programmes on the values and standards of their religion or confession.
This can lead to considerable differences in the political programmes and
political objectives of such parties, depending on how individual parties
consider their respective religion’s stand with regard to individual human
rights and individual freedom or to political democracy. The European
Christian Democratic parties, for instance, are committed to individual
freedom, social solidarity and justice, self-responsibility of the citizens and
a discrete role for the state under the supervision of economic and social
actors.