Liberalism in the Netherlands
Encyclopedia
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.
. Between mid-19th century to the late-1800 they were a dominant force in shaping the Dutch parliamentary democratic rechtsstaat
. In the early 20th century the liberals split between progressive liberals and conservative liberals
. Due to their political division and the introduction of universal suffrage
the liberals disappeared from the political stage. After the Second World War the liberals were united again under one roof, the VVD, but the party remained small. It entered some administration coalitions as a junior party. A progressive liberal party, D'66 was founded in 1966. Since the 1970s however liberalism has been on the rise again electorally. Since 1977 the largest, more conservative, liberal party, VVD has been in government for twenty two years. In early 21st century the VVD saw major splits over the issue of integration and migration. In 2010, they won the national elections for the first time in its history.
in the 16th century to beginning of the 19th century the main political conflict was between the liberal urban patriciate and the supporters of the House of Orange, from the lower class and orthodox variants of Protestantism. The urban patriciate favoured religious tolerance.
In the early years of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
(1814–1848) the (conservative) monarchists were in control. In 1848, while revolutions
swept through Europe, the balance of power shifted in favour of the liberals. In order to prevent revolution in the Netherlands, King William II of the Netherlands
asked the Leiden professor
of law, Johan Rudolf Thorbecke, a liberal, to draft a new constitution
. The new constitution limited the power of the king by introducing ministerial responsibility
and by giving parliament the right to amend laws
and hold investigative hearings. It also extended the census suffrage and codified civil rights
, such as the freedom of assembly
, the privacy of correspondence, freedom of ecclesiastical organisation and the freedom of education
.
In October 1848 the constitution was adopted and in 1849 Thorbecke became prime minister of the Netherlands
. From that moment on liberalism was the dominant political force in the Netherlands. Thorbecke would be remain a powerful liberal and he was prime minister of the Netherlands three times until his death in 1872. The liberals also dominated the universities, the media and business. Because the liberals were so dominant they did not feel the need to organize themselves in a political party. Instead there was a loose liberal parliamentary group and locally organized liberal caucus
es. The liberals also did not organize their own pillar, a system of like-minded social organizations. The liberals were politically allied with the Catholics, whom the liberals granted considerable freedom of religion
.
In the late 19th century the socialists
, Protestants and Catholics
began to organize their own political parties. The liberals under pressure from these new groups followed suit. In 1885 they founded a liberal party, the Liberal Union. In 1893 it saw its first split, in the progressive liberal Radical League. In 1906 the conservative liberals split to form the League of Free Liberals. There are different names for these two tendencies. The more progressive liberals have been called "radical", "freeminded" or "democratic" liberals, while the more conservative liberals have been called "free" or "old" liberals. The issue which divided the liberals most was the question whether to extend the census
or even to introduce universal suffrage
, the progressive liberals favoured universal suffrage, the conservative liberals did not. The progressive liberals also favoured government intervention in the economy, such as the ban on child labour proposed by Samuel van Houten
.
Due to the two round electoral system
the liberals were required to cooperate. In order to prevent the coalition of Catholics and Protestants
win the second round of the elections, all the liberals united behind their candidates in the second round, often joined by social democrats
. This alliance was called the concentration
. On basis of concentration pluralities, often supported by social-democrats for a majority several cabinets were formed in the early 20th century.
In 1917 under one of these liberal minority cabinets universal male suffrage
was introduced, as well as a proportional electoral system and equal finance for religious schools, this compromise was called the pacification of 1917. The extension of suffrage however severely weakened the position of the liberals. Of the 37 seats they had in 1917
, they were left with 14 in 1918
. The liberals didn't become the largest party again until 2010
.
. The progressive liberals remained separate in the Freeminded Democratic League, a merger of the Radical League and progressive liberals, that had already been formed in 1901. In the interbellum the liberals grew even smaller. Under pressure of the crisis of 1929 and the rise of the National Socialist Movement. The liberals did cooperate as junior partners in several cabinets in the crisis.
After the Second World War the conservative liberal Liberal State Party refounded itself as Freedom Party. The progressive liberal Freeminded Democratic League joined the new Doorbraak leftwing Labour Party. Several progressives were unhappy with the social-democratic course of the PvdA and joined the Freedom Party to found the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy in 1948.
The VVD remained a small party until the 1970s, with about 10% of the vote. They did however form part of the government both in the grand coalition
with social-democrats, Catholics and Protestants in the late 1940s early 1950s, and with the Catholics and Protestants over the course of the 1960s. The party was led by the former leader of the Freeminded Democratic League, Pieter Oud
. In the Dutch pillarized political system the liberals mainly appealed to urban, secular upper and middle class. The liberals did not have a strong pillar of social organization, such as trade unions and news papers, like the other political families had. Instead they were aligned with the weak neutral pillar
In 1966 a radical
democratic
party was founded, Democrats 66
. In the foundation several progressive liberals from the VVD had been involved. The party sought to radically democratize the political system, the society and the economy. D66 was led by the charismatic Hans van Mierlo
. The party joined forces with the social-democratic PvdA and the progressive Christian PPR to work for a more fair and democratic Netherlands. The party participated in the leftwing cabinet Den Uyl
. Over the course of the 1980s however the party began to espouse a more progressive liberal course, especially under Jan Terlouw
. The party remained an ally of the PvdA however, joining a short-lived centre-left coalition cabinet
with the PvdA and the Christian democratic CDA
in 1981.
In the meanwhile the VVD had grown considerably. Under the leadership of Hans Wiegel
the VVD has taken a more conservative course. The party began to criticize the large and inefficient welfare state
. The party combined this economic liberalism
with progressive positions on social issues, which characterized the 1970s, such as abortion
, homosexuality and women's rights. The VVD capitalized the weakening of religious and depillarization of the 1970s and made considerable electoral gains: in 1967 the party won just over 10% in 1981 this had more than doubled to 23%.
Between 1982 and 1986 the VVD cooperated in the centre-right cabinets Lubbers
, which implemented a far reaching reform of the welfare state the VVD had advocated since the 1970s.
the Christian democratic CDA losts its traditional electoral power base. The VVD and D66 won considerably. A progressive purple cabinet
was formed by D66, the VVD and the PvdA. The cabinet managed a thriving Dutch economy
, implemented progressive social legislation on euthanasia
, gay marriage and prostitution
. In the 2002 election campaign
the purple coalition came under heavy criticism of the populist politician Pim Fortuyn
for mismanaging the public sector, migration and the integration of migrants. The two liberal parties lost considerably in the elections.
The VVD however joined a coalition cabinet
with the heirs of Fortuyn and the CDA. The cabinet fell shortly. After the 2003 elections
the D66 replaced the LPF. The centre-right cabinet implemented reforms of the welfare state and oversaw declining migration figures.
The issue of migration and integration however, and especially the place of the Islam in the Netherlands
. In 2003 the VVD had invited social-democratic critic of Islam, Ayaan Hirsi Ali
to join their parliamentary party. She together with MP Geert Wilders
caused considerable controversy with her direct criticism of the Islam. In the cabinet VVD minister Rita Verdonk
sought to limit migration and stimulate integration of minorities.
In 2004 Geert Wilders left the VVD to form the Party for Freedom
, which combined uncompromising criticism of Islam with a plea for lower taxation and skepticism towards European integration. In 2006 a conflict between Hirsi Ali and Verdonk over her status as an asylum seeker caused the downfall of the cabinet after D66 had revoked its confidence of Verdonk, whose positions on migration the party had already distanced itself from.
In the 2006 general election
the VVD and D66 lost considerably: D66 lost three of its six seats, the VVD six of its 28 seats. Wilders' PVV won nine seats. Rita Verdonk, second on the list of the VVD won more preference votes than the party's top candidate
Mark Rutte
. After demanding the leadership of the party, Verdonk left the VVD to form her own nationalist party, Proud of the Netherlands
.
In the European parliament election of 2009, the VVD and D66 both won 3 seats each, while PVV picked up 4 seats. The PVV will be assigned the additional seat that becomes the Netherlands after the Treaty of Lisbon
is signed. The VVD and D66 joined the Liberal fraction in the European Parliament, while the PVV did not register as member of any fraction.
In the 2010 general election
the VVD became the largest party with 31 seats, making a liberal-led coalition a possibility for the first time since 1918, and the PVV won 15 seats, increasing their number of seats from 9 to 24, becoming the biggest winner of the 2010 elections. Also D66 increased their number of seats to 10. Ultimately, the VVD opted for a coalition with the CDA, with VVD leader Mark Rutte
as prime minister--the first liberal to hold the post since 1918.
the following Dutch thinkers are included:
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. It is limited to 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,...
parties
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...
with substantial support, mainly proved by having had a representation in parliament.
Background
Liberalism has always been an important current in Dutch politics since the Dutch RepublicDutch Republic
The Dutch Republic — officially known as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , the Republic of the United Netherlands, or the Republic of the Seven United Provinces — was a republic in Europe existing from 1581 to 1795, preceding the Batavian Republic and ultimately...
. Between mid-19th century to the late-1800 they were a dominant force in shaping the Dutch parliamentary democratic rechtsstaat
Rechtsstaat
Rechtsstaat is a concept in continental European legal thinking, originally borrowed from German jurisprudence, which can be translated as "legal state", "state of law", "state of justice", or "state of rights"...
. In the early 20th century the liberals split between progressive liberals and conservative liberals
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....
. Due to their political division and the introduction of universal suffrage
Universal suffrage
Universal suffrage consists of the extension of the right to vote to adult citizens as a whole, though it may also mean extending said right to minors and non-citizens...
the liberals disappeared from the political stage. After the Second World War the liberals were united again under one roof, the VVD, but the party remained small. It entered some administration coalitions as a junior party. A progressive liberal party, D'66 was founded in 1966. Since the 1970s however liberalism has been on the rise again electorally. Since 1977 the largest, more conservative, liberal party, VVD has been in government for twenty two years. In early 21st century the VVD saw major splits over the issue of integration and migration. In 2010, they won the national elections for the first time in its history.
Before 1918
The Netherlands has a long liberal political tradition. From the founding of the Dutch RepublicDutch Republic
The Dutch Republic — officially known as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , the Republic of the United Netherlands, or the Republic of the Seven United Provinces — was a republic in Europe existing from 1581 to 1795, preceding the Batavian Republic and ultimately...
in the 16th century to beginning of the 19th century the main political conflict was between the liberal urban patriciate and the supporters of the House of Orange, from the lower class and orthodox variants of Protestantism. The urban patriciate favoured religious tolerance.
In the early years of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Kingdom of the Netherlands
The Kingdom of the Netherlands is a sovereign state and constitutional monarchy with territory in Western Europe and in the Caribbean. The four parts of the Kingdom—Aruba, Curaçao, the Netherlands, and Sint Maarten—are referred to as "countries", and participate on a basis of equality...
(1814–1848) the (conservative) monarchists were in control. In 1848, while revolutions
Revolutions of 1848
The European Revolutions of 1848, known in some countries as the Spring of Nations, Springtime of the Peoples or the Year of Revolution, were a series of political upheavals throughout Europe in 1848. It was the first Europe-wide collapse of traditional authority, but within a year reactionary...
swept through Europe, the balance of power shifted in favour of the liberals. In order to prevent revolution in the Netherlands, King William II of the Netherlands
William II of the Netherlands
William II was King of the Netherlands, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, and Duke of Limburg from 7 October 1840 until his death in 1849.- Early life and education :...
asked the Leiden professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of law, Johan Rudolf Thorbecke, a liberal, to draft a new constitution
Constitution of the Netherlands
The Constitution of the Netherlands is the fundamental law of the European territory of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The present constitution is generally seen as directly derived from the one issued in 1815, constituting a constitutional monarchy. A revision in 1848 instituted a system of...
. The new constitution limited the power of the king by introducing ministerial responsibility
Ministerial responsibility
Ministerial responsibility or individual ministerial responsibility is a constitutional convention in governments using the Westminster System that a cabinet minister bears the ultimate responsibility for the actions of their ministry or department...
and by giving parliament the right to amend laws
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
and hold investigative hearings. It also extended the census suffrage and codified civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
, such as the freedom of assembly
Freedom of assembly
Freedom of assembly, sometimes used interchangeably with the freedom of association, is the individual right to come together and collectively express, promote, pursue and defend common interests...
, the privacy of correspondence, freedom of ecclesiastical organisation and the freedom of education
Freedom of education
Freedom of education is a constitutional concept that has been included in the European Convention on Human Rights, Protocol 1, Article 2 and several national constitutions, e.g. the , the Belgian constitution and the Dutch constitution...
.
In October 1848 the constitution was adopted and in 1849 Thorbecke became prime minister of the Netherlands
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...
. From that moment on liberalism was the dominant political force in the Netherlands. Thorbecke would be remain a powerful liberal and he was prime minister of the Netherlands three times until his death in 1872. The liberals also dominated the universities, the media and business. Because the liberals were so dominant they did not feel the need to organize themselves in a political party. Instead there was a loose liberal parliamentary group and locally organized liberal caucus
Caucus
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. The liberals also did not organize their own pillar, a system of like-minded social organizations. The liberals were politically allied with the Catholics, whom the liberals granted considerable freedom of religion
Freedom of religion
Freedom of religion is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance; the concept is generally recognized also to include the freedom to change religion or not to follow any...
.
In the late 19th century the socialists
Socialism in the Netherlands
This article gives an overview of socialism in the Netherlands, including communism and social democracy. It is limited to socialist, communist and social-democratic parties with substantial support, mainly proved by having had a representation in parliament...
, Protestants and Catholics
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...
began to organize their own political parties. The liberals under pressure from these new groups followed suit. In 1885 they founded a liberal party, the Liberal Union. In 1893 it saw its first split, in the progressive liberal Radical League. In 1906 the conservative liberals split to form the League of Free Liberals. There are different names for these two tendencies. The more progressive liberals have been called "radical", "freeminded" or "democratic" liberals, while the more conservative liberals have been called "free" or "old" liberals. The issue which divided the liberals most was the question whether to extend 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....
or even to introduce universal suffrage
Universal suffrage
Universal suffrage consists of the extension of the right to vote to adult citizens as a whole, though it may also mean extending said right to minors and non-citizens...
, the progressive liberals favoured universal suffrage, the conservative liberals did not. The progressive liberals also favoured government intervention in the economy, such as the ban on child labour proposed by Samuel van Houten
Samuel van Houten
Samuel van Houten was a Dutch liberal politician.Van Houten was born in Groningen. He studied law at the University of Groningen, obtaining a degree in 1859...
.
Due to the two round electoral system
Two-round system
The two-round system is a voting system used to elect a single winner where the voter casts a single vote for their chosen candidate...
the liberals were required to cooperate. In order to prevent the coalition of Catholics and Protestants
Coalition (Netherlands)
The Coalition is a historic coalition of the three confessional parties of the Netherlands, the Christian Historical Union, Anti-Revolutionary Party and Roman Catholic State Party. They were united in their common plight for equal financing for religious schools. They were opposed to the...
win the second round of the elections, all the liberals united behind their candidates in the second round, often joined by social democrats
Socialism in the Netherlands
This article gives an overview of socialism in the Netherlands, including communism and social democracy. It is limited to socialist, communist and social-democratic parties with substantial support, mainly proved by having had a representation in parliament...
. This alliance was called the concentration
Concentration (Netherlands)
The Concentration was a coalition of Dutch liberal parties between 1901 and 1918. The Vrijzinnig Democratische Bond, Liberale Unie and the Bond Vrije Liberalen participated. The main issue which united these parties was universal suffrage and their opposition to equal financing for religious schools...
. On basis of concentration pluralities, often supported by social-democrats for a majority several cabinets were formed in the early 20th century.
In 1917 under one of these liberal minority cabinets universal male suffrage
Universal suffrage
Universal suffrage consists of the extension of the right to vote to adult citizens as a whole, though it may also mean extending said right to minors and non-citizens...
was introduced, as well as a proportional electoral system and equal finance for religious schools, this compromise was called the pacification of 1917. The extension of suffrage however severely weakened the position of the liberals. Of the 37 seats they had in 1917
Dutch general election, 1917
A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands in 1917.In this election, the parties agreed to hold elections in which the incumbent members of parliament were the only candidates in order to allow a change in the constitution to introduce...
, they were left with 14 in 1918
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...
. The liberals didn't become the largest party again until 2010
Dutch general election, 2010
The 2010 Dutch general election was held on Wednesday, 9 June 2010. After the fall of the cabinet Balkenende IV on 20 February, Queen Beatrix accepted the resignation of the Labour Party ministers on 23 February...
.
1918-1994
In 1922 the liberal parties reorganized: all conservative liberals, from the Liberal Union and the League Free Liberals as well as more conservative liberals from smaller parties, joined to form the Liberal State PartyLiberal State Party
The Liberal State Party, "the Freedom League" , was a Dutch conservative liberal political party from 1921 to 1948...
. The progressive liberals remained separate in the Freeminded Democratic League, a merger of the Radical League and progressive liberals, that had already been formed in 1901. In the interbellum the liberals grew even smaller. Under pressure of the crisis of 1929 and the rise of the National Socialist Movement. The liberals did cooperate as junior partners in several cabinets in the crisis.
After the Second World War the conservative liberal Liberal State Party refounded itself as Freedom Party. The progressive liberal Freeminded Democratic League joined the new Doorbraak leftwing Labour Party. Several progressives were unhappy with the social-democratic course of the PvdA and joined the Freedom Party to found the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy in 1948.
The VVD remained a small party until the 1970s, with about 10% of the vote. They did however form part of the government both in the grand coalition
Grand coalition
A grand coalition is an arrangement in a multi-party parliamentary system in which the two largest political parties of opposing political ideologies unite in a coalition government...
with social-democrats, Catholics and Protestants in the late 1940s early 1950s, and with the Catholics and Protestants over the course of the 1960s. The party was led by the former leader of the Freeminded Democratic League, Pieter Oud
Pieter Oud
Pieter Jacobus Oud was a prominent liberal Dutch politician who served held numerous political offices, including member of the House of Representatives, Minister of Finance and Mayor of Rotterdam. He was one of the founding member of the Dutch Labour Party and the People's Party for Freedom and...
. In the Dutch pillarized political system the liberals mainly appealed to urban, secular upper and middle class. The liberals did not have a strong pillar of social organization, such as trade unions and news papers, like the other political families had. Instead they were aligned with the weak neutral pillar
In 1966 a radical
Political radicalism
The term political radicalism denotes political principles focused on altering social structures through revolutionary means and changing value systems in fundamental ways...
democratic
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
party was founded, Democrats 66
Democrats 66
Democrats 66 is a progressive and social-liberal political party in the Netherlands. D66 was formed in 1966 by a group of politically unaligned, young intellectuals, led by journalist Hans van Mierlo. The party's main objective was to democratise the political system; it proposed to create an...
. In the foundation several progressive liberals from the VVD had been involved. The party sought to radically democratize the political system, the society and the economy. D66 was led by the charismatic Hans van Mierlo
Hans van Mierlo
Henricus Antonius Franciscus Maria Oliva "Hans" van Mierlo was a Dutch politician of the Democrats 66 . In 1966 Van Mierlo together with Hans Gruijters founded the Democrats 66...
. The party joined forces with the social-democratic PvdA and the progressive Christian PPR to work for a more fair and democratic Netherlands. The party participated in the leftwing cabinet Den Uyl
Netherlands cabinet Den Uyl
The Den Uyl cabinet was a Dutch left-wing cabinet under prime minister Joop den Uyl with ministers from PvdA, PPR, D66, KVP and ARP. The last two parties were actually moderately right-wing, but left-wing elements within these parties supported cabinet den Uyl to create a left-wing majority...
. Over the course of the 1980s however the party began to espouse a more progressive liberal course, especially under Jan Terlouw
Jan Terlouw
Jan Cornelis Terlouw is a Dutch scientist, politician, and author.- Background :Jan Terlouw was born in Kamperveen, Overijssel. He was the eldest son in his family, he has two brothers and two sisters and grew up in the Veluwe...
. The party remained an ally of the PvdA however, joining a short-lived centre-left coalition cabinet
Netherlands cabinet Van Agt-2
The second Van Agt cabinet was a coalition between the Christian democrats , the labour party and the left-wing liberals D66. Many incidents made a healthy coalition impossible. Prime minister Dries van Agt had lots of trouble with the vice-prime minister Joop den Uyl of the labour party. Den Uyl...
with the PvdA and the Christian democratic CDA
Christian Democratic Appeal
The Christian Democratic Appeal is a centre-right Dutch Christian democratic political party. It suffered severe losses in the 2010 elections and fell from the first to the fourth place...
in 1981.
In the meanwhile the VVD had grown considerably. Under the leadership of Hans Wiegel
Hans Wiegel
Hans Wiegel is a retired Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy . He served as a Member of the House of Representatives from April 18, 1967 until December 19, 1977...
the VVD has taken a more conservative course. The party began to criticize the large and inefficient welfare state
Welfare state
A welfare state is a "concept of government in which the state plays a key role in the protection and promotion of the economic and social well-being of its citizens. It is based on the principles of equality of opportunity, equitable distribution of wealth, and public responsibility for those...
. The party combined this economic liberalism
Economic liberalism
Economic liberalism is the ideological belief in giving all people economic freedom, and as such granting people with more basis to control their own lives and make their own mistakes. It is an economic philosophy that supports and promotes individual liberty and choice in economic matters and...
with progressive positions on social issues, which characterized the 1970s, such as abortion
Abortion in the Netherlands
Abortion in the Netherlands was fully legalized on November 1, 1984, allowing abortions to be done on-demand until the twenty-first week. Cases which involve urgent medical attention can be aborted until the twenty-fourth week. There is a five-day waiting period for abortions.- History :Abortion...
, homosexuality and women's rights. The VVD capitalized the weakening of religious and depillarization of the 1970s and made considerable electoral gains: in 1967 the party won just over 10% in 1981 this had more than doubled to 23%.
Between 1982 and 1986 the VVD cooperated in the centre-right cabinets Lubbers
Netherlands cabinet Lubbers-1
The first Lubbers cabinet was formed by the right-wing political parties CDA and VVD. The aim of the cabinet was cutting government spending and privatizations. There was much internal resistance of the left-wing, especially the largest mass demonstration in Dutch history, against the placement of...
, which implemented a far reaching reform of the welfare state the VVD had advocated since the 1970s.
After 1994
In 1994Dutch general election, 1994
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on May 3, 1994.-Results:...
the Christian democratic CDA losts its traditional electoral power base. The VVD and D66 won considerably. A progressive purple cabinet
First cabinet of Wim Kok
The First cabinet of Wim Kok , also called the "Purple Coalition" because of its social-democrat and liberal components, was a Dutch government formed by the political parties PVDA, VVD and D66. D66 had won its greatest political victory with the slogan that the Christian Democratic Appeal should...
was formed by D66, the VVD and the PvdA. The cabinet managed a thriving Dutch economy
Economy of the Netherlands
On the Index of Economic Freedom, the Netherlands is the 13th most laissez-faire capitalist economy out of 157 surveyed countries. At the time of writing the Netherlands is the 16th largest economy of the world. Between 1998 and 2000 annual economic growth averaged nearly 4%, well above the...
, implemented progressive social legislation on euthanasia
Euthanasia in the Netherlands
Euthanasia in the Netherlands is regulated by the "Termination of Life on Request and Assisted Suicide Act" from 2002. It states that euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide are not punishable if the attending physician acts in accordance with criteria of due care...
, gay marriage and prostitution
Prostitution in the Netherlands
Prostitution in the Netherlands is legal and regulated. Operating a brothel is also legal. In the last few years, a significant number of brothels and "windows" have been closed because of suspected criminal activity...
. In the 2002 election campaign
Dutch general election, 2002
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on May 15, 2002....
the purple coalition came under heavy criticism of the populist politician Pim Fortuyn
Pim Fortuyn
Wilhelmus Simon Petrus Fortuijn, known as Pim Fortuyn was a Dutch politician, civil servant, sociologist, author and professor who formed his own party, Pim Fortuyn List ....
for mismanaging the public sector, migration and the integration of migrants. The two liberal parties lost considerably in the elections.
The VVD however joined a coalition cabinet
First Balkenende cabinet
The first cabinet of Jan Peter Balkenende was in office in the Netherlands from 22 July 2002 until 16 October of the same year. The term of 87 days was the shortest since the fifth cabinet of Hendrikus Colijn .Following the 15 May 2002...
with the heirs of Fortuyn and the CDA. The cabinet fell shortly. After the 2003 elections
Dutch general election, 2003
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on January 22, 2003.-Background:...
the D66 replaced the LPF. The centre-right cabinet implemented reforms of the welfare state and oversaw declining migration figures.
The issue of migration and integration however, and especially the place of the Islam in the Netherlands
Islam in the Netherlands
The history of Islam in the Netherlands started in the 19th century when the Netherlands experienced sporadic Muslim migration from the Dutch East Indies when it was a colony from the Netherlands...
. In 2003 the VVD had invited social-democratic critic of Islam, Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Ayaan Hirsi Magan Ali is a Somali-Dutch feminist and atheist activist, writer, politician who strongly opposes circumcision and female genital cutting. She is the daughter of the Somali politician and opposition leader Hirsi Magan Isse and is a founder of the women's rights organisation the AHA...
to join their parliamentary party. She together with MP Geert Wilders
Geert Wilders
Geert Wilders is a Dutch right-wing politician and leader of the Party for Freedom , the third-largest political party in the Netherlands. He is the Parliamentary group leader of his party in the Dutch House of Representatives...
caused considerable controversy with her direct criticism of the Islam. In the cabinet VVD minister Rita Verdonk
Rita Verdonk
Maria Cornelia Frederika "Rita" Verdonk is a retired Dutch politician initially of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy until she was expelled in October 2007, she later formed her own party Proud of the Netherlands . She served as Minister for Integration and Immigration in Cabinets...
sought to limit migration and stimulate integration of minorities.
In 2004 Geert Wilders left the VVD to form the Party for Freedom
Party for Freedom
The Party for Freedom is a Dutch right-wing political party. Founded in 2005 as the successor to Geert Wilders' one-man party in the House of Representatives, it won nine seats in the 2006 general election, making it the fifth largest party in parliament, and third largest opposition party. It...
, which combined uncompromising criticism of Islam with a plea for lower taxation and skepticism towards European integration. In 2006 a conflict between Hirsi Ali and Verdonk over her status as an asylum seeker caused the downfall of the cabinet after D66 had revoked its confidence of Verdonk, whose positions on migration the party had already distanced itself from.
In the 2006 general election
Dutch general election, 2006
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on November 22, 2006. And followed the call for new elections after the fall of the Second Balkenende cabinet....
the VVD and D66 lost considerably: D66 lost three of its six seats, the VVD six of its 28 seats. Wilders' PVV won nine seats. Rita Verdonk, second on the list of the VVD won more preference votes than the party's top candidate
Lijsttrekker
Lijsttrekker is a Dutch term for the top candidate of a party on a party list. He or she is almost always the party's political leader. After an election, this person usually leads the party's faction in the States-General, or serves in a senior position in the Cabinet if his party is part of...
Mark Rutte
Mark Rutte
Mark Rutte is a Dutch politician who has been Prime Minister of the Netherlands since 14 October 2010, as well as Minister of General Affairs in the Rutte cabinet...
. After demanding the leadership of the party, Verdonk left the VVD to form her own nationalist party, Proud of the Netherlands
Proud of the Netherlands
Proud of the Netherlands is a Dutch Political party. The party was founded on 17 October 2007 by Rita Verdonk, who at that time was an independent member of the House of Representatives. Verdonk declared that her movement would consist of "sympathizers" and, like the Party for Freedom, would not...
.
In the European parliament election of 2009, the VVD and D66 both won 3 seats each, while PVV picked up 4 seats. The PVV will be assigned the additional seat that becomes the Netherlands after the Treaty of Lisbon
Treaty of Lisbon
The Treaty of Lisbon of 1668 was a peace treaty between Portugal and Spain, concluded at Lisbon on 13 February 1668, through the mediation of England, in which Spain recognized the sovereignty of Portugal's new ruling dynasty, the House of Braganza....
is signed. The VVD and D66 joined the Liberal fraction in the European Parliament, while the PVV did not register as member of any fraction.
In the 2010 general election
Dutch general election, 2010
The 2010 Dutch general election was held on Wednesday, 9 June 2010. After the fall of the cabinet Balkenende IV on 20 February, Queen Beatrix accepted the resignation of the Labour Party ministers on 23 February...
the VVD became the largest party with 31 seats, making a liberal-led coalition a possibility for the first time since 1918, and the PVV won 15 seats, increasing their number of seats from 9 to 24, becoming the biggest winner of the 2010 elections. Also D66 increased their number of seats to 10. Ultimately, the VVD opted for a coalition with the CDA, with VVD leader Mark Rutte
Mark Rutte
Mark Rutte is a Dutch politician who has been Prime Minister of the Netherlands since 14 October 2010, as well as Minister of General Affairs in the Rutte cabinet...
as prime minister--the first liberal to hold the post since 1918.
Individual Liberal Parties
Note: The ⇒ sign denotes parties which never achieved any representation in parliament.From Liberal Union until People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
- 1885: Liberals formed the Liberal Union (Liberale Unie)
- 1892: A radical faction formed the ⇒ Radical League
- 1894: A conservative faction formed the ⇒ Free Liberals
- 1901: A radical faction seceded to merge with the ⇒ Radical League into the ⇒ Freethinking Democratic League
- 1921: The LU merged with the ⇒ Economic League, the ⇒ League of Free Liberals, the Neutral PartyNeutral PartyThe Neutral Party was a Dutch political party representing artists' interests. It played only a marginal role in Dutch politics.-History:...
and the Middle Class PartyMiddle Class PartyThe Middenstandspartij was a Dutch political party representing middle class interests. It played only a marginal role in Dutch politics.-Party History:...
into the Freedom LeagueLiberal State PartyThe Liberal State Party, "the Freedom League" , was a Dutch conservative liberal political party from 1921 to 1948...
(Vrijheidsbond) - 1922: A conservative faction seceded as the ⇒ Liberal PartyLiberal Party (Netherlands)The Liberal Party was a Dutch conservative liberal political party. The LP played only a marginal role in Dutch politics.-Party history:...
- 1928: The Vrijheidsbond is renamed in Liberal State PartyLiberal State PartyThe Liberal State Party, "the Freedom League" , was a Dutch conservative liberal political party from 1921 to 1948...
(Liberale Staatspartij) - 1929: Staalman, founder of the Middle Class PartyMiddle Class PartyThe Middenstandspartij was a Dutch political party representing middle class interests. It played only a marginal role in Dutch politics.-Party History:...
, leaves the LSP and found the Middle Party for City and CountryMiddle Party for City and CountryThe Middle Party for City and Country was a Dutch political party defending the interests of the middle class... - 1945: The LSP is reorganised into the Freedom PartyFreedom Party (Netherlands)The Freedom Party was a short lived Dutch liberal political party. The PvdV was a predecessor of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy.-Party History:...
(Partij van de Vrijheid), including a faction of the ⇒ Freethinking Democratic League - 1948: The Freedom Party merged with former members of the Freethinking Democratic League into the present-day People's Party for Freedom and DemocracyPeople's Party for Freedom and DemocracyThe 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...
(Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie)
Radical League and Free-minded Democratic League
- 1892: A radical faction of the ⇒ Liberal Union formed the Radical LeagueRadical LeagueThe Radical League was a Dutch progressive liberal political party. The league is historically linked with the PvdA.-Party History:...
(Radicale Bond) - 1901: A second radical faction of the ⇒ Liberal Union merged with the Radical League into the Free-minded Democratic LeagueFree-minded Democratic LeagueThe Free-thinking Democratic League was a Dutch progressive liberal political party. The VDB played a relatively large role in Dutch politics, supplying one prime minister...
(Vrijzinnig Democratische Bond) - 1917: A right-wing faction secededas the ⇒ Economic League
- 1946: The Free-minded Democratic League merged into the present-day Labour Party (Partij van de Arbeid), a faction joined the ⇒ Freedom Party
- 1948: Some former members left the Labour Party and merged into the ⇒ People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
(League of) Free Liberals
- 1894: A conservative faction of the ⇒ Liberale Union formed the Free Liberals (Vrije Liberalen), since 1906 renamed the League of Free LiberalsLeague of Free LiberalsThe 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:...
(Bond van Vrije Liberalen) - 1921: The league merged into the ⇒ Freedom League
Economic League
- 1917: A right-wing faction of the ⇒ Freethinking Democratic League formed the Economic LeagueEconomic League (Netherlands)The Economic League was a Dutch liberal political party. It played only a marginal role in Dutch politics.-Party History:...
(Economische Bond) - 1921: The league merged into the ⇒ Freedom League
Liberal Party
- 1922: A right-wing faction of the ⇒ Freedom League formed the Liberal PartyLiberal Party (Netherlands)The Liberal Party was a Dutch conservative liberal political party. The LP played only a marginal role in Dutch politics.-Party history:...
(Liberale Partij) and disappears in 1925
Democrats 66
- 1966: Independent progressive liberals formed the party Democrats 66Democrats 66Democrats 66 is a progressive and social-liberal political party in the Netherlands. D66 was formed in 1966 by a group of politically unaligned, young intellectuals, led by journalist Hans van Mierlo. The party's main objective was to democratise the political system; it proposed to create an...
(Democraten '66), later without apostrophe
Liberal leaders
- Liberals in the 19th century: Johan Rudolf Thorbecke - Samuel van HoutenSamuel van HoutenSamuel van Houten was a Dutch liberal politician.Van Houten was born in Groningen. He studied law at the University of Groningen, obtaining a degree in 1859...
- Joannes Kappeyne van de Coppello - Vrijzinnig-Democratische Bond: Dirk Bos - Pieter Jacobus Oud
- Liberale Staatspartij: Benjamin Marius Telders
- Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie: Pieter Jacobus Oud - Hans WiegelHans WiegelHans Wiegel is a retired Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy . He served as a Member of the House of Representatives from April 18, 1967 until December 19, 1977...
- Frits BolkesteinFrits BolkesteinFrederik "Frits" Bolkestein is a retired Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy . He served as a Member of the House of Representatives from 16 January 1978, until 5 November 1982, when he became State Secretary for Economic Affairs from 5 November 1982, until 14 July...
- Mark RutteMark RutteMark Rutte is a Dutch politician who has been Prime Minister of the Netherlands since 14 October 2010, as well as Minister of General Affairs in the Rutte cabinet...
(current) - Democraten 66: Hans van MierloHans van MierloHenricus Antonius Franciscus Maria Oliva "Hans" van Mierlo was a Dutch politician of the Democrats 66 . In 1966 Van Mierlo together with Hans Gruijters founded the Democrats 66...
- Jan TerlouwJan TerlouwJan Cornelis Terlouw is a Dutch scientist, politician, and author.- Background :Jan Terlouw was born in Kamperveen, Overijssel. He was the eldest son in his family, he has two brothers and two sisters and grew up in the Veluwe...
- Alexander PechtoldAlexander PechtoldAlexander Pechtold is a Dutch politician of the Democrats 66 party. He has been a member of the House of Representatives since 30 November 2006 as well as Parliamentary group leader since 23 November 2006...
(current)
Liberal thinkers
In the Contributions to liberal theoryContributions to liberal theory
Individual 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...
the following Dutch thinkers are included:
- Erasmus (1466–1536)
- Hugo GrotiusHugo GrotiusHugo Grotius , also known as Huig de Groot, Hugo Grocio or Hugo de Groot, was a jurist in the Dutch Republic. With Francisco de Vitoria and Alberico Gentili he laid the foundations for international law, based on natural law...
(1583–1645) - Baruch SpinozaBaruch SpinozaBaruch de Spinoza and later Benedict de Spinoza was a Dutch Jewish philosopher. Revealing considerable scientific aptitude, the breadth and importance of Spinoza's work was not fully realized until years after his death...
(1632–1677) - Johan Rudolf Thorbecke (1798–1872)
See also
- History of the NetherlandsHistory of the NetherlandsThe history of the Netherlands is the history of a maritime people thriving on a watery lowland river delta at the edge of northwestern Europe. When the Romans and written history arrived in 57 BC, the country was sparsely populated by various tribal groups at the periphery of the empire...
- Politics of the NetherlandsPolitics of the NetherlandsThe 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...
- List of political parties in the Netherlands
- Socialism in the NetherlandsSocialism in the NetherlandsThis article gives an overview of socialism in the Netherlands, including communism and social democracy. It is limited to socialist, communist and social-democratic parties with substantial support, mainly proved by having had a representation in parliament...
- Christian democracy in the NetherlandsChristian democracy in the NetherlandsThis 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...