Christian Democratic and Social Federation (Tarper)
| This page is a work in progress by its author(s) and should not be considered final. |
| Christian Democratic and Social Federation Fédération Chrétienne-démocrate et Sociale | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Abbreviation | CDSF |
| Leader | Rafaela Tanner |
| Chairperson | Louisa Bell |
| General Secretary | Lloyd Morris |
| Slogan | "For the future" |
| Founded | 2002 |
| Preceded by | Christian Socialist Union of Tarper |
| Newspaper | The Astran Courier |
| Student wing | Student Federation of Social Christian Democrats |
| Youth wing | Young Christian Democrats |
| Membership (2017) |
 62,000 |
| Ideology |
Christian Democracy Social Democracy Christian Left |
| Political position | Center to Center-left |
| International affiliation | Centrist Democrat International |
| Colors | Blue |
| Bundesrat |
20 / 120 |
| Bundestag |
67 / 709 |
| Party flag | |
 | |
The Christian Democratic and Social Federation, CDSF, is a christian democratic and social democratic political party in Tarper. The CDSF is led by Rafaela Tanner. The CDSF was founded in 2002 by members of the Catholic community and religious members of the SU. For most of the Federal Chancellery's history, it has been the third party in the Bundestag.
However, in the 2013 federal election, the CDSF failed to win any directly elected seats in the Bundestag and came up short of the threshold to qualify for representation. The CDSF was therefore left without representation in the Bundestag for the first time in its history. Currently, the CDSF is represented in state parliaments and in the Bundesrat.
The CDSF strongly supports human rights, civil liberties, and internationalism. The party is traditionally considered center-right, but it has shifted to the center-left according to polls in recent years. It is a member of the Centrist Democrat International.
Contents
History
Soon after the end of the Second Civil War a group of religious members from the SU joined some politically motivated Christians and created the party. In July 2002 the group was called for the establishment of a conservative party, its Constitution was hesitantly approved by the interim government. In the first state elections in August 2002, the party won by a sizeable margin. However, it had to support the policies of the Socialist Unity Party.
Appearance in the Bundestag and decline
From 2002 to 2013 the CDSF was a formidable party and managed to become very influential in Tarperti politics. But after the creation of the Labour Party and it becoming the second most popular party. The CDSF saw itself being knocked down in ranking in every passing election. In 2013 the party had not qualified for a seat in the Bundestag.
Resurgence
After the 2013 elections and the demise of the party in the Bundestag, the CDSF started to garner a sizeable amount of sympathy. Within a year the party gained members. In early 2017, the party decided to oust longtime leader Derrick E. Derby because "He is 89, he's just too old" and "We want to give the party a new 'look'". And so the party elected 29-year-old Rafaela Tanner in the hope her leadership and youth would bring back voters. In the 2017 Federal Election, the party came in 6th and gained 67 members of parliament including Tanner who was elected in a constituency in Astra.
Tanner has followed up on the party council's request to modernize the party. As of early 2018, the party has changed its official color to a more cool blue and updated the flag's color wiht it and changed its logo to be much more friendly. Tanner has also brought up a move to more leftist policies in order to benefit from the popularity of the Labour and Socialist Unity parties.
Ideology
Platform
Structure
Symbols
Special organizations
Christian Thinkers Bureau
Bundestag election results
| Election | Seats won | ± | Position | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 47 / 603 |
47
|
3rd | Francis Akers |
| 2005 | 54 / 614 |
7
|
4th | Derrick E. Derby |
| 2009 | 45 / 622 |
 9
|
6th | Derrick E. Derby |
| 2013 | 0 / 630 |
45
|
DNQ | Derrick E. Derby |
| 2017 | 67 / 709 |
67
|
6th | Rafaela Tanner |
Leaders of the CDSF, 2002-present
| Leader | Period |
|---|---|
| Francis Akers | 2002–2005 |
| Derrick E. Derby | 2005–2017 |
| Rafaela Tanner | 2017-present |
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