Reformatory Political Federation

Reformatory Political Federation Reformatorische Politieke Federatie
Founded	15 March 1975 (1975-03-15)
Dissolved	31 December 2003 (2003-12-31)
Merged into	Christian Union
Youth wing	RPF-jongeren
Membership (2000)	12,474
Ideology	Christian democracy
Political position	Centre-right
Religion	Orthodox Protestant
Politics of the Netherlands Political parties Elections

The Reformatory Political Federation (Dutch: Reformatorische Politieke Federatie; RPF) was a minor Protestant Christian political party in the Netherlands.

History

Logo the party used from 1978 to 1992

The RPF was founded on 15 March 1975 by three groups of orthodox Christians. The first group were members of the Protestant Anti-Revolutionary Party, secondly the National Evangelical Union, a small party which had earlier left the ARP, and several independent electoral committees. The founders opposed the formation of the Christian Democratic Appeal, because the Protestant ARP and Christian Historical Union would join the Catholic People's Party. During the period of pillarisation, the Catholics and Protestants had lived in a form of cold war.

The RPF sought to unite all other orthodox Protestant Christian parties, namely the Reformed Political League (GPV) and the Reformed Political Party (SGP).

In the subsequent 1977 general election, the RPF was unable to win any seats. In 1981, it won two seats in House of Representatives (Meindert Leerling and Aad Wagenaar). In the period between 1981 and 2002, it had one to three members. It also won seats in the Senate. The party remained in opposition throughout its existence.

In 1985, one of its two members of parliament seceded from the party to form the Anti-Revolutionaries 1985, the party never got any seat.

In 1996, RPF party leader Leen van Dijke came under public criticism when the magazine Nieuwe Revu had suggested that in an interview he had declared: "Why would stealing, for example committing social welfare fraud, be less of a sin than going against the seventh commandment? Yes, why should someone in a homosexual relationship be better than a thief?" When turmoil broke out, Van Dijke explained that he had meant to convey a universally accepted vision within Christianity that trespassing one of God's commandments makes a man guilty before God, and that all breaches herein are equal. But the general public, and especially the Dutch gay movement, criticised the statement as printed in Nieuwe Revu heavily, considering it discrimination. As such, the magazine Gay Krant reported it to the Attorney General. In 1999 the Dutch high court ruled that Van Dijke's views were not discriminatory according to Dutch law. In 2001 he was cleared by the Supreme Court of the Netherlands.

From 1998, the RPF and GPV began to work closely together in parliament. In 2000, the Christian Union, in which both would unite was officially founded. In 2002, it first contested in elections and won five seats.

Linked organisations

The party magazine was called RPF signal and the scientific foundation Marnix van St. Aldegonde Stichting. The Evangelische Omroep broadcasting association had strong personal and ideological links with the RPF, but it was never officially linked to the party.

Ideology

The RPF believed that society should be based on Biblical norms and values. The political differences between the GPV and SGP, the two other orthodox Protestant parties, were marginal and based on theological differences.

The RPF was a staunch defender of the Dutch monarchy and a strong government. It opposed abortion, euthanasia and same-sex marriage. In economic and environmental issues, the RPF was in favour of strong government influence.

Internationally, the party was comparable to the American Christian right and the small Protestant parties of Scandinavia, such as the Norwegian Christian Democratic Party, the Swedish and Danish Christian Democrats. As a testimonial party, the RPF never took part in a government coalition, instead it chose to voice its concerns over government policies, while acknowledging that the party itself was not big enough to force its opinion upon others.

Electorate

The number of the RPF membership throughout years

The RPF was supported by orthodox Reformed of many denominations, such as the Reformed Churches and the Dutch Reformed Church. Furtherm members of newer churches (such as the Evangelical Church and the Pentecostal community) supported this party. The electorate was concentrated in Zeeland, the Veluwe, parts of Overijssel, forming what is known as the Bible Belt.

Party leaders

• Meindert Leerling: 1980 - 1994
• Leen van Dijke: 1994 - 2001