Editing Reformed Political Party (section)

== History ==

===Foundation===
[[File:GHKersten.jpg|thumb|left|Founder of the SGP, [[Gerrit Hendrik Kersten]]]]
The SGP was founded in 1918 by orthodox Protestants led by [[Yerseke]] [[minister (religion)|pastor]] [[Gerrit Hendrik Kersten]], some of which originated from the Protestant [[Anti-Revolutionary Party]] (ARP). After the [[Pacification of 1917]], [[compulsory voting]] and [[proportional representation]] was introduced in the Netherlands. The founders did not want to vote for existing parties, but saw an opportunity for a smaller party because of proportional representation.{{sfn|Vollaard|Voerman|2018|pp=19-24}} The party first participated in the [[1918 Dutch general election|1918 general election]]. The hastily organised campaign focused on the ARP and its support of what SGP called state coercion, such as [[compulsory vaccination]] and insurance law. Because some might object to him combining being polician and pastor, Kersten was not a candidate, but instead Barend Lemans and Pieter Gijze. The party received over 5,000 votes, not enough for a seat.{{sfn|Vollaard|Voerman|2018|pp=27-29}}

Despite not winning a seat, the SGP continued its activities In 1919, the party board started a [[petition]] against the {{ill|Invaliditeitswet|nl}} (Disability Act), which forced workers to pay premiums to insure against disability. It received 4,800 signatures. The party encouraged its members to send back their stamp cards which tracked their premiums. In December 1920, the Senate passed a law that would accommodate their conscientious objections. A similar petition against compulsory vaccination received 27,059 signatures in 1922, but sorted no effect.{{sfn|Vollaard|Voerman|2018|pp=30-31}}

===1922–1945===
For the [[1922 Dutch general election|1922 general election]], Kersten was [[lead candidate]], accepting objections within his electorate. The party won one seat in the [[House of Representatives (Netherlands)|House of Representatives]], which was taken by Kersten. His speeches in parliament regularly received media attention, for example when he opposed the [[1928 Summer Olympics]] in Amsterdam. In the [[1925 Dutch general election|1925 general election]], the party won another seat which was taken by [[Pieter Zandt]].{{sfn|Vollaard|Voerman|2018|pp=31-33}}

Later that year, the [[Anti-Catholicism|anti-Catholic]] SGP would cause the fall of the [[second Ruijs de Beerenbrouck cabinet]] in what became known as the [[Night of Kersten]] ({{langx|nl|Nacht van Kersten}}). During the debate on the budget of the [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Netherlands)|Foreign Affairs Ministry]], Kersten had proposed cutting the budget of the [[diplomatic mission of the Netherlands to the Holy See]]. The amendment received a majority, because it was supported by the Protestant [[Christian Historical Union]] (CHU), which was in cabinet together with the Catholic General League. It resulted in more publicity and a third seat in the [[1929 Dutch general election|1929 general election]], which was taken by {{ill|Cor van Dis sr.|nl}}.{{sfn|Vollaard|Voerman|2018|pp=31-33}} Kersten, Zandt and Van Dis formed the parliamentary group until the [[1929 Dutch general election|1937 general election]], when the SGP lost one seat. The SGP did not achieve much in parliament other than during the Night of Kersten, but achieved some smaller goals outside of parliament through contact with the ministers.{{sfn|Vollaard|Voerman|2018|pp=36-38}}

Kersten saw the [[German invasion of the Netherlands]] in 1940 as a punishment for its sins. He rejected [[Dutch resistance|resistance]] against the [[Netherlands in World War II|German occupation]] and was seen as friendly towards them. After the war, he was nominated again as lead candidate, but he was barred from the House of Representatives for his stances during the war.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.trouw.nl/binnenland/veel-erger-nog-dan-hitler-vond-sgp-er-kersten-waren-de-roomsen~b23f1758/|title=Veel erger nog dan Hitler, vond SGP'er Kersten, waren de Roomsen|work=[[Trouw]]|access-date=17 August 2024|language=nl|first=Paul|last=Van der Steen|date=12 November 2021}}</ref>

===1945–present===
[[File:V.l.n.r. Van Rossum , Van Dis en Abma (allen SGP), Bestanddeelnr 926-8138.jpg|thumb|[[Henk van Rossum]] (party leader 1981–1986), [[Cor van Dis Sr.]] (party leader 1961–1971) and [[Hette Abma]] (party leader 1971–1981) in the House of Representatives in 1973.]]
Kersten was succeeded by Zandt, under whose leadership the SGP was very stable, continually getting 2% of votes. In the [[1956 Dutch general election|1956 general election]], the SGP profited from the enlargement of parliament, and entered the [[Senate (Netherlands)|Senate]] for the first time. It lost that seat in [[1960 Dutch Senate election|1960 Senate election]], but regained it in the [[1971 Dutch Senate election|1971 Senate election]].<ref name="Parlement.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.parlement.com/id/vh8lnhrouwy4/staatkundig_gereformeerde_partij_sgp|title=Staatkundig-Gereformeerde Partij (SGP)|work=[[Parlement.com]]|access-date=18 August 2024|language=nl}}</ref>

In 1961 Zandt died and was succeeded by Van Dis sr. After ten years he stood down in favour of Reverend [[Hette Abma]], who also stepped down after ten years, in favour of [[Henk van Rossum]], a civil engineer. In the [[1984 European Parliament election in the Netherlands|1984 European Parliament election]], the SGP joined the two other orthodox Protestant parties, the [[Reformatory Political Federation]] (RPF) and the [[Reformed Political League]] (GPV). They won one seat in the European Parliament, which was taken by SGP member [[Leen van der Waal]], a mechanical engineer.<ref name="Parlement.com"/>

[[File:Bas van der Vlies (1986).jpg|thumb|left|[[Bas van der Vlies]], party leader from 1986 to 2010.]]
In 1986, Van Rossum was succeeded by [[Bas van der Vlies]]. In the [[1994 Dutch general election|1994 election]] the party lost one seat in the House, [[1998 Dutch general election|regained it in 1998]], and [[2002 Dutch general election|lost it again in 2002]]. During the [[2003 Dutch cabinet formation|2003 cabinet formation]], the [[Christian Democratic Appeal]] (CDA) and the [[People's Party for Freedom and Democracy]] (VVD) held talks with the SGP — the first time that the SGP was seriously considered as a possible coalition partner. Ultimately, the [[Democrats 66]] joined the [[second Balkenende cabinet]] instead of the SGP, mostly because of the ideological differences between the VVD and the SGP.<ref name="Parlement.com"/>

[[File:Kees van der Staaij - SGP 2017.jpg|thumb|[[Kees van der Staaij]], [[party leader]] from 2010 to 2023]]
In 2010, [[Kees van der Staaij]] succeeded Van der Vlies. During the [[2010 Dutch cabinet formation|2010 cabinet formation]], the negotiating CDA, VVD and [[Party for Freedom]] (PVV) took into account some wishes of the SGP, so that SGP would provide [[confidence and supply]] in the Senate where the [[first Rutte cabinet]] did not have a majority.<ref name="Parlement.com"/>