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== History ==
The [[Catholic Democratic League]] ({{lang-nl|Katholiek Democratische Bond}}, KDB) had been founded on 18 January 1933, by {{ill|Johannes Antonius Veraart|nl}} and his like-minded colleagues. Veraart, who gained prominence as the chairman of the progressive Catholic association {{lang|nl|Verbond St. Michaël}}, left the [[Roman Catholic State Party]] (RKSP) a month earlier due to the party’s conservative stance on social policies during the economic crisis. Despite his efforts, Veraart's KDB failed to win any seats in the [[1933 Dutch general election|1933 general election]].
The disappointing election results for the KDB led the party to seek cooperation with the more successful [[Roman Catholic People's Party]] (RKVP). By early July 1933, the two parties had reached an agreement, and on 1 September 1933, they officially merged to form the KDP. At a two-day founding congress held in The Hague on September 23-24, 1933, the party adopted new statutes and elected a leadership team. Veraart became the [[party chairman]] and editor-in-chief of the party newspaper {{lang|nl|Onze Vaan}} (formerly the RKVP’s paper). C.D. Wesseling, who had served as secretary for the RKVP, took on the same role for the KDP, while Arts represented the KDP in parliament. The party’s platform was based on the crisis program previously drawn up by Veraart for the KDB.
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