Abstract
Immediately after the Second World War, Christian Democracy became the most important political expression of Christianity (especially Catholicism) in western Europe. It found a favourable breeding-ground in the religious revival and the increased prestige of the Christian churches. It was able, after the defeat and discredit of fascism, to integrate in its ranks most of the political right. Its position of power was henceforth dependent on its ability to keep the right tied to it. In most countries, this turned out to be an impossible task. Moreover, from the 1960s onwards, Christian churches (including the Catholic Church) began to change their socio-political orientation, concentrating their attention on “civil” rather than on “political” society. Consequently, Christian Democracy declined in the last decades of the 20th century. Nevertheless, it has exerted a great influence on western European society, in political, socio-economic and socio-cultural life.