The inaugural meeting was organised in
Okegem on 15 April 1893, and was attended by the founders of party, the self-styled
Roelanders: Vanlangenhaeke, Van de Velde, De Backer, Lambrecht, Sterck, De Pelsmaecker and Pieter Daens, who was from nearby
Aalst. Pieter Daens's brother priest
Adolf Daens wrote the party programme which was adopted at the next meeting in July 1893., pictured in 1902Adolf Daens founded the party as an alternative for
socialism and the
conservative Catholic Party. He emphasized the social problems of the time and linked them to the need for social facilities and also a Flemish political programme, aimed at creating a favourable political climate in
Flanders. His political movement had significant success in the region of
Aalst, but was opposed by the (Catholic)
elite, and by the
Roman Catholic Church. In spite of all opposition the
Christene Volkspartij succeeded in gaining representation in the
Belgian parliament, with Adolf Daens as its foremost leader. In parliament Daens quickly got into conflict with the conservative Catholic leader
Charles Woeste and tried to gain support from the
Socialists. During the municipal elections of 1899 the Daensists even cooperated with the Socialists in
Brussels. In the same year, Adolf Daens was removed from his office as a priest. When the
Christene Volkspartij started to grow and threatened the political power of the Socialists, the latter withheld further cooperation. After his political career, Daens lived in Aalst where he remained as leader of the movement until his death in June 1907. Daensism had a permanent influence in the arrondissement Aalst and created the foundations of
Christian democracy in Belgium. ==See also==