List of political parties in the Netherlands

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The Netherlands

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This article lists political parties in the Netherlands.

The Netherlands has a multi-party system, with numerous parties in which no one party often has a chance of gaining power alone, and parties must work with each other to form coalition governments.

Contents

[edit] The parties

[edit] Parliamentary parties

Parties with representation in the Eerste Kamer, Tweede Kamer and European Parliament, as of December 2006:

Not active in the Tweede Kamer, but within the European Parliament or the Eerste Kamer only:

Political parties in the Netherlands
Second Chamber: Christian Democratic Appeal (41) | Labour Party (33) | Socialist Party (25) | People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (22) | Party for Freedom (9) | GreenLeft (7) | ChristianUnion (6) | Democrats 66 (3) | Party for the Animals (2) | Political Reformed Party (2)
First Chamber: Christian Democratic Appeal (23) | Labour Party (19) | People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (15) | GreenLeft (5) | Socialist Party (4)| Democrats 66 (3) | ChristianUnion (3) | List Pim Fortuyn (1) | Political Reformed Party (1) | Independent Senate Fraction (1)
European Parliament: Christian Democratic Appeal (7) | Labour Party (7) | People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (4) | GreenLeft (2) | Socialist Party (2) | Europe Transparent (2) | ChristianUnion/Political Reformed Party  (2) | Democrats 66 (1)

[edit] Other active parties

[edit] Other parties recently active, but now defunct

  • Party for Justice, Action and Progress (Partij voor Rechtvaardigheid, Daadkracht en Vooruitgang)
  • Alliance for Renewal and Democracy (Alliantie voor Vernieuwing en Democratie, now defunct)
  • The Conservatives (de Conservatieven.nl, now defunct)
  • Sustainable Netherlands (Duurzaam Nederland, now defunct)
  • List Veldhoen - Lijst Veldhoen, now defunct
  • List Ratelband - LijstRatelband.nl, now defunct
  • Party of the Future (Partij van de Toekomst, now defunct)
  • O O The Hague (O O Den Haag), was initially registered for 2003 elections but withdrew.
  • Arabic-European League (Arabisch-Europese Liga, AEL), initially founded in Belgium, active in the Netherlands between 2003-2005, now MDP
  • Moslim Party (de Moslimpartij, founded 1993, now defunct)
  • Islamic Party Netherlands (Islamitische Partij Nederland, founded 1998, now defunct)

[edit] Defunct Parties

 

Historic political parties in the Netherlands
Catholic: General League, Roman Catholic People's Party, Roman-Catholic State Party, Catholic People's Party, Catholic National Party, Political Party Radicals, Roman Catholic Party Netherlands
Liberal: Liberal Union, Radical League, Free-thinking Democratic League, League of Free Liberals, Liberal Party, Economic League, Middle Class Party, Neutral Party, Liberal State Party, Freedom Party
Reformed: Anti Revolutionary Party, Christian Historical Voters' League, Free Anti Revolutionary Party, Christian Historical Party, Frisian League, Christian Historical Union, League of Christian Socialists, Christian Democratic Party, Christian Social Party, Christian Democratic Union, Reformed Reformed State Party, Reformed Political Alliance, Reformatory Political Federation, Evangelical People's Party
Communist, Socialist and Social-Democratic: Social Democratic League, Social Democratic Workers' Party, Communist Party of the Netherlands, Socialist Party, Revolutionary Socialist Party, Pacifist Socialist Party, Democratic Socialists '70
Other: Alliance for the Democratization of the Army, Peasants' League, Middle Party for City and Country, Alliance for National Reconstruction, National Socialist Movement, Farmers' Party, New Middle Party, Centre Party, Centre Democrats, General Elderly Alliance, Union 55+, Livable Netherlands

[edit] Parties with uncertain status

[edit] Descriptions of some of the parties

The Partij van de Arbeid (PvdA, Labour Party), a European social democratic party, is left of center. Its program is based on greater social, political, and economic equality for all citizens. Former PvdA-prime minister Joop den Uyl has called it an "equal spread of knowledge, income and power." In recent years the PvdA has espoused a third way-program. The PvdA is generally supportive of European integration. Although called the Labour Party, it has no formal links to the trade unions. In practice, however, strong links exist, with PvdA politicians often beginning their careers in the FNV labour union. The party is led by Wouter Bos. The PvdA is a member of the Socialist International

The Christen-Democratisch Appèl is a centre-right Christian democratic party. It supports free enterprise and holds to the principle that government activity should supplement but not supplant communal action by citizens. On the political spectrum, the CDA sees its philosophy as standing between the "individualism" of the VVD and the "statism" of the Labour Party. The CDA favours European economic, cultural and political integration. The party is led by Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende. The CDA is a member of the Centrist Democrat International.

The Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie (VVD) is a conservative liberal party. It thus attaches great importance to private enterprise and the freedom of the individual in political, social, and economic affairs. The party is generally supportive of European economic integration, but is less supportive of political integration. The VVD is generally seen as the most right wing of the major parties, though the List Pim Fortuyn took a position to the right of the VVD. Mark Rutte leads the VVD. The VVD is a member of the Liberal International.

Democraten 66 (D66) has had widely fluctuating electoral fortunes since the party's founding in 1966. It is a centrist left-liberal and radical democratic party, generally portrayed as between the VVD and GroenLinks, with its strongest support among young, urban, professional voters. It professes a pro-European platform of ethnic and religious tolerance. Alexander Pechtold leads the party. D66 is a member of the Liberal International.

GroenLinks combines, as the name (which translates to GreenLeft) says, a Green, environmentalist with a Left-wing stance. It operates to the left of the PvdA. The party was founded in 1989 as a merger of a left-radical, a pacifist, a communist and a left wing Christian party. In 2004, the party leader Femke Halsema announced she saw her own party as a leftwing liberal party, possibly breaking with its socialist roots. Like D66, it is a multiculturalist party. GroenLinks is in favour of European integration, but opposes the current policies of the European Union. GroenLinks is a member of the Global Greens.

The Socialistische Partij (SP) is the most radical left-wing party. In the 1970s and 1980s, it was a People's Republic of China-supported Maoist party, but in 1991 the SP dropped its communist course, and chose a more independent and less radical socialist course, denouncing Maoism and the People's Republic of China. The party itself has called it a move "from socialism to a social ism." The party opposes what it sees as the European Superstate. The SP operates as an independent party within the European United Left–Nordic Green Left in the European Parliament. Jan Marijnissen is the leader of the SP.

The Lijst Pim Fortuyn (LPF) is a right-wing populist party. It was erected by the popular politician Pim Fortuyn for the 2002 elections, but Fortuyn himself was murdered 9 days before the elections. After that, it had a difficult year with much internal struggles, which led to CDA and VVD ending the government coalition which they had formed with the LPF. The LPF are opposes the European Union, seeks to limit immigration and promotes the integration of ethnic minorities. The LPF has recently elected Olaf Stüger as its leader.

The ChristenUnie is a Christian party, which mostly concentrates on ethical issues, such as a resistance against abortion, euthanasia and gay marriage. In other areas (e.g. immigration and the environment), the party often is closer to the left-wing parties. It is sceptic about European integration. The CU operates within the Independence and Democracy group within the European Parliament and is a founding member of the European Christian Political Movement. André Rouvoet leads the party.

The Staatkundig Gereformeerde Partij (SGP) is a very conservative Christian party, with even stronger ethical points of view than the ChristenUnie. Although a very small party on a national level, it is an important political power in some orthodox reformed municipalities. The party sees governments (local, regional, national and international) as unconditional servants of God. The party bases all of its views directly on the Bible. The party opposes European integration and operates within the Independence and Democracy group. Bas van der Vlies leads the SGP.

[edit] See also

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