorities). The
coalition stayed until the new elections in 2003, in
which the party won 28 seats. Though the Centre Party won the greatest percent
of votes, it was in opposition until March, 2005 when Juhan Parts' government
collapsed.
In 2003, the
majority of the party's assembly did not support Estonia's joining the European
Union (EU). Savisaar did not express clearly his position.
A number of
Centre Party members exited the party in autumn 2004, mostly due to objections
with Savisaar's autocratic tendencies and the party's anti-EU stance, forming
the Social Liberal group. Some of them joined the Social Democratic Party, others
the Reform Party and others the People's Party. One of these MPs later rejoined
the Centre Party.
Savisaar was
the Mayor of Tallinn,
the capital of Estonia, from 2001 to fall 2004, when he was forced to step down
after a vote of no confidence. He was replaced by Tõnis
Palts of Res Publica.
In 2004 the
Centre Party gained one member in the European Parliament – Siiri
Oviir. The Centre Party gathered 17.5% share of votes on the elections to
the European Parliament.
The Centre
Party participated in government with the Estonian Reform Party and the People's Union of Estonia from 12 April
2005 until a new government took office after the March 2007 elections. The
Centre Party had 5 minister portfolios (Edgar Savisaar as Minister of Economy,
also Minister of Social Affairs, Education, Culture and Interior).
Local elections
on 16 October 2005 were very successful to the Centre Party. Keskerakond
managed to win 32 seats out of 63 in Tallinn City
Council, having now an absolute majority in that municipality. One of the factors
behind this success in Tallinn was probably the immense popularity of Centre
Party among Russian speaking voters. The controversial contract of co-operation
between the Estonian Centre Party and the Russia's dominant political party of
power United Russia has probably contributed to the success
in ethnic Russian electorate as well.
Centre Party
formed one-party government in Tallinn was led by Jüri Ratas, a 27 year old
politician elected the Mayor of Tallinn in November 2005. He was replaced by
Savisaar in April 2007.[13]
The Centre Party is also a member of coalitions in 15 other major towns of
Estonia like Pärnu,
Narva, Haapsalu and Tartu.
In the 2007 Estonian parliamentary
election, the party received 143,528 votes (26.1% of the total), an
improvement of +0.7%. They took 29 seats, a gain of one seat compared to the
2003 elections, though due to the 2004 defections which had decreased their
strength, they actually gained 10 seats. They are now the second largest party
in Parliament and the largest opposition party. IEight Top-Ranking Members to
Leave Centre Party (1) n 2008, the party criticised Andrus
Ansip's policies, that in Centre Party's opinion have contributed to
Estonia's economic problems of recent times. On June 16, 2007, Edgar
Savisaar and Jaan Õmblus published a proposal
of how to improve what they regard as Estonia's economic crisis.[14]
In the European Parliament
elections of 2009, the Centre Party gained the most votes and 2 out of 6
Estonian seats, which were filled by Siiri
Oviir and Vilja Savisaar.
In local
elections of 2009, the party strengthened its absolute majority in the Tallinn
city council. Despite their absolute majority, they formed a coalition with the
Social Democratic Party. Recent polls suggest the party is especially popular
amongst Estonia's Russophone minority.[15]
On 9 April 2012
eight prominent Centre Party members decided to leave the party citing
frustration of their attempts to bring openness and transparency into party
leadership. Previously MP Kalle Laanet was expelled on 21
March for his criticism of the party leadership. The leaving politicians
included MEPs Siiri Oviir and Vilja Savisaar-Toomast, MPs Inara Luigas, Lembit Kaljuvee, Deniss Boroditš and Rainer Vakra, and also Ain Seppik, Toomas Varek.[16]
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