Liberal Union
Encyclopedia
The Liberal Union (in Dutch
: Liberale Unie) was a Dutch
liberal
political party
. A major party in its time, the LU was one of the historic predecessors of the Liberal State Party
, and therefore of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
.
in the Netherlands. Since 1848 they were the dominant political force. They were organized in loose political clubs and caucuses. Liberals were divided between progressive
, centrist and conservative
liberals, but because of the lack of organized political parties, these divisions were not very strong. In 1879 the division became explicit when a separate parliamentary party was formed by supporters of Kappeyne van de Copello
. With the rise of both catholic
and protestant parties, the liberals were forced to organize themselves better.
es were united in the Liberal Union. The Union was factionalized: it had a progressive, a conservative and a centrist faction.
In 1888
the liberals were forced into opposition by a majority of the confessional
political parties. In 1891
the confessional parties lost their majority and a liberal cabinet led by Van Tienhoven
is formed. The cabinet's most important proposal is the relaxation of the census
, proposed by minister of home affairs Tak: the law would grant the right to vote to all men able to read and write. All political parties were divided on the subject and with a very narrow majority the proposal was rejected. In reaction to this the cabinet resigns and new elections are held. In these elections the division between pro-suffrage Takkians and anti-suffrage anti-Takkians grows. The Liberal Union is also split on the subject. A group of conservative liberals leaves the party. They remained a loose political club until 1906, when they founded the League of Free Liberals
.
The 1894 elections
are won by anti-Takkians and the Liberal Union is confined to opposition. After the 1897 elections
the liberals regain their majority and a cabinet led Pierson
enacts a series of social laws, including the Learning Obligation law, which forces all children to go to school between the ages of six and twelve in order to combat child labour.
In 1901 the progressive liberals in the party founded the Free-thinking Liberal League together with the Radicale Bond. This causes the liberals to lose their majority in the subsequent elections
. In 1905
however a cabinet was formed by the two liberal parties, led by De Meester. In 1909
they lost their majority to the confessional parties again. The 1913 election
resulted in no clear majority: the Social Democratic Workers' Party
were asked to join the liberals in a coalition. They refuse however. An extra-parliamentary cabinet
was formed by Cort van der Linden
, formed by liberals from all three liberal parties. This cabinet enacts universal suffrage and ends the Schoolstrijd.
After the disastrous 1918 elections
, in which the liberals lose half of their seats: they fall from thirty-seven to twenty seats. In 1921 the LU merged with the League of Free Liberals, and several minor liberal parties (the Economic League
, Middleclass Party and the Neutral Party
to form the Liberal State Party
, the mainstream liberal party.
liberal
party, committed to the freedom of the individual. Gradually it became more conservative
. It was in favour of a small government, which nonetheless got its income from progressive taxation and would enact social legislation. The party was fiscally conservative. It furthermore was in favour of the universal suffrage and proportional representation.
Prime Ministers
Protestant voters from the higher classes
: businessmen, civil servants, wealthy farmers and voters from the liberal professions (lawyers, doctors, etc.) The party performed particularly well in the major trading cities Amsterdam
and Rotterdam
, in provincial centres like Arnhem
, Zutphen and Leeuwarden, in the rich municipalities around Hilversum
and the Hague
and in northern rural provinces, like Groningen
and Drenthe
.
.
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
: Liberale Unie) was a Dutch
Politics of the Netherlands
The politics of the Netherlands take place within the framework of a parliamentary representative democracy, a constitutional monarchy and a decentralised unitary state. The Netherlands is described as a consociational state...
liberal
Liberalism worldwide
This article gives information on liberalism in diverse countries around the world. It is an overview of parties that adhere more or less to the ideas of political liberalism and is therefore a list of liberal parties around the world....
political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
. A major party in its time, the LU was one of the historic predecessors of the Liberal State Party
Liberal State Party
The Liberal State Party, "the Freedom League" , was a Dutch conservative liberal political party from 1921 to 1948...
, and therefore of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
The People's Party for Freedom and Democracy is a conservative-liberal political party located in the Netherlands. The VVD supports private enterprise in the Netherlands and is often perceived as an economic liberal party in contrast to the social-liberal Democrats 66 alongside which it sits in...
.
History before foundation
Liberals had been an important political forceLiberalism in the Netherlands
This article gives an overview of liberalism in the Netherlands. It is limited to liberal parties with substantial support, mainly proved by having had a representation in parliament.-Background:...
in the Netherlands. Since 1848 they were the dominant political force. They were organized in loose political clubs and caucuses. Liberals were divided between progressive
Progressivism
Progressivism is an umbrella term for a political ideology advocating or favoring social, political, and economic reform or changes. Progressivism is often viewed by some conservatives, constitutionalists, and libertarians to be in opposition to conservative or reactionary ideologies.The...
, centrist and conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
liberals, but because of the lack of organized political parties, these divisions were not very strong. In 1879 the division became explicit when a separate parliamentary party was formed by supporters of Kappeyne van de Copello
Jan Kappeyne van de Coppello
Joannes Kappeyne van de Coppello was a Dutch liberal politician. He was prime minister of the Netherlands between 1877 and 1879.-Career before politics:...
. With the rise of both catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
and protestant parties, the liberals were forced to organize themselves better.
Foundation
In 1885 all the liberal political clubs and caucusCaucus
A caucus is a meeting of supporters or members of a political party or movement, especially in the United States and Canada. As the use of the term has been expanded the exact definition has come to vary among political cultures.-Origin of the term:...
es were united in the Liberal Union. The Union was factionalized: it had a progressive, a conservative and a centrist faction.
In 1888
Dutch general election, 1888
A general election was held in the Netherlands in 1888.-National summary:-Parties:* Anti Revolutionary Party * Liberal Union * Social Democratic League...
the liberals were forced into opposition by a majority of the confessional
Christian democracy in the Netherlands
This article gives an overview of christian democracy in the Netherlands, which is also called confessional politics, including political Catholicism and Protestantism. It is limited to Christian democratic parties with substantial support, mainly proved by having had a representation in parliament...
political parties. In 1891
Dutch general election, 1891
A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands in 1891.-National summary:-Parties:* Anti Revolutionary Party * Liberal Union...
the confessional parties lost their majority and a liberal cabinet led by Van Tienhoven
Gijsbert van Tienhoven
Gijsbert van Tienhoven was prime minister of the Netherlands from 21 August 1891 until 8 May 1894. He was also mayor of Amsterdam from 1880 to 1891.-History:...
is formed. The cabinet's most important proposal is the relaxation of the census
Householder Franchise
Householder Franchise or census suffrage is where a homeowner has the right to vote in an election. This is a limited form of suffrage, but different from equal voting because, to borrow a dictum, householder franchise is one Household, one vote because it entitles only the householder one vote....
, proposed by minister of home affairs Tak: the law would grant the right to vote to all men able to read and write. All political parties were divided on the subject and with a very narrow majority the proposal was rejected. In reaction to this the cabinet resigns and new elections are held. In these elections the division between pro-suffrage Takkians and anti-suffrage anti-Takkians grows. The Liberal Union is also split on the subject. A group of conservative liberals leaves the party. They remained a loose political club until 1906, when they founded the League of Free Liberals
League of Free Liberals
The League of Free Liberals was a Dutch conservative liberal political party and a predecessor of the Liberal State Party which is historically linked to the VVD, the major Dutch liberal party.-Party History:...
.
The 1894 elections
Dutch general election, 1894
A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands in 1894.-National summary:-Parties:* Anti Revolutionary Party * Liberal Union...
are won by anti-Takkians and the Liberal Union is confined to opposition. After the 1897 elections
Dutch general election, 1897
A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands in 1897.-National summary:-Parties:* Anti Revolutionary Party...
the liberals regain their majority and a cabinet led Pierson
Nicolaas Gerard Pierson
Nicolaas Gerard Pierson was a Dutch Liberal financial and economic expert, politician, and statesman, chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Netherlands from 1897 until 1901....
enacts a series of social laws, including the Learning Obligation law, which forces all children to go to school between the ages of six and twelve in order to combat child labour.
In 1901 the progressive liberals in the party founded the Free-thinking Liberal League together with the Radicale Bond. This causes the liberals to lose their majority in the subsequent elections
Dutch general election, 1901
A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands in 1901.-National summary:-Parties:* Anti Revolutionary Party...
. In 1905
Dutch general election, 1905
A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands in 1905.-National summary:-Parties:* Anti Revolutionary Party...
however a cabinet was formed by the two liberal parties, led by De Meester. In 1909
Dutch general election, 1909
A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands in 1909.-National summary:-Parties:* Anti Revolutionary Party...
they lost their majority to the confessional parties again. The 1913 election
Dutch general election, 1913
A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands in 1913.-National summary:-Parties:* Anti Revolutionary Party...
resulted in no clear majority: the Social Democratic Workers' Party
Social Democratic Workers' Party (Netherlands)
The Social Democratic Workers' Party was a Dutch socialist political party and a predecessor of the social-democratic PvdA.-1893-1904:...
were asked to join the liberals in a coalition. They refuse however. An extra-parliamentary cabinet
Cabinet of the Netherlands
The cabinet of the Netherlands is the main executive body of the Dutch government. The current cabinet of the Netherlands is the Rutte cabinet.-Composition and role:...
was formed by Cort van der Linden
Pieter Cort van der Linden
Pieter Wilhelm Adriaan Cort van der Linden was a Dutch politician. He served as prime minister of the Netherlands between 1913 and 1918....
, formed by liberals from all three liberal parties. This cabinet enacts universal suffrage and ends the Schoolstrijd.
After the disastrous 1918 elections
Dutch general election, 1918
A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands on July 3, 1918. It was the first election in which universal male suffrage was applied, and the first in which a system of proportional representation was used...
, in which the liberals lose half of their seats: they fall from thirty-seven to twenty seats. In 1921 the LU merged with the League of Free Liberals, and several minor liberal parties (the Economic League
Economic League (Netherlands)
The Economic League was a Dutch liberal political party. It played only a marginal role in Dutch politics.-Party History:...
, Middleclass Party and the Neutral Party
Neutral Party
The Neutral Party was a Dutch political party representing artists' interests. It played only a marginal role in Dutch politics.-History:...
to form the Liberal State Party
Liberal State Party
The Liberal State Party, "the Freedom League" , was a Dutch conservative liberal political party from 1921 to 1948...
, the mainstream liberal party.
Ideology and issues
The Union started out as a moderately progressiveProgressivism
Progressivism is an umbrella term for a political ideology advocating or favoring social, political, and economic reform or changes. Progressivism is often viewed by some conservatives, constitutionalists, and libertarians to be in opposition to conservative or reactionary ideologies.The...
liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
party, committed to the freedom of the individual. Gradually it became more conservative
Conservative liberalism
Conservative liberalism is a variant of liberalism, combining liberal values and policies with conservative stances, or, more simply, representing the right-wing of the liberal movement....
. It was in favour of a small government, which nonetheless got its income from progressive taxation and would enact social legislation. The party was fiscally conservative. It furthermore was in favour of the universal suffrage and proportional representation.
Leadership
Chairman of the Lower House parliamentary party- 1902-1913 Hendrik Goeman Borgesius
- 1913-1917 Theodoor de Meester
- 1918-1921 Pieter Rink
Prime Ministers
Prime Minister of the Netherlands
The Prime Minister of the Netherlands is the chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Netherlands. He is the de facto head of government of the Netherlands and coordinates the policy of the government...
- 1891-1894 Van TienhovenGijsbert van TienhovenGijsbert van Tienhoven was prime minister of the Netherlands from 21 August 1891 until 8 May 1894. He was also mayor of Amsterdam from 1880 to 1891.-History:...
- 1897-1901 PiersonNicolaas Gerard PiersonNicolaas Gerard Pierson was a Dutch Liberal financial and economic expert, politician, and statesman, chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Netherlands from 1897 until 1901....
- 1905-1908 De Meester
- 1913-1918 Cort van der LindenPieter Cort van der LindenPieter Wilhelm Adriaan Cort van der Linden was a Dutch politician. He served as prime minister of the Netherlands between 1913 and 1918....
Members of the Lower House of Parliament
Development of the number of seats in the Lower House, of the 100 available. Before 1918 elected in single member districts, after that by proportional representation:- 1918Dutch general election, 1918A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands on July 3, 1918. It was the first election in which universal male suffrage was applied, and the first in which a system of proportional representation was used...
- 6 - 1913Dutch general election, 1913A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands in 1913.-National summary:-Parties:* Anti Revolutionary Party...
- 22 - 1909Dutch general election, 1909A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands in 1909.-National summary:-Parties:* Anti Revolutionary Party...
- 20 - 1905Dutch general election, 1905A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands in 1905.-National summary:-Parties:* Anti Revolutionary Party...
- 25 - 1901Dutch general election, 1901A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands in 1901.-National summary:-Parties:* Anti Revolutionary Party...
- 18 - 1897Dutch general election, 1897A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands in 1897.-National summary:-Parties:* Anti Revolutionary Party...
- 35 - 1894Dutch general election, 1894A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands in 1894.-National summary:-Parties:* Anti Revolutionary Party * Liberal Union...
- 57 (this includes conservative liberals) - 1891Dutch general election, 1891A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands in 1891.-National summary:-Parties:* Anti Revolutionary Party * Liberal Union...
- 53 (this includes conservative liberals) - 1888Dutch general election, 1888A general election was held in the Netherlands in 1888.-National summary:-Parties:* Anti Revolutionary Party * Liberal Union * Social Democratic League...
- 46
Electorate
Liberal received support from Atheist and LatitudinarianLatitudinarian
Latitudinarian was initially a pejorative term applied to a group of 17th-century English theologians who believed in conforming to official Church of England practices but who felt that matters of doctrine, liturgical practice, and ecclesiastical organization were of relatively little importance...
Protestant voters from the higher classes
Upper class
In social science, the "upper class" is the group of people at the top of a social hierarchy. Members of an upper class may have great power over the allocation of resources and governmental policy in their area.- Historical meaning :...
: businessmen, civil servants, wealthy farmers and voters from the liberal professions (lawyers, doctors, etc.) The party performed particularly well in the major trading cities Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
and Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
, in provincial centres like Arnhem
Arnhem
Arnhem is a city and municipality, situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland and located near the river Nederrijn as well as near the St. Jansbeek, which was the source of the city's development. Arnhem has 146,095 residents as one of the...
, Zutphen and Leeuwarden, in the rich municipalities around Hilversum
Hilversum
is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. Located in the region called "'t Gooi", it is the largest town in that area. It is surrounded by heathland, woods, meadows, lakes, and smaller villages...
and the Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
and in northern rural provinces, like Groningen
Groningen (province)
Groningen [] is the northeasternmost province of the Netherlands. In the east it borders the German state of Niedersachsen , in the south Drenthe, in the west Friesland and in the north the Wadden Sea...
and Drenthe
Drenthe
Drenthe is a province of the Netherlands, located in the north-east of the country. The capital city is Assen. It is bordered by Overijssel to the south, Friesland to the west, Groningen to the north, and Germany to the east.-History:Drenthe, unlike many other parts of the Netherlands, has been a...
.
Relationships to other parties
The Liberal Union formed a loose alliance with the League of Free Liberals and the Free-thinking Liberal League. The parties cooperated in several cabinets. The liberal legislation to extend suffrage and to better the position of workers was often supported by the Social Democratic Workers' PartySocial Democratic Workers' Party (Netherlands)
The Social Democratic Workers' Party was a Dutch socialist political party and a predecessor of the social-democratic PvdA.-1893-1904:...
.
See also
- LiberalismLiberalismLiberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
- Contributions to liberal theoryContributions to liberal theoryIndividual contributors to classical liberalism and political liberalism are associated with philosophers of the Enlightenment. Liberalism as a specifically named ideology begins in the late 18th century as a movement towards self-government and away from aristocracy...
- Liberalism worldwideLiberalism worldwideThis article gives information on liberalism in diverse countries around the world. It is an overview of parties that adhere more or less to the ideas of political liberalism and is therefore a list of liberal parties around the world....
- List of liberal parties
- Liberal democracyLiberal democracyLiberal democracy, also known as constitutional democracy, is a common form of representative democracy. According to the principles of liberal democracy, elections should be free and fair, and the political process should be competitive...
- Liberalism in the NetherlandsLiberalism in the NetherlandsThis article gives an overview of liberalism in the Netherlands. It is limited to liberal parties with substantial support, mainly proved by having had a representation in parliament.-Background:...