Socialist Party (Netherlands, interbellum)
Encyclopedia
The Socialist Party was a Dutch
revolutionary
syndicalist libertarian socialist political party
. The SP played only a minor role in Dutch political history.
National Workers' Secretariat (Nationaal Arbeiders' Secretariaat). All its founders had their personal background in the free socialist movement of Ferdinand Domela Nieuwenhuis
. The secretary of the NAS, Harm Kolthek, became the top candidate
of the SP. In the 1918 election
the threshold for admission to the House of Representatives was relatively low, at just over half of 1% of the vote. Consequently the SP was elected with only 9000 votes (that is .7% of vote).
In parliament the party worked together with League of Christian Socialists and the Social Democrat Party
(later Communist Party Holland) in the revolutionary parliamentary party. This cooperation was not very productive and soon Kolthek became more independent.
In 1922
, after the election laws were made more stringent, the SP was unable to retain its seats. Increased competition from the Communist Party Holland and the anarchist Rapaille Party
also inhibited electoral success. Meanwhile the power of the CPH over the NAS began to grow. In 1928 the party was officially dissolved. The party also competed in unsuccessfully in the 1925 elections
. In 1929 most of its former members joined the Revolutionary Socialist Party of Henk Sneevliet
.
syndicalist libertarian socialist party. It sought to end private ownership
in general and combat the ruling class
.
The SP wanted to abolish indirect tax
ation and implement a system of strongly progressive income taxes. It wanted to end child labour and night shifts and reduce the working day to eight hours. It believed that education should be free of charge.
It wanted to replace monarchy by a republic, abolish secret diplomacy
, the army
and the navy
. It supported independence for the Dutch Indies.
Furthermore the party wanted equal rights for men and women. It also sought to combat alcoholism
.
, Zaanstad
and Vlissingen
.
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...
revolutionary
Revolutionary
A revolutionary is a person who either actively participates in, or advocates revolution. Also, when used as an adjective, the term revolutionary refers to something that has a major, sudden impact on society or on some aspect of human endeavor.-Definition:...
syndicalist libertarian socialist 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...
. The SP played only a minor role in Dutch political history.
Party History
The Socialist Party was founded in 1918 as the political arm of the syndicalist trade unionTrade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
National Workers' Secretariat (Nationaal Arbeiders' Secretariaat). All its founders had their personal background in the free socialist movement of Ferdinand Domela Nieuwenhuis
Ferdinand Domela Nieuwenhuis
Ferdinand Jacobus Domela Nieuwenhuis was the Netherlands' first prominent socialist. He was a Lutheran preacher who, after he lost his faith, started a political fight for workers. He was the first socialist in the Dutch parliament.Nieuwenhuis was born in Amsterdam. His family added the second...
. The secretary of the NAS, Harm Kolthek, became the 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...
of the SP. In the 1918 election
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 threshold for admission to the House of Representatives was relatively low, at just over half of 1% of the vote. Consequently the SP was elected with only 9000 votes (that is .7% of vote).
In parliament the party worked together with League of Christian Socialists and the Social Democrat Party
Communist Party of the Netherlands
The Communist Party of the Netherlands was a Dutch communist political party. The CPN is one of the predecessors of the GreenLeft.- Foundation :...
(later Communist Party Holland) in the revolutionary parliamentary party. This cooperation was not very productive and soon Kolthek became more independent.
In 1922
Dutch general election, 1922
A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands on July 5, 1922. It was the first election under universal suffrage, which became reality after the acceptance of a proposal by Marchant in 1919 that gave women full voting rights...
, after the election laws were made more stringent, the SP was unable to retain its seats. Increased competition from the Communist Party Holland and the anarchist Rapaille Party
Rapaille Partij
The Rapaille Partij was a Dutch political party founded in Amsterdam in the 1920s. Its platform included free alcoholic beverages for citizens in Amsterdam, the abolition of compulsory voting, and free fishing and hunting in the Vondelpark. The party won two seats on the city council of Amsterdam...
also inhibited electoral success. Meanwhile the power of the CPH over the NAS began to grow. In 1928 the party was officially dissolved. The party also competed in unsuccessfully in the 1925 elections
Dutch general election, 1925
A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands on July 1, 1925.-National summary:-Parties:* Anti Revolutionary Party * Agrarians' League...
. In 1929 most of its former members joined the Revolutionary Socialist Party of Henk Sneevliet
Henk Sneevliet
Hendricus Josephus Franciscus Marie Sneevliet, known as Henk Sneevliet or the pseudonym Maring , was a Dutch Communist, who was active in both the Netherlands and the Dutch East-Indies...
.
Ideology & Issues
The SP was a revolutionaryRevolutionary
A revolutionary is a person who either actively participates in, or advocates revolution. Also, when used as an adjective, the term revolutionary refers to something that has a major, sudden impact on society or on some aspect of human endeavor.-Definition:...
syndicalist libertarian socialist party. It sought to end private ownership
Ownership
Ownership is the state or fact of exclusive rights and control over property, which may be an object, land/real estate or intellectual property. Ownership involves multiple rights, collectively referred to as title, which may be separated and held by different parties. The concept of ownership has...
in general and combat the ruling class
Bourgeoisie
In sociology and political science, bourgeoisie describes a range of groups across history. In the Western world, between the late 18th century and the present day, the bourgeoisie is a social class "characterized by their ownership of capital and their related culture." A member of the...
.
The SP wanted to abolish indirect tax
Indirect tax
The term indirect tax has more than one meaning.In the colloquial sense, an indirect tax is a tax collected by an intermediary from the person who bears the ultimate economic burden of the tax...
ation and implement a system of strongly progressive income taxes. It wanted to end child labour and night shifts and reduce the working day to eight hours. It believed that education should be free of charge.
It wanted to replace monarchy by a republic, abolish secret diplomacy
Diplomacy
Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting negotiations between representatives of groups or states...
, the army
Army
An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
and the navy
Navy
A navy is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions...
. It supported independence for the Dutch Indies.
Furthermore the party wanted equal rights for men and women. It also sought to combat alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
.
Representation
This table shows the SP's results in elections to the House of Representatives and Senate, as well as the party's political leadership: the fractievoorzitter, is the chair of the parliamentary party and the lijsttrekker is the party's top candidate in the general election, these posts are normally taken by the party's leader.| Year | HoR | S | Lijsttrekker 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... |
Fractievoorzitter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1918 | 1 | 0 | Harm Kolthek | Harm Kolthek |
| 1919 | 1 | 0 | no elections | Harm Kolthek |
| 1920 | 1 | 0 | no elections | Harm Kolthek |
| 1921 | 1 | 0 | no elections | Harm Kolthek |
Municipal Government
In the municipal elections of 1919 the party won seats in several municipal legislatures including, AmsterdamAmsterdam (municipality)
The Government of Amsterdam is the government of the municipality and city of Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Most of the inhabitants live in the city of Amsterdam, but the municipality also covers a number of small villages, and other parts of the local government, such as the Waterschap or the...
, Zaanstad
Zaanstad
Zaanstad is a municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. Its main town is Zaandam. It is part of the metropolitan area of Amsterdam.-Population centres:...
and Vlissingen
Electorate
The electorate of the SP was concentrated in the lower classes. It drew its main support from the region around Amsterdam.International Comparison
The SP as a libertarian-socialist party, linked to syndicalist union, can best be compared to the Spanish Syndicalist PartySyndicalist Party
Syndicalist Party was a left-wing political party in Spain, formed by Ángel Pestaña in 1932. Pestaña, a leading member of the Confederación Nacional del Trabajo trade union, formed the party in response to the growing influence of the Iberian Anarchist Federation over the CNT...
.