Christian Democratic Parties in Europe Since the End of the Cold War

Christian Democratic
Parties in Europe Since
the End of the Cold War
KADOC Studies on Religion, Culture & Society, No. 1

Edited By Steven Van Hecke & Emmanuel Gerard
June 2004
Leuven University Press
ISBN: 9058673774
343 pages, Illustrated, 6 Ľ" x 9 ˝"
$72.50 Paper Original

The period since the end of the Cold War has been characterized by an acceleration in the European integration process, a changing pattern of political ideologies and the emergence of new political parties and issues. This book assesses the impact of these phenomena on Christian Democratic parties in the member states of the European Union and highlights some of the particularities and universalities of European Christian Democracy from a comparative and transnational perspective.

Political scientists and historians from various universities examine the way in which Christian Democratic parties have responded to these challenges (for instance by a rapprochement with non-Christian Democrats) and explain how those responses have resulted in failure in some cases and success in others.

CONTENTS:
European Christian Democracy in the 1990s
Consociational Construction of Christian Democracy
Democratic Parties
Two Crises--Germany
Rejuvenation of an Old Party--Austria
Dominance to Doom?--Italy
Living Apart Together--Belgium
Paradise Lost? --Netherlands
Centre of the State--Luxembourg
Impossible Resurrection--France
Northern Margin--Scandinavia
Failure of the Spanish Christian Democracy
Seized Opportunities--European Union
Comparative appraoches.
Bibliography. Index. Notes on Contributors.

Politics; History

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