Christian Democratic Party (Chile)

Christian Democratic Party (Chile)

The Christian Democratic Party (Partido Demócrata Cristiano) is a political party in Chile and governs as part of the Coalition of Parties for Democracy coalition. In the 2009 election it won 19 congress seats and 9 senate seats.

It is led by Ignacio Walker. The former president of Chile, Michelle Bachelet is from another party in the coalition, the Socialist Party. There have been three Christian Democrat presidents in the past, Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle, Patricio Aylwin, and Eduardo Frei Montalva.

Customarily, the PDC backs specific initiatives in an effort to bridge communism and capitalism. This idea has been called "communitarian socialism." In addition to this objective, the PDC also supports a strong national government. Specifically, in the 1990s, the PDC modernized by adopting a position closer to economic liberalism. Many of the parties in Chile have come to accept the free market that has helped to revitalize Chile's economy. The current president of the PDC is Ignacio Walker. In their latest "Ideological Congress", the Christian Democrats criticized Chile's free market economy and called for changes in the economic system into a vaguely defined "social market economy" (economía social de mercado).

Read more about Christian Democratic Party (Chile):  History

Famous quotes containing the words christian, democratic and/or party:

    In externals we advance with lightening express speed, in modes of thought and sympathy we lumber on in stage-coach fashion.
    Frances E. Willard 1839–1898, U.S. president of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union 1879-1891, author, activist. The Woman’s Magazine, pp. 137-40 (January 1887)

    It’s like pushing marbles through a sieve. It means the sieve will never be the same again.
    —Before the 1972 Democratic Convention in Miami. As quoted in Crazy Salad, ch. 6, by Nora Ephron (1972)

    DORIS: Here’s the two of spades.
    DUSTY: The two of spades!
    THAT’S THE COFFIN!!
    DORIS: THAT’S THE COFFIN?
    Oh good heavens what’ll I do?
    Just before a party too!
    —T.S. (Thomas Stearns)