People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
Encyclopedia
The People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) 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
(D66) alongside which it sits in the European Parliament. After the fourth Balkenende cabinet
was formed, the VVD was the second largest opposition party in the House of Representatives. During the Dutch general-election of 2010
the VVD obtained the highest number of votes cast, resulting in their occupying 31 of the 150 seats in the House of Representatives. The VVD is currently the senior party in a centre-right
minority coalition with the Christian Democratic Appeal
(CDA), the Rutte cabinet, supported by the Party for Freedom
(PVV) to obtain a majority. Current Prime Minister of the Netherlands
Mark Rutte
is the VVD party leader
since May 31, 2006.
, which was a continuation of the interbellum Liberal State Party
, which in turn was a continuation of Liberal Union
. They were joined by the Comité-Oud, a group of liberal members of the Labour Party
(PvdA), led by Pieter Oud
. The liberals within the PvdA were primarily members of the pre-war social-liberal Free-thinking Democratic League (VDB), who went on to join the PvdA in the post-war Doorbraak
(breakthrough) movement. They were unhappy with the social-democratic
orientation of the PvdA.
Between 1948 and 1952 the VVD took part in the broad cabinets led by the PvdA Prime Minister
Willem Drees
. The party was a junior partner with only eight seats to the Catholic People's Party
(KVP) and PvdA, which both had around thirty seats. The party's leadership was in the hands of the respected former PvdA member Oud. The Drees cabinet laid the foundation for the welfare state
and decolonization of the Dutch East Indies
. In the Dutch general election of 1952
the VVD gained one seat, but did not join the government. In the Dutch general election of 1956
they increased their total, receiving thirteen seats, but were still kept out of government until the Dutch general election of 1959
, which were held early because of cabinet crisis. This time they gained nineteen seats and the party entered government alongside the Protestant Anti Revolutionary Party
(ARP), Christian Historical Union
CHU and the Roman Catholic KVP.
In 1963, Oud left politics, and was succeeded by the minister of Home Affairs Edzo Toxopeus
. With the lead of Toxopeus VVD lost three seats in the 1963
elections, but remained in government. In 1962, a substantial group of disillusioned VVD-members founded the Liberal Democratic Centre (Liberaal Democratisch Centrum, LDC) which was intended to introduce a more twentieth-century liberal
direction to the classical liberal
VVD. In 1966, frustrated with their hopeless efforts, LDC-members departed the VVD altogether and went on now to form an entirely political party -- Democrats 66
(D66).
In 1965, there also occurred a conflict between VVD-ministers and their counterparts from KVP and ARP in Cabinet Marijnen
. The cabinet fell and without elections it was replaced by the KVP-ARP-PvdA cabinet
under Cals
, which itself also fell the next year. In the following 1967 elections
the VVD remained relatively stable and entered yet again the cabinet
under Prime Minister Piet de Jong
.
During this period the VVD had loose ties with other liberal organisations and together they formed the neutral pillar. This included the liberal papers Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant
and the Algemeen Handelsblad
, the broadcaster AVRO and the employers' organization
VNO
.
the VVD lost one seat and the cabinet lost its majority. A cabinet was formed by the Christian-democratic parties, the VVD and the PvdA offshoot Democratic Socialists '70. This cabinet fell after a few months. Meanwhile the charismatic young MP Hans Wiegel
had attracted considerable attention. He became the new leader of the VVD: in 1971 he became the new Parliamentary group leader
, and in 1972 he was appointed lijsttrekker
. With Wiegel the VVD oriented towards a new political course, reforming the welfare state, cutting taxes etc. Wiegel did not shrink from conflict with the PvdA and the trade union
s. With this new course came a new electorate: working class
and middle class voters, who because of individualization and depillarization were more easy to attract.
The course proved to be profitable: in the heavily polarized Dutch general election of 1972
the VVD gained six seats. The VVD was kept out of government by the social-democratic/Christian-democratic cabinet
led by Den Uyl
. Although the ties between the VVD and other organizations within the neutral pillar became ever looser, the number of neutral organizations, friendly to the VVD, expanded. The TROS
and later Veronica
, new broadcasters which entered the Netherlands Public Broadcasting were friendly to the VVD. In 1977 the VVD again won six seats bringing its total to twenty-eight seats. When lengthy formation talks between the Social-democrats and Christian-democrats eventually led to a final break between the two parties, the VVD formed cabinet
with the Christian Democratic Appeal
(CDA), with a majority of only two seats.
In the Dutch general election of 1981
the VVD lost two seats and its partner the CDA lost even more. The cabinet was without a majority and a CDA-PvdA-D66 cabinet was formed, falling after only a few months. In 1982 Hans Wiegel left Parliament to become Queen's Commissioner
in Friesland
and was succeeded by Ed Nijpels
. In the Dutch general election of 1982
Nijpels' VVD won ten seats, bringing its total up to 36. It entered again cabinet
with the CDA under CDA-leader Ruud Lubbers
. The cabinet began a program of radical reform of the welfare state, which is still in place today. The VVD lost nine seats in the 1986 elections
but the cabinet nonetheless retained its majority. The losses were blamed on Nijpels, who stood down as leader of the VVD. He was succeeded by Joris Voorhoeve
. In 1989 the CDA-VVD cabinet fell over a minor point. In the subsequent elections
the VVD lost five seats, leaving only twenty-two. The VVD was kept out of government. Voorhoeve was replaced by the charismatic intellectual Frits Bolkestein
.
: they won nine seats. It formed an unprecedented government with the Labour Party
(PvdA) and the social-liberal Democrats 66
. The so-called "purple
cabinet
" led by Wim Kok
was the first Dutch government without any confessional parties. Like many of his predecessors the VVD-leader Bolkestein remained in parliament, his political style was characterized by some as "opposition to one's own government". This style was very successful and the VVD won seven seats in the 1998 elections
becoming the second largest party in parliament with thirty-eight seats. The VVD formed a second Purple cabinet
with the PvdA and D66. Bolkestein left Dutch politics in 1999 to become European Commission
er. He was replaced by the more technocratic and socially liberal Hans Dijkstal
.
In the heavily polarized Dutch general election of 2002
, dominated by the rise and murder of Pim Fortuyn
, the VVD lost fourteen seats, leaving only twenty-four. The VVD nonetheless entered a cabinet with the CDA and the Pim Fortuyn List (LPF). Dijkstal stood down, and was replaced by the popular former minister of finance Gerrit Zalm
. After a few months Zalm "pulled the plug" on the VVD-CDA-LPF-cabinet, after infighting between LPF ministers Bomhoff
and Heinsbroek
.
In the Dutch general election of 2003
the VVD gained four seats, making a total of twenty-eight. The party had expected to do much better, having adopted most of Fortuyn's proposals on immigration and integration. The VVD unwillingly entered the VVD-CDA-D66-cabinet with Zalm returning to the ministry of Finance. He was replaced as party leader by Jozias van Aartsen
, former foreign minister. On September 2, 2004, VVD MP Geert Wilders
left the party after a dispute with parliamentary leader Van Aartsen. He has chosen to continue as an independent
in the House of Representatives.
In 2006 the party lost a considerable number of seats in the municipal elections, prompting parliamentary leader Jozias van Aartsen
to step down. Willibrord van Beek
was subsequently appointed parliamentary leader ad interim. In the subsequent party leadership run-off
Mark Rutte
was elected as the leader, beating Rita Verdonk
and Jelleke Veenendaal
.
The Dutch general election of 2006
did not start off well for VVD: top candidate Mark Rutte was criticized by his own parliamentary party for being invisible in the campaign, and he was unable to break the attention away from the duel between current Christian-Democratic Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende
and Wouter Bos
of the Labour Party. However, the VVD's campaign started relatively late. The election polls showed losses for the VVD; the former VVD deputy Prime Minister Hans Wiegel
blamed a poor VVD campaign for this, caused by the heavily contested VVD leadership run-off between Mark Rutte and Rita Verdonk earlier in the year. Verdonk had her eyes on the deputy-minister post, while cabinet posts are normally decided upon by the political leader of the VVD. On election day, the party received enough votes for twenty-two seats, a loss of six seats. When the official election results were announced on Monday 27 November 2006, preferential votes became known as well, showing that the second candidate on the list Rita Verdonk obtained more votes than the VVD's top candidate
, Mark Rutte. Rutte received 553,200 votes, Verdonk 620,555. This lead Verdonk to call for a party commission that would investigate the party leadership position, as a consequence of the situation of her obtaining more votes in the general election than Rutte, creating a shortly-lived crisis in the party. A crisis was averted when Rutte called for an ultimatum on his leadership, which Verdonk had reconcile to, by rejecting her proposal for a party commission.
During 2007, signs of VVD infighting continued to play in the media. In June 2007, the former VVD minister Dekker presented a report on the previous elections, showing that the VVD lacked clear leadership roles, however the report did not single out individuals for blame for the party's losses.
After Verdonk renewed her criticism of the party in September 2007, she was expelled from the parliamentary faction, and subsequently relinquished her membership of the party, after reconciliation attempts proved futile. Verdonk started her own political movement, Proud of the Netherlands
, subsequently. In opinion polls held after Verdonk's exit, the VVD is set to lose close to ten parliamentary seats in the next elections.
Jan van Zanen, chairman of the VVD's party board, announced in November 2007 that he would step down in May 2008, a year before his term would end. The rest of the board also announced that they would step down. On the same day of his announcement, honorary member Hans Wiegel called for the resignation of the board, because it could not keep Verdonk in the party. Wiegel also opinioned that the VVD should become part of a larger liberal movement, that would encompass the social-liberals Democrats 66
, the Party for Freedom
of Geert Wilders
and Rita Verdonk
's Proud of the Netherlands movement, although he found little resonance for this ideas from others.
In 2008, the VVD chose a new party chairman, Ivo Opstelten
, the outgoing mayor of Rotterdam
. Mark Rutte announced at the celebration of the party's sixth decennial that he would rewrite the foundational program of the party that was enacted in the early 1980s, and offer the new principles for consideration to the party's members in the fall congress.
After the Dutch general election of 2010
the VVD became the largest party with 31 seats and is currently the senior party in a centre-right
minority cabinet
with the Christian Democratic Appeal
supported by the Party for Freedom
of Geert Wilders
to obtain a majority. The VVD party leader Mark Rutte
became the first VVD Prime Minister on October 14, 2010.
("Freedom") and social liberalism
("People's Party"; "Democracy") are represented. Although a liberal party, the VVD did not openly call itself "liberal", mainly because of the still lingering "negative" connotations of liberalism developed during the Great Depression
and Second World War
.
The most common English translation of the name is the literal translation (People's Party for Freedom and Democracy),
s' of all Dutch political parties, promoting political and economic liberalism
, classical liberalism
and, in theory, committed to the idea of the welfare state
if only by way of the aforesaid now being an irreversible and foregone conclusion.
Post 1971, the party became more populist
, although conservative liberalism
elements remain at the core and still course through the central party upper-circle. From this period on, the VVD became more sceptical towards the current welfare state, advocating reform of the welfare state and lower taxes. As such, it supported neoconservative
reforms to the welfare state. The 2006 leadership election
was interpreted by many as a conflict between a liberal group and a conservative group within the VVD, with the more liberal Rutte winning from conservative Verdonk. The election was rather close, with 52% voting for Rutte and 46% for Verdonk.
The last Liberal Manifesto of the VVD was published in September 2005. It develops a broad outline around the themes of democracy
, security
, freedom
and citizenship
, along with a vision of the future of party's internal structure. Below some of the points from the Manifesto are presented:
VVD MEPs are part of the European Liberal, Democrat and Reform Party and Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
EP group
in Friesland. The VVD is part of every college of Gedeputeerde Staten
(provincial executive) except for Groningen.
In the following figure one can see the election results of the provincial election of 2003 and 2007 per province. It shows the areas where the VVD is strong, namely the Randstad
urban area that consists out of the provinces North and South Holland, Utrecht and (parts of) Flevoland. The party is weak in peripheral provinces like Friesland, Overijssel, Zeeland and Limburg.
are member of the VVD. Furthermore the party has about 250 aldermen and 1100 members of municipal councils.
voters.
The order of the First Chamber, Second Chamber and European Parliament candidates list is decided by a referendum
under all members voting by internet, phone or mail. If contested, the lijsttrekker
of a candidates lists is appointed in a separate referendum in advance. Since 2002 the General Assembly can call for a referendum on other subjects too. The present chairman of the board was elected this way.
About 90 members elected by the members in meetings of the regional branches form the Party Council, which advises the Party Board in the months that the General Assembly does not convene. This is important forum within the party. The party board handles the daily affairs of the party.
(Jongeren Organisatie Vrijheid en Democratie; JOVD), which as a member of the Liberal Youth Movement of the European Union and the International Federation of Liberal and Radical Youth.
The education institute of the VVD is the Haya van Someren Foundation. The Scientific institute Prof.mr. B.M. Telders Foundation publishes the magazine Liberaal Reveil every two months. The party published the magazine Liber bi-monthly.
. Internationally it is a member of the Liberal International
.
The VVD participates in the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy
, a democracy assistance organisation of seven Dutch political parties.
and its Christian-democratic predecessors, but was in government with the social democratic Labour Party
from 1994 to 2002.
party, committed to the free market
, and is comparable to the German
Free Democratic Party
, the Swiss
FDP.The Liberals
or the Danish
Liberal Party
. In its economic policies
the VVD is closer to the British
Conservative Party
than to the Liberal Democrats
, but in social issues
closer to the Liberal Democrats.
In the United States
it could be compared to politicians such as Michael Bloomberg
, Lincoln Chafee
and Rudy Guliani. While the VVD's support for the free market
and national security
resembles that of the Republicans
, its support for individual choice in personal matters resembles that of the Democrats
.
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....
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...
located in the Netherlands
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...
. The VVD supports private enterprise in the Netherlands
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...
and is often perceived as an economic liberal
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...
party in contrast to the social-liberal
Social liberalism
Social liberalism is the belief that liberalism should include social justice. It differs from classical liberalism in that it believes the legitimate role of the state includes addressing economic and social issues such as unemployment, health care, and education while simultaneously expanding...
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...
(D66) alongside which it sits in the European Parliament. After the fourth Balkenende cabinet
Fourth Balkenende cabinet
The fourth Balkenende cabinet or Balkenende IV is the previous Dutch coalition cabinet formed by the political parties Christian Democratic Appeal , Labour Party , and ChristianUnion . The cabinet succeeded the third Balkenende cabinet following the 2006 election, and was installed by Queen Beatrix...
was formed, the VVD was the second largest opposition party in the House of Representatives. During the Dutch general-election of 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...
the VVD obtained the highest number of votes cast, resulting in their occupying 31 of the 150 seats in the House of Representatives. The VVD is currently the senior party in a centre-right
Centre-right
The centre-right or center-right is a political term commonly used to describe or denote individuals, political parties, or organizations whose views stretch from the centre to the right on the left-right spectrum, excluding far right stances. Centre-right can also describe a coalition of centrist...
minority coalition with the Christian Democratic Appeal
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...
(CDA), the Rutte cabinet, supported by 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...
(PVV) to obtain a majority. Current 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...
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...
is the VVD party leader
Party leader
In politics, the party leader is the most powerful official within a political party.The party leader is typically responsible for managing the party's relationship with the general public. As such, he or she will take a leading role in developing and communicating party policy, especially election...
since May 31, 2006.
1948–1971
The VVD was founded in 1948 as a continuation of 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:...
, which was a continuation of the interbellum Liberal State Party
Liberal State Party
The Liberal State Party, "the Freedom League" , was a Dutch conservative liberal political party from 1921 to 1948...
, which in turn was a continuation of Liberal Union
Liberal Union
The Liberal Union 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....
. They were joined by the Comité-Oud, a group of liberal members of the Labour Party
Labour Party (Netherlands)
The Labour Party , is a social-democratic political party in the Netherlands. Since the 2003 Dutch General Election, the PvdA has been the second largest political party in the Netherlands. The PvdA was a coalition member in the fourth Balkenende cabinet following 22 February 2007...
(PvdA), led by 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...
. The liberals within the PvdA were primarily members of the pre-war social-liberal Free-thinking Democratic League (VDB), who went on to join the PvdA in the post-war Doorbraak
Breakthrough (Dutch political history)
The Doorbraak was an attempt to renew the politics of the Netherlands after the Second World War.After the Second World War, there was widespread feeling amongst progressives that the pillarized political system should be broken open...
(breakthrough) movement. They were unhappy with the social-democratic
Social democracy
Social democracy is a political ideology of the center-left on the political spectrum. Social democracy is officially a form of evolutionary reformist socialism. It supports class collaboration as the course to achieve socialism...
orientation of the PvdA.
Between 1948 and 1952 the VVD took part in the broad cabinets led by the PvdA Prime Minister
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...
Willem Drees
Willem Drees
Willem Drees was a Dutch politician of the Labour Party . He served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from August 7, 1948 until December 22, 1958....
. The party was a junior partner with only eight seats to the Catholic People's Party
Catholic People's Party
The Catholic People's Party was a Catholic Christian democratic Dutch political party. During its entire existence, the party was in government. The party is one of the precursors of the Christian Democratic Appeal.- 1945-1965 :The KVP was founded on 22 December, 1945...
(KVP) and PvdA, which both had around thirty seats. The party's leadership was in the hands of the respected former PvdA member Oud. The Drees cabinet laid the foundation for the 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...
and decolonization of the Dutch East Indies
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies was a Dutch colony that became modern Indonesia following World War II. It was formed from the nationalised colonies of the Dutch East India Company, which came under the administration of the Netherlands government in 1800....
. In the Dutch general election of 1952
Dutch general election, 1952
A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands on June 25, 1952.-National summary:-Parties:* Anti Revolutionary Party...
the VVD gained one seat, but did not join the government. In the Dutch general election of 1956
Dutch general election, 1956
A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands on June 13, 1956.The 1956 election marks an important change in the history of the Dutch House of Representatives: the number of seats in the House was increased from 100 to 150.-National...
they increased their total, receiving thirteen seats, but were still kept out of government until the Dutch general election of 1959
Dutch general election, 1959
A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands on March 12, 1959.-National summary:-Parties:* Anti Revolutionary Party...
, which were held early because of cabinet crisis. This time they gained nineteen seats and the party entered government alongside the Protestant Anti Revolutionary Party
Anti Revolutionary Party
The Anti Revolutionary Party was a Dutch Protestant Christian democratic political party. The ARP is one of the predecessors of the Christian Democratic Appeal. After 1917 the party never received more than twenty percent of the vote.-History before 1879:The anti-revolutionary parliamentary caucus...
(ARP), Christian Historical Union
Christian Historical Union
The Christian Historical Union was a Dutch conservative Protestant political party. The CHU is one of the predecessors of the Christian Democratic Appeal.-History before 1908:...
CHU and the Roman Catholic KVP.
In 1963, Oud left politics, and was succeeded by the minister of Home Affairs Edzo Toxopeus
Edzo Toxopeus
Edzo Hendrik Toxopeus was a Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy . He served as Minister of the Interior from May 19, 1959 until April 14, 1965...
. With the lead of Toxopeus VVD lost three seats in the 1963
Dutch general election, 1963
A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands on May 15, 1963.-National summary:-Parties:* Anti Revolutionary Party...
elections, but remained in government. In 1962, a substantial group of disillusioned VVD-members founded the Liberal Democratic Centre (Liberaal Democratisch Centrum, LDC) which was intended to introduce a more twentieth-century 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,...
direction to the classical liberal
Classical liberalism
Classical liberalism is the philosophy committed to the ideal of limited government, constitutionalism, rule of law, due process, and liberty of individuals including freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and free markets....
VVD. In 1966, frustrated with their hopeless efforts, LDC-members departed the VVD altogether and went on now to form an entirely political party -- 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...
(D66).
In 1965, there also occurred a conflict between VVD-ministers and their counterparts from KVP and ARP in Cabinet Marijnen
Netherlands cabinet Marijnen
Marijnen was the name given to a Dutch cabinet consisting of ministers from KVP, VVD, ARP and CHU, the same parties that formed the previous cabinet De Quay and can be seen as a continuation of that cabinet....
. The cabinet fell and without elections it was replaced by the KVP-ARP-PvdA cabinet
Netherlands cabinet Cals
Cals is the name given to a Dutch cabinet, consisting of ministers from KVP, PvdA and ARP.After the fall of the Marijnen cabinet, the confessional parties did not want snap elections because those could centre around the introduction of commercial television, the issue that led to the fall of the...
under Cals
Jo Cals
Jozef Maria Laurens Theo "Jo" Cals was a Dutch politician of the defunct Catholic People's Party now merged into the Christian Democratic Appeal...
, which itself also fell the next year. In the following 1967 elections
Dutch general election, 1967
A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands on 15 February 1967.-National summary:-Parties:* Anti Revolutionary Party...
the VVD remained relatively stable and entered yet again the cabinet
Netherlands cabinet De Jong
The De Jong cabinet was a Dutch centre-right cabinet with ministers from Catholic People's Party , People's Party for Freedom and Democracy , Anti Revolutionary Party and the Christian Historical Union . It was the first Cabinet of the Netherlands after World War II that completed a full term...
under Prime Minister Piet de Jong
Piet de Jong
Petrus Josef Sietse "Piet" de Jong is a retired Dutch politician of the defunct Catholic People's Party now merged into the Christian Democratic Appeal . He served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from April 5, 1967 until July 6, 1971....
.
During this period the VVD had loose ties with other liberal organisations and together they formed the neutral pillar. This included the liberal papers Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant
Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant
The Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant was an influential Rotterdam-based liberal daily newspaper, founded in 1844 by Henricus Nijgh.It merged in 1970 with the Amsterdam-based liberal daily newspaper Algemeen Handelsblad to form the NRC Handelsblad....
and the Algemeen Handelsblad
Algemeen Handelsblad
Algemeen Handelsblad was an influential Amsterdam-based liberal daily newspaper, founded in 1828 by J.W. van den Biesen. At the peak of its influence -- from the time of the Boer War, when it championed the Boer cause in South Africa, through World War I -- it was edited by Charles Boissevain.It...
, the broadcaster AVRO and the employers' organization
Employers' organization
An employers' organization, employers' association or employers' federation is an association of employers. A trade union, which organizes employees is the opposite of an employers' organization...
VNO
VNO-NCW
VNO-NCW is a Dutch employers' federation.-History:VNO-NCW was founded in 1996 as fusion of the Christian-democratic Nederlands Christelijk Werkgeversverbond , which was founded as fusion of the Protestant PCW and the Catholic NKW, and the liberal Verbond van Nederlandse Ondernemingen...
.
1971–1994
In the Dutch general election of 1971Dutch general election, 1971
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on April 28, 1971.-National summary:turnout: 79.1%...
the VVD lost one seat and the cabinet lost its majority. A cabinet was formed by the Christian-democratic parties, the VVD and the PvdA offshoot Democratic Socialists '70. This cabinet fell after a few months. Meanwhile the charismatic young MP 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...
had attracted considerable attention. He became the new leader of the VVD: in 1971 he became the new Parliamentary group leader
Parliamentary group leader
The leader or chairman of a parliamentary group holds an influential political post in a parliamentary system with strong party discipline...
, and in 1972 he was appointed 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...
. With Wiegel the VVD oriented towards a new political course, reforming the welfare state, cutting taxes etc. Wiegel did not shrink from conflict with the PvdA and the trade union
Trade 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...
s. With this new course came a new electorate: working class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
and middle class voters, who because of individualization and depillarization were more easy to attract.
The course proved to be profitable: in the heavily polarized Dutch general election of 1972
Dutch general election, 1972
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on November 29, 1972.-National summary:...
the VVD gained six seats. The VVD was kept out of government by the social-democratic/Christian-democratic cabinet
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...
led by Den Uyl
Joop den Uyl
Johannes Marten den Uijl, known as Joop den Uyl was a Dutch politician of the Labour Party . He served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from May 11, 1973 until December 19, 1977....
. Although the ties between the VVD and other organizations within the neutral pillar became ever looser, the number of neutral organizations, friendly to the VVD, expanded. The TROS
TROS
TROS is a Dutch television and radio organization part of the Netherlands Public Broadcasting...
and later Veronica
Radio Veronica
Radio Veronica was an offshore radio station that began broadcasting in 1960, and broadcast from offshore for over fourteen years. It was set up by independent radio, TV and household electrical retailers in the Netherlands to stimulate the sales of radio receivers by providing an alternative to...
, new broadcasters which entered the Netherlands Public Broadcasting were friendly to the VVD. In 1977 the VVD again won six seats bringing its total to twenty-eight seats. When lengthy formation talks between the Social-democrats and Christian-democrats eventually led to a final break between the two parties, the VVD formed 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 Christian Democratic Appeal
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...
(CDA), with a majority of only two seats.
In the Dutch general election of 1981
Dutch general election, 1981
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on May 26, 1981.-National summary:...
the VVD lost two seats and its partner the CDA lost even more. The cabinet was without a majority and a CDA-PvdA-D66 cabinet was formed, falling after only a few months. In 1982 Hans Wiegel left Parliament to become Queen's Commissioner
Queen's Commissioner
The Queen's Commissioner is the head of a province in the Netherlands, who is chairman of both the Provinciale Staten and the Gedeputeerde Staten , but only has a right to vote in the latter...
in Friesland
Friesland
Friesland is a province in the north of the Netherlands and part of the ancient region of Frisia.Until the end of 1996, the province bore Friesland as its official name. In 1997 this Dutch name lost its official status to the Frisian Fryslân...
and was succeeded by Ed Nijpels
Ed Nijpels
Eduardus Hermannus Theresia Maria Nijpels is a Dutch politician.-References:...
. In the Dutch general election of 1982
Dutch general election, 1982
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on September 8, 1982.-National summary:...
Nijpels' VVD won ten seats, bringing its total up to 36. It entered again cabinet
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...
with the CDA under CDA-leader Ruud Lubbers
Ruud Lubbers
Rudolphus Franciscus Marie "Ruud" Lubbers is a retired Dutch politician of the Christian Democratic Appeal . He served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from November 4, 1982 until August 22, 1994....
. The cabinet began a program of radical reform of the welfare state, which is still in place today. The VVD lost nine seats in the 1986 elections
Dutch general election, 1986
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on May 21, 1986.-National summary:...
but the cabinet nonetheless retained its majority. The losses were blamed on Nijpels, who stood down as leader of the VVD. He was succeeded by Joris Voorhoeve
Joris Voorhoeve
Joris Jacob Clemens Voorhoeve is a Dutch politician, former minister, and university professor.Voorhoeve was the leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy between 1986 and 1990 and served as the Dutch Minister of Defence between 1994 and 1998. He is a member of the Dutch Council of...
. In 1989 the CDA-VVD cabinet fell over a minor point. In the subsequent elections
Dutch general election, 1989
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on September 6, 1989.-National summary:...
the VVD lost five seats, leaving only twenty-two. The VVD was kept out of government. Voorhoeve was replaced by the charismatic intellectual Frits Bolkestein
Frits Bolkestein
Frederik "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...
.
1994–present
Bolkestein's VVD was one of the winners of the Dutch general election of 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:...
: they won nine seats. It formed an unprecedented government with the Labour Party
Labour Party (Netherlands)
The Labour Party , is a social-democratic political party in the Netherlands. Since the 2003 Dutch General Election, the PvdA has been the second largest political party in the Netherlands. The PvdA was a coalition member in the fourth Balkenende cabinet following 22 February 2007...
(PvdA) and the social-liberal 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...
. The so-called "purple
Purple (government)
Purple is a common term in politics for governments or other political entities consisting of parties that have red and blue as their political colours...
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...
" led by Wim Kok
Wim Kok
Willem "Wim" Kok ; born September 29, 1938) is a retired Dutch politician of the Labour Party . He served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from August 22, 1994 until July 22, 2002....
was the first Dutch government without any confessional parties. Like many of his predecessors the VVD-leader Bolkestein remained in parliament, his political style was characterized by some as "opposition to one's own government". This style was very successful and the VVD won seven seats in the 1998 elections
Dutch general election, 1998
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on 6 May 1998.-Result:...
becoming the second largest party in parliament with thirty-eight seats. The VVD formed a second Purple cabinet
Second cabinet of Wim Kok
The Second cabinet of Wim Kok was the government of the Netherlands headed by Prime Minister Wim Kok during 1998 to 2002.After the elections to the House of Representatives on 6 May 1998, the allocation of the 150 seats was:...
with the PvdA and D66. Bolkestein left Dutch politics in 1999 to become European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
er. He was replaced by the more technocratic and socially liberal Hans Dijkstal
Hans Dijkstal
Henri Frans "Hans" Dijkstal was a Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy . He served as Minister of the Interior and Deputy Prime Minister from 22 August 1994 until 3 August 1998...
.
In the heavily polarized Dutch general election of 2002
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....
, dominated by the rise and murder of 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 ....
, the VVD lost fourteen seats, leaving only twenty-four. The VVD nonetheless entered a cabinet with the CDA and the Pim Fortuyn List (LPF). Dijkstal stood down, and was replaced by the popular former minister of finance Gerrit Zalm
Gerrit Zalm
Gerrit Zalm is a retired Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy . He served as Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister from May 27, 2003 until February 22, 2007 in the Cabinets Balkenende II and III. He served earlier as Minister of Finance in the Cabinets Kok I and...
. After a few months Zalm "pulled the plug" on the VVD-CDA-LPF-cabinet, after infighting between LPF ministers Bomhoff
Eduard Bomhoff
Eduard Jan Bomhoff is a Dutch Economist and Academic, and was Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport and Deputy Prime Minister in the First Balkenende cabinet.-Personal life:...
and Heinsbroek
Herman Heinsbroek
Hermanus Philippus Johannes Bernardus Heinsbroek is a Dutch entrepreneur and was Minister of Economic Affairs in the First Balkenende cabinet.-Personal life:...
.
In the Dutch general election of 2003
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 VVD gained four seats, making a total of twenty-eight. The party had expected to do much better, having adopted most of Fortuyn's proposals on immigration and integration. The VVD unwillingly entered the VVD-CDA-D66-cabinet with Zalm returning to the ministry of Finance. He was replaced as party leader by Jozias van Aartsen
Jozias van Aartsen
Jozias Johannes van Aartsen is a Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy . He is the Mayor of the Hague since March 27, 2008....
, former foreign minister. On September 2, 2004, VVD 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...
left the party after a dispute with parliamentary leader Van Aartsen. He has chosen to continue as an independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
in the House of Representatives.
In 2006 the party lost a considerable number of seats in the municipal elections, prompting parliamentary leader Jozias van Aartsen
Jozias van Aartsen
Jozias Johannes van Aartsen is a Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy . He is the Mayor of the Hague since March 27, 2008....
to step down. Willibrord van Beek
Willibrord van Beek
Willibrordus Ildefonsus Ignatius van Beek is a Dutch politician. As a member of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy he has been an MP since 19 May 1998. From 8 March till 29 June 2006 he was Parliamentary group leader...
was subsequently appointed parliamentary leader ad interim. In the subsequent party leadership run-off
2006 VVD leadership election
The Dutch liberal party, the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy announced the results of its lijsttrekker election on 31 May 2006. Mark Rutte, the staatssecretaris for Higher Education and Science closely beat the Minister without Portfolio for Migration and Integration, Rita Verdonk and the...
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...
was elected as the leader, beating 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...
and Jelleke Veenendaal
Jelleke Veenendaal
Jelleke Veenendaal is a Dutch politician and member of House of Representatives for the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy ....
.
The Dutch general election of 2006
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....
did not start off well for VVD: top candidate Mark Rutte was criticized by his own parliamentary party for being invisible in the campaign, and he was unable to break the attention away from the duel between current Christian-Democratic Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende
Jan Peter Balkenende
Jan Pieter "Jan Peter" Balkenende is a Dutch politician of the party Christian Democratic Appeal .He was the Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 22 July 2002 until 14 October 2010, having led four coalition governments, cabinets Balkenende I, II, III and IV, none of which served a full...
and Wouter Bos
Wouter Bos
Wouter Jacob Bos is a Dutch management consultant and former politician of the Labour Party . He was Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister in the Cabinet Balkenende IV from February 22, 2007 till February 23, 2010...
of the Labour Party. However, the VVD's campaign started relatively late. The election polls showed losses for the VVD; the former VVD deputy Prime Minister 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...
blamed a poor VVD campaign for this, caused by the heavily contested VVD leadership run-off between Mark Rutte and Rita Verdonk earlier in the year. Verdonk had her eyes on the deputy-minister post, while cabinet posts are normally decided upon by the political leader of the VVD. On election day, the party received enough votes for twenty-two seats, a loss of six seats. When the official election results were announced on Monday 27 November 2006, preferential votes became known as well, showing that the second candidate on the list Rita Verdonk obtained more votes than the VVD'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. Rutte received 553,200 votes, Verdonk 620,555. This lead Verdonk to call for a party commission that would investigate the party leadership position, as a consequence of the situation of her obtaining more votes in the general election than Rutte, creating a shortly-lived crisis in the party. A crisis was averted when Rutte called for an ultimatum on his leadership, which Verdonk had reconcile to, by rejecting her proposal for a party commission.
During 2007, signs of VVD infighting continued to play in the media. In June 2007, the former VVD minister Dekker presented a report on the previous elections, showing that the VVD lacked clear leadership roles, however the report did not single out individuals for blame for the party's losses.
After Verdonk renewed her criticism of the party in September 2007, she was expelled from the parliamentary faction, and subsequently relinquished her membership of the party, after reconciliation attempts proved futile. Verdonk started her own political movement, 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...
, subsequently. In opinion polls held after Verdonk's exit, the VVD is set to lose close to ten parliamentary seats in the next elections.
Jan van Zanen, chairman of the VVD's party board, announced in November 2007 that he would step down in May 2008, a year before his term would end. The rest of the board also announced that they would step down. On the same day of his announcement, honorary member Hans Wiegel called for the resignation of the board, because it could not keep Verdonk in the party. Wiegel also opinioned that the VVD should become part of a larger liberal movement, that would encompass the social-liberals 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...
, 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...
of 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...
and 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...
's Proud of the Netherlands movement, although he found little resonance for this ideas from others.
In 2008, the VVD chose a new party chairman, Ivo Opstelten
Ivo Opstelten
Ivo Willem Opstelten is a Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy . He is the Minister of Security and Justice in the Cabinet Rutte since October 14, 2010....
, the outgoing mayor of 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...
. Mark Rutte announced at the celebration of the party's sixth decennial that he would rewrite the foundational program of the party that was enacted in the early 1980s, and offer the new principles for consideration to the party's members in the fall congress.
After the Dutch general election of 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...
the VVD became the largest party with 31 seats and is currently the senior party in a centre-right
Centre-right
The centre-right or center-right is a political term commonly used to describe or denote individuals, political parties, or organizations whose views stretch from the centre to the right on the left-right spectrum, excluding far right stances. Centre-right can also describe a coalition of centrist...
minority cabinet
Netherlands cabinet Rutte
The Rutte cabinet is the current Dutch coalition cabinet formed by the political parties People's Party for Freedom and Democracy and Christian Democratic Appeal . The coalition is a minority cabinet, but is supported by the Party for Freedom to have a small majority in the House of...
with the Christian Democratic Appeal
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...
supported by 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...
of 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...
to obtain a majority. The VVD party 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...
became the first VVD Prime Minister on October 14, 2010.
Name
The VVD was originally a merger of the Party of Freedom and Freethinking Democratic dissenters within the PvdA. In this name, both tendencies, classical liberalismClassical liberalism
Classical liberalism is the philosophy committed to the ideal of limited government, constitutionalism, rule of law, due process, and liberty of individuals including freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and free markets....
("Freedom") and social liberalism
Social liberalism
Social liberalism is the belief that liberalism should include social justice. It differs from classical liberalism in that it believes the legitimate role of the state includes addressing economic and social issues such as unemployment, health care, and education while simultaneously expanding...
("People's Party"; "Democracy") are represented. Although a liberal party, the VVD did not openly call itself "liberal", mainly because of the still lingering "negative" connotations of liberalism developed during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
and Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
The most common English translation of the name is the literal translation (People's Party for Freedom and Democracy),
Ideology and issues
The VVD is a party founded on liberal philosophy, traditionally being the most ardent supporter of 'free marketFree market
A free market is a competitive market where prices are determined by supply and demand. However, the term is also commonly used for markets in which economic intervention and regulation by the state is limited to tax collection, and enforcement of private ownership and contracts...
s' of all Dutch political parties, promoting political and 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...
, classical liberalism
Classical liberalism
Classical liberalism is the philosophy committed to the ideal of limited government, constitutionalism, rule of law, due process, and liberty of individuals including freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and free markets....
and, in theory, committed to the idea of the 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...
if only by way of the aforesaid now being an irreversible and foregone conclusion.
Post 1971, the party became more populist
Populism
Populism can be defined as an ideology, political philosophy, or type of discourse. Generally, a common theme compares "the people" against "the elite", and urges social and political system changes. It can also be defined as a rhetorical style employed by members of various political or social...
, although conservative liberalism
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....
elements remain at the core and still course through the central party upper-circle. From this period on, the VVD became more sceptical towards the current welfare state, advocating reform of the welfare state and lower taxes. As such, it supported neoconservative
Neoconservatism
Neoconservatism in the United States is a branch of American conservatism. Since 2001, neoconservatism has been associated with democracy promotion, that is with assisting movements for democracy, in some cases by economic sanctions or military action....
reforms to the welfare state. The 2006 leadership election
2006 VVD leadership election
The Dutch liberal party, the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy announced the results of its lijsttrekker election on 31 May 2006. Mark Rutte, the staatssecretaris for Higher Education and Science closely beat the Minister without Portfolio for Migration and Integration, Rita Verdonk and the...
was interpreted by many as a conflict between a liberal group and a conservative group within the VVD, with the more liberal Rutte winning from conservative Verdonk. The election was rather close, with 52% voting for Rutte and 46% for Verdonk.
Liberal Manifesto
The principles of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) are outlined in the Liberal Manifesto ("Liberaal Manifest") and the election programs. The Liberal Manifesto is a general outlook on the direction of the party would like to mirror itself and is an expansion of the party's foundational principles. The election programs are more oriented to practical politics, for example, winning the elections on-the-day and by any means possible.The last Liberal Manifesto of the VVD was published in September 2005. It develops a broad outline around the themes of democracy
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...
, security
Security
Security is the degree of protection against danger, damage, loss, and crime. Security as a form of protection are structures and processes that provide or improve security as a condition. The Institute for Security and Open Methodologies in the OSSTMM 3 defines security as "a form of protection...
, freedom
Freedom (political)
Political freedom is a central philosophy in Western history and political thought, and one of the most important features of democratic societies...
and citizenship
Citizenship
Citizenship is the state of being a citizen of a particular social, political, national, or human resource community. Citizenship status, under social contract theory, carries with it both rights and responsibilities...
, along with a vision of the future of party's internal structure. Below some of the points from the Manifesto are presented:
Democracy
- The Manifesto calls for a directly elected Minister-PresidentMinister-PresidentA minister-president is the head of government in a number of European countries or subnational governments, in which a parliamentary or semi-presidential system of government prevails, who presides over the council of ministers...
, whereby voters can show their preference on the ballot. - The question of (advisory) referendumReferendumA referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
s is left open as a possibility. - MayorMayorIn many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
s should be directly elected by the people. - Commitment to the Four FreedomsFour Freedoms (European Union)The European Union's Internal Market seeks to guarantee the free movement of goods, capital, services, and people – the EU's four freedoms – within the EU's 27 member states.The Internal Market is intended to be conducive to increased competition, increased specialisation, larger...
of the European UnionEuropean UnionThe European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
.
Freedom
- The principle of non-discrimination should be given more importance than the exercise of religion.
- 'Social rights' are to be continued. These are not simple 'rights', but they also create 'obligations'.
- EuthanasiaEuthanasiaEuthanasia refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering....
is part of a person's 'right' to self-determination. - Commitment to an open economy, with a 'regulated free-market', including PatentPatentA patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
s. - Support for the freedom of contract. No right for workers to enter into nationally-binding collective bargainingCollective bargainingCollective bargaining is a process of negotiations between employers and the representatives of a unit of employees aimed at reaching agreements that regulate working conditions...
agreements.
Citizenship
- Minimize the option of dual citizenshipMultiple citizenshipMultiple citizenship is a status in which a person is concurrently regarded as a citizen under the laws of more than one state. Multiple citizenships exist because different countries use different, and not necessarily mutually exclusive, citizenship requirements...
. - Social security should only be fully open for Dutch nationals. Migrants will have to integrate in order to become citizens.
Seats in the European parliament
- 1979–1984European Parliament election, 1979 (Netherlands)The European Parliament election of 1979 in the Netherlands was the election of MEP representing Netherlands constituency for the 1979–1984 term of the European Parliament. It was part of the wider 1979 European election...
: 4 seats - 1984–1989European Parliament election, 1984 (Netherlands)The European Parliament election of 1984 in the Netherlands was the election of MEP representing Netherlands constituency for the 1984-1989 term of the European Parliament. It was part of the wider 1984 European election. It was held on on June 14, 1984...
: 5 seats - 1989–1994European Parliament election, 1989 (Netherlands)The European Parliament election of 1989 in the Netherlands was the election of MEP representing Netherlands constituency for the 1989-1994 term of the European Parliament. It was part of the wider 1989 European election...
: 3 seats - 1994–1999European Parliament election, 1994 (Netherlands)The European Parliament election of 1994 in the Netherlands was the election of MEP representing Netherlands constituency for the 1994-1999 term of the European Parliament. It was part of the wider 1994 European election. It was held on on June 9, 1994....
: 6 seats - 1999–2004European Parliament election, 1999 (Netherlands)The European Parliament election of 1999 in the Netherlands was the election of MEP representing Netherlands constituency for the 1999-2004 term of the European Parliament. It was part of the wider 1999 European election. It was held on on June 10, 1999...
: 6 seats - 2004–2009European Parliament election, 2004 (Netherlands)The European Parliament election of 2004 in the Netherlands was the election of MEP representing Netherlands constituency for the 2004-2009 term of the European Parliament. It was part of the wider 2004 European election. It was held on on June 10, 2004....
: 4 seats - 2009–2014European Parliament election, 2009 (Netherlands)The European Parliament election of 2009 in the Netherlands was the election of the delegation from the Netherlands to the European Parliament in 2009 and took place on June 4, 2009. Seventeen parties competed in a D'Hondt type election for 25 seats...
: 3 seats
VVD MEPs are part of the European Liberal, Democrat and Reform Party and Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe is a transnational alliance between two European political parties: the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party and the European Democratic Party. It has political groups in the European Parliament, the EU Committee of the Regions, the...
EP group
Provincial government
The VVD provides three of twelve Queen's Commissioners, former party-leader Ed Nijpels is Queen's CommissionerQueen's Commissioner
The Queen's Commissioner is the head of a province in the Netherlands, who is chairman of both the Provinciale Staten and the Gedeputeerde Staten , but only has a right to vote in the latter...
in Friesland. The VVD is part of every college of Gedeputeerde Staten
Gedeputeerde Staten
The gedeputeerde staten are the executive councillors of a Dutch province. Together with the Queen's Commissioner they form the College van Commissaris van de Koningin en Gedeputeerde Staten, which is the executive council of the province. States Deputed are elected by the States Provincial, the...
(provincial executive) except for Groningen.
In the following figure one can see the election results of the provincial election of 2003 and 2007 per province. It shows the areas where the VVD is strong, namely the Randstad
Randstad
Image:Randstad_with_scale.png|400px|thumb|right|Clickable schematic map of the Randstadcircle 528 380 26 Schipholrect 426 356 498 436 Haarlemmermeerrect 399 166 479 245 Velsencircle 250 716 32 Delftcircle 220 642 60 The Hague...
urban area that consists out of the provinces North and South Holland, Utrecht and (parts of) Flevoland. The party is weak in peripheral provinces like Friesland, Overijssel, Zeeland and Limburg.
| Province | Votes 2003 (%) | Result 2003 (seats) | Votes 2007 (%) | Result 2007 (seats) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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... |
13.4% | 7 | 11.7% | 5 |
| Friesland Friesland Friesland is a province in the north of the Netherlands and part of the ancient region of Frisia.Until the end of 1996, the province bore Friesland as its official name. In 1997 this Dutch name lost its official status to the Frisian Fryslân... |
10.9% | 6 | 10.8% | 5 |
| 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... |
18.0% | 9 | 16.8% | 8 |
| Overijssel Overijssel Overijssel is a province of the Netherlands in the central eastern part of the country. The region has a NUTS classification of NL21. The province's name means "Lands across river IJssel". The capital city of Overijssel is Zwolle and the largest city is Enschede... |
13.7% | 9 | 13.6% | 6 |
| Flevoland Flevoland Flevoland is a province of the Netherlands. Located in the centre of the country, at the location of the former Zuiderzee, the province was established on January 1, 1986; the twelfth province of the country, with Lelystad as its capital... |
22.7% | 11 | 22.8% | 9 |
| Gelderland Gelderland Gelderland is the largest province of the Netherlands, located in the central eastern part of the country. The capital city is Arnhem. The two other major cities, Nijmegen and Apeldoorn have more inhabitants. Other major regional centers in Gelderland are Ede, Doetinchem, Zutphen, Tiel, Wijchen,... |
16.9% | 13 | 16.6% | 9 |
| Utrecht Utrecht (province) Utrecht is the smallest province of the Netherlands in terms of area, and is located in the centre of the country. It is bordered by the Eemmeer in the north, Gelderland in the east, the river Rhine in the south, South Holland in the west, and North Holland in the northwest... |
20.7% | 14 | 20.1% | 10 |
| North Holland North Holland North Holland |West Frisian]]: Noard-Holland) is a province situated on the North Sea in the northwest part of the Netherlands. The provincial capital is Haarlem and its largest city is Amsterdam.-Geography:... |
23% | 20 | 22.7% | 13 |
| South Holland South Holland South Holland is a province situated on the North Sea in the western part of the Netherlands. The provincial capital is The Hague and its largest city is Rotterdam.South Holland is one of the most densely populated and industrialised areas in the world... |
21.4% | 18 | 20.3% | 12 |
| Zeeland Zeeland Zeeland , also called Zealand in English, is the westernmost province of the Netherlands. The province, located in the south-west of the country, consists of a number of islands and a strip bordering Belgium. Its capital is Middelburg. With a population of about 380,000, its area is about... |
14.5% | 7 | 14.5% | 6 |
| North Brabant North Brabant North Brabant , sometimes called Brabant, is a province of the Netherlands, located in the south of the country, bordered by Belgium in the south, the Meuse River in the north, Limburg in the east and Zeeland in the west.- History :... |
19.0% | 15 | 18.9% | 11 |
| Limburg Limburg (Netherlands) Limburg is the southernmost of the twelve provinces of the Netherlands. It is located in the southeastern part of the country and bordered by the province of Gelderland to the north, Germany to the east, Belgium to the south and part of the west, andthe Dutch province of North Brabant partly to... |
14.5% | 9 | 14.5% | 7 |
| source: www.verkiezingsuitslagen.nl | ||||
Municipal government
109 of the 414 Dutch mayorsMayor (the Netherlands)
In the Netherlands and Belgium, the mayor is an appointed government position, whose main responsibility is chairing the executive and legislative councils of a municipality....
are member of the VVD. Furthermore the party has about 250 aldermen and 1100 members of municipal councils.
Electorate
Historically the VVD electorate consisted mainly of secular middle-class voters. Under the leadership of Wiegel, the VVD expanded its appeal to working classWorking class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
voters.
Leadership
- Party leaderParty leaderIn politics, the party leader is the most powerful official within a political party.The party leader is typically responsible for managing the party's relationship with the general public. As such, he or she will take a leading role in developing and communicating party policy, especially election...
- 2006– 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...
- 2004–2006 Jozias van AartsenJozias van AartsenJozias Johannes van Aartsen is a Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy . He is the Mayor of the Hague since March 27, 2008....
- 2002–2004 Gerrit ZalmGerrit ZalmGerrit Zalm is a retired Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy . He served as Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister from May 27, 2003 until February 22, 2007 in the Cabinets Balkenende II and III. He served earlier as Minister of Finance in the Cabinets Kok I and...
- 1998–2002 Hans DijkstalHans DijkstalHenri Frans "Hans" Dijkstal was a Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy . He served as Minister of the Interior and Deputy Prime Minister from 22 August 1994 until 3 August 1998...
- 1990–1998 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...
- 1986–1990 Joris VoorhoeveJoris VoorhoeveJoris Jacob Clemens Voorhoeve is a Dutch politician, former minister, and university professor.Voorhoeve was the leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy between 1986 and 1990 and served as the Dutch Minister of Defence between 1994 and 1998. He is a member of the Dutch Council of...
- 1986 Rudolf de KorteRudolf de KorteRudolf Willem de Korte is a former Dutch politician.-References:* at parlement.com...
- 1982-1986 Ed NijpelsEd NijpelsEduardus Hermannus Theresia Maria Nijpels is a Dutch politician.-References:...
- 1971-1982 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...
- 1969-1971 Molly GeertsemaMolly GeertsemaMolly Geertsema was a Dutch politician. He was born in Utrecht, and died in Wassenaar.-References:...
- 1963-1969 Edzo ToxopeusEdzo ToxopeusEdzo Hendrik Toxopeus was a Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy . He served as Minister of the Interior from May 19, 1959 until April 14, 1965...
- 1948-1963 Pieter OudPieter OudPieter 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...
- 2006– Mark Rutte
- Party chairParty ChairIn politics, a party chair is the presiding officer of a political party....
- 2011- Benk KorthalsBenk KorthalsAlbert Hendrik Korthals is a Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy. He is the Party Chair of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy since May 22, 2011...
- 2010-2011 Mark VerheijenMark VerheijenMark Verheijen is a Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy . He was Party Chair ad interim of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy from October 14, 2010 until May 22, 2011.-References:...
(Acting) - 2008-2010 Ivo OpsteltenIvo OpsteltenIvo Willem Opstelten is a Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy . He is the Minister of Security and Justice in the Cabinet Rutte since October 14, 2010....
- 2003-2008 Jan van ZanenJan van ZanenJan Hendrikus Cornelis "Jan" van Zanen is a Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy . He is the Mayor of Amstelveen since July 1, 2005. He was the Party Chair of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy from November 28, 2003 until May 23, 2008.-External links:...
- 1999-2003 Bas EenhoornBas EenhoornHerman Bastiaan Eenhoorn is a Dutch politician and former civil servant. He is a member of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy . He currently serves as acting mayor of Alphen aan den Rijn...
- 1994-1999 Willem Hoekzema
- 1991-1994 Dian van Leeuwen-Schut
- 1986-1991 Leendert GinjaarLeendert GinjaarLeendert Ginjaar was a Dutch politician.-References:* at www.parlement.com...
- 1981-1986 Jan Kamminga
- 1975-1981 Frits Korthals AltesFrits Korthals AltesFrederik "Frits" Korthals Altes is a Dutch politician, who served as justice minister during the first and second cabinets of prime minister Ruud Lubbers. He is an honorary member of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy ....
- 1969-1975 Haya van SomerenHaya van SomerenHaya Victoria van Someren-Downer was a Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy . She was a member of the House of Representatives from March 20, 1959 until October 1, 1968. She was the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy party chair from March 29, 1969 until March 15,...
- 1963-1969 Kornelis van der Pols
- 1949-1963 Pieter OudPieter OudPieter 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...
- 1948 Dirk StikkerDirk StikkerDirk Uipko Stikker, GBE, GCVO was a Dutch banker, industrialist, politician, and diplomat.Born in Winschoten, he studied law at the University of Groningen. After his studies he began a career in the banking sector. In 1935, he became director of Heineken International, the famous beer company...
- 2011- Benk Korthals
- Parliamentary leaderParliamentary group leaderThe leader or chairman of a parliamentary group holds an influential political post in a parliamentary system with strong party discipline...
- Senate- 2011- Loek HermansLoek HermansLouis Marie Lucien Henri Alphonse Hermans is a Dutch politician and President of UEAPME.-References:...
- 2010 Fred de GraafFred de GraafGodefridus Jan "Fred" de Graaf is a Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy . He is Mayor of Apeldoorn since February 16, 1999. And a Member of the Senate since June 10, 2003...
(Acting) - 2005-2010 Uri RosenthalUri RosenthalUriël "Uri" Rosenthal is a Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy . He is the Minister of Foreign Affairs since October 14, 2010 in the Cabinet Rutte. He served as a Member of the Senate from June 8, 1999 until October 14, 2010. And the Parliamentary leader in the Senate...
- 1999-2005 Nicoline van den Broek-Laman Trip
- 1997-1999 Leendert GinjaarLeendert GinjaarLeendert Ginjaar was a Dutch politician.-References:* at www.parlement.com...
- 1995-1997 Frits Korthals AltesFrits Korthals AltesFrederik "Frits" Korthals Altes is a Dutch politician, who served as justice minister during the first and second cabinets of prime minister Ruud Lubbers. He is an honorary member of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy ....
- 1987-1995 David Luteijn
- 1980-1987 Guus Zoutendijk
- 1976-1982 Haya van SomerenHaya van SomerenHaya Victoria van Someren-Downer was a Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy . She was a member of the House of Representatives from March 20, 1959 until October 1, 1968. She was the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy party chair from March 29, 1969 until March 15,...
- 1958-1976 Harm van RielHarm van RielHarm van Riel was a Dutch banker and politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy ....
- 1948-1958 Anthonie Nicolaas Molenaar
- 2011- Loek Hermans
- Parliamentary leaderParliamentary group leaderThe leader or chairman of a parliamentary group holds an influential political post in a parliamentary system with strong party discipline...
- House of Representatives- 2010- Stef BlokStef BlokStephanus Abraham "Stef" Blok is a Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy . He has been a Member of the House of Representatives since September 3, 2002 previously from August 25, 1998 until May 23, 2002. He is the Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives...
- 2006-2010 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...
- 2006 Willibrord van BeekWillibrord van BeekWillibrordus Ildefonsus Ignatius van Beek is a Dutch politician. As a member of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy he has been an MP since 19 May 1998. From 8 March till 29 June 2006 he was Parliamentary group leader...
(Acting) - 2003-2006 Jozias van AartsenJozias van AartsenJozias Johannes van Aartsen is a Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy . He is the Mayor of the Hague since March 27, 2008....
- 2002-2003 Gerrit ZalmGerrit ZalmGerrit Zalm is a retired Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy . He served as Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister from May 27, 2003 until February 22, 2007 in the Cabinets Balkenende II and III. He served earlier as Minister of Finance in the Cabinets Kok I and...
- 1998-2002 Hans DijkstalHans DijkstalHenri Frans "Hans" Dijkstal was a Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy . He served as Minister of the Interior and Deputy Prime Minister from 22 August 1994 until 3 August 1998...
- 1990-1998 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...
- 1986-1990 Joris VoorhoeveJoris VoorhoeveJoris Jacob Clemens Voorhoeve is a Dutch politician, former minister, and university professor.Voorhoeve was the leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy between 1986 and 1990 and served as the Dutch Minister of Defence between 1994 and 1998. He is a member of the Dutch Council of...
- 1982-1986 Ed NijpelsEd NijpelsEduardus Hermannus Theresia Maria Nijpels is a Dutch politician.-References:...
- 1981-1982 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...
- 1977-1981 Koos RietkerkKoos RietkerkJacobus Gijsbert Rietkerk was a Dutch politician.-References:...
- 1971-1977 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...
- 1969-1971 Molly GeertsemaMolly GeertsemaMolly Geertsema was a Dutch politician. He was born in Utrecht, and died in Wassenaar.-References:...
- 1966-1969 Edzo ToxopeusEdzo ToxopeusEdzo Hendrik Toxopeus was a Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy . He served as Minister of the Interior from May 19, 1959 until April 14, 1965...
- 1963-1966 Molly GeertsemaMolly GeertsemaMolly Geertsema was a Dutch politician. He was born in Utrecht, and died in Wassenaar.-References:...
- 1963 Edzo ToxopeusEdzo ToxopeusEdzo Hendrik Toxopeus was a Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy . He served as Minister of the Interior from May 19, 1959 until April 14, 1965...
- 1948-1963 Pieter OudPieter OudPieter 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...
- 2010- Stef Blok
Current Party Board
- Benk KorthalsBenk KorthalsAlbert Hendrik Korthals is a Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy. He is the Party Chair of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy since May 22, 2011...
(Party chair) - Mark VerheijenMark VerheijenMark Verheijen is a Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy . He was Party Chair ad interim of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy from October 14, 2010 until May 22, 2011.-References:...
(1st Deputy Party chair) - Wiet de Bruin (2nd Deputy Party Chair)
- Judith Tielen (Party secretaryParty secretaryIn politics, a party secretary is a senior official within a political party with responsibility for the organizational and daily political work. In most parties, the party secretary is second in rank to the party leader ....
) - Mart van de Ven (TreasurerTreasurerA treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The adjective for a treasurer is normally "tresorial". The adjective "treasurial" normally means pertaining to a treasury, rather than the treasurer.-Government:...
) - Pieter van de Stadt (International Party secretary)
- Wobine Buijs-Glaudemans
- Marianne Schuurmans-Wijdeven
Organizational structure
The highest organ of the VVD is the General Assembly, in which all members present have a single vote. It convenes usually twice every year. It appoints the party board and decides on the party program.The order of the First Chamber, Second Chamber and European Parliament candidates list is decided by a referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
under all members voting by internet, phone or mail. If contested, the 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...
of a candidates lists is appointed in a separate referendum in advance. Since 2002 the General Assembly can call for a referendum on other subjects too. The present chairman of the board was elected this way.
About 90 members elected by the members in meetings of the regional branches form the Party Council, which advises the Party Board in the months that the General Assembly does not convene. This is important forum within the party. The party board handles the daily affairs of the party.
Linked organisations
The independent youth-organization that has a partnership agreement with the VVD is the Youth Organisation Freedom and DemocracyYouth Organisation Freedom and Democracy
The Youth Organisation Freedom and Democracy , officially abbreviated as JOVD, is one of the oldest political youth organisations in the Netherlands. It is a liberal organisation for people aged between fourteen and thirty one...
(Jongeren Organisatie Vrijheid en Democratie; JOVD), which as a member of the Liberal Youth Movement of the European Union and the International Federation of Liberal and Radical Youth.
The education institute of the VVD is the Haya van Someren Foundation. The Scientific institute Prof.mr. B.M. Telders Foundation publishes the magazine Liberaal Reveil every two months. The party published the magazine Liber bi-monthly.
International organisations
The VVD is a member of the European Liberal, Democrat and Reform Party (ELDR), the party of Liberals and Democrats in the European Union, which is a component of Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for EuropeAlliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe is a transnational alliance between two European political parties: the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party and the European Democratic Party. It has political groups in the European Parliament, the EU Committee of the Regions, the...
. Internationally it is a member of the Liberal International
Liberal International
Liberal International is a political international federation for liberal parties. Its headquarters is located at 1 Whitehall Place, London, SW1A 2HD within the National Liberal Club. It was founded in Oxford in 1947, and has become the pre-eminent network for liberal parties and for the...
.
The VVD participates in the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy
Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy
The Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy is a democracy assistance organisation of political parties in the Netherlands for political parties in young democracies...
, a democracy assistance organisation of seven Dutch political parties.
Relationships to other parties
The VVD has always been a very independent party. The VVD cooperates on the European and the international level with the social-liberal Democraten 66. It has a long history of coalitions with the Christian Democratic AppealChristian 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...
and its Christian-democratic predecessors, but was in government with the social democratic Labour Party
Labour Party (Netherlands)
The Labour Party , is a social-democratic political party in the Netherlands. Since the 2003 Dutch General Election, the PvdA has been the second largest political party in the Netherlands. The PvdA was a coalition member in the fourth Balkenende cabinet following 22 February 2007...
from 1994 to 2002.
International comparison
The VVD is more of a market liberalMarket liberalism
The term market liberalism is used in two distinct meanings.Especially in the United States, the term is often used as a synonym to classical liberalism...
party, committed to the free market
Free market
A free market is a competitive market where prices are determined by supply and demand. However, the term is also commonly used for markets in which economic intervention and regulation by the state is limited to tax collection, and enforcement of private ownership and contracts...
, and is comparable to the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Free Democratic Party
Free Democratic Party (Germany)
The Free Democratic Party , abbreviated to FDP, is a centre-right classical liberal political party in Germany. It is led by Philipp Rösler and currently serves as the junior coalition partner to the Union in the German federal government...
, the Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
FDP.The Liberals
FDP.The Liberals
FDP.The Liberals is a classical liberal political party in Switzerland. It is the joint-largest party in the Federal Council, third-largest party in the National Council, and second-largest in the Council of States....
or the Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
Liberal Party
Venstre (Denmark)
VenstreThe party name is officially not translated into any other language, but is in English often referred to as the Liberal Party. Similar rules apply for the name of the party's youth wing Venstres Ungdom. , full name Venstre, Danmarks Liberale Parti , is the largest political party in Denmark...
. In its economic policies
Economic policy
Economic policy refers to the actions that governments take in the economic field. It covers the systems for setting interest rates and government budget as well as the labor market, national ownership, and many other areas of government interventions into the economy.Such policies are often...
the VVD is closer to the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
than to the Liberal Democrats
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
, but in social issues
Social issues
Social issues are controversial issues which relate to people's personal lives and interactions. Social issues are distinguished from economic issues...
closer to the Liberal Democrats.
In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
it could be compared to politicians such as Michael Bloomberg
Michael Bloomberg
Michael Rubens Bloomberg is the current Mayor of New York City. With a net worth of $19.5 billion in 2011, he is also the 12th-richest person in the United States...
, Lincoln Chafee
Lincoln Chafee
Lincoln Davenport Chafee is an American politician who has been the 74th Governor of Rhode Island since January 2011. Prior to his election as governor, Chafee served in the United States Senate as a Republican from 1999 until losing his Senate re-election bid in 2006 to Democrat Sheldon...
and Rudy Guliani. While the VVD's support for the free market
Free market
A free market is a competitive market where prices are determined by supply and demand. However, the term is also commonly used for markets in which economic intervention and regulation by the state is limited to tax collection, and enforcement of private ownership and contracts...
and national security
National security
National security is the requirement to maintain the survival of the state through the use of economic, diplomacy, power projection and political power. The concept developed mostly in the United States of America after World War II...
resembles that of the Republicans
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
, its support for individual choice in personal matters resembles that of the Democrats
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
.
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...
- 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:...
- 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....
- Contributions to liberal theory
External links
- People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) official site