ABSTRACT
Christian democracy in Belgium, unlike in most other European countries, has a long, uninterrupted history.1 The new Christelijke Volkspartij/Parti Social Chrétien (CVP/PSC), established immediately after the Second World War, was in fact the continuation of the inter-war Catholic Party. This party had already taken form in the 1850s and had been the first religious party in Europe to build up a strong position of power for itself. It monopolized power during the period from 1884 to 1914, and in interwar Belgium it participated in all coalition governments, usually as the dominant partner.
