Democrats 66
Encyclopedia
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 American style presidential system
. In the 1967 general election
, the party won 7 of the 150 seats in the House of Representatives, no new party had ever gained that many seats before. The electoral history of the party is characterised by large fluctuations. At one point they had 24 seats, currently (following the June 2010 Parliamentary elections) they have 10. The party was in government from 1973-1977, 1981-1982, 1994-2002 and 2003-2006
. Over time the party began to emphasise other issues in addition to democratic reform, creating a social-liberal programme.
Currently the party is represented by ten seats in the House of Representatives, five in the Senate and three in the European Parliament. The party leader, and chair of the parliamentary party in the House of Representatives, is Alexander Pechtold
. The party is in opposition against the Rutte cabinet. The party has a small number of elected local and provincial politicians, but supplies a relative large share of the mayors, which are appointed. The party's voters are concentrated in larger cities, especially those with a university.
The organisation of D66 is based on principles of direct democracy
. Important decisions are made per referendum
. D66 is a member of the Liberal International
, the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party
and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
.
, although 25 of the 44 had previously been members of a political party. The initiators were Hans van Mierlo
, a journalist for the Algemeen Handelsblad and Hans Gruijters
, a municipal councillor in Amsterdam. Van Mierlo became the party's political leader and Gruijters the party's chair. The foundation of the party was preceded by the Appeal 1966 on October 10, in which the founders appealed to the people of the Netherlands to re-take their democratic institutions. The party renounced the 19th century political ideologies, which dominated the political system and wanted to end pillarisation
. It called for radical democratisation of the Dutch society and its political system and it called for pragmatic
and scientific
policy-making.
with Hans van Mierlo as their top candidate
. The party won an unprecedented seven seats in parliament. In the 1971 general election
the party won an additional four seats and it formed a Shadow Cabinet
with the Labour Party
(PvdA) and the Christian left
Political Party of Radicals (PPR). In the 1972 general election
, the three parties formed a political alliance called the "Progressive Accord" (Dutch: Progressief Akkoord; PAK) and presented a common electoral program (Keerpunt '72; turning point '72). In the elections D66 lost nearly half its seats, leaving only six. The alliance became the largest political force in the country, but it did not gain a majority. After long cabinet formation talks the three PAK-parties formed an extra-parliamentary cabinet
joined by progressive members of the Protestant Anti Revolutionary Party
(ARP) and the Catholic People's Party
(KVP). The cabinet was led by the Labour politician Joop den Uyl
. After the formation talks Van Mierlo left politics, feeling that his political position within the parliamentary party was untenable. The other party-founder Hans Gruijters became Minister of Housing and Spatial Planning. Van Mierlo was replaced by Jan Terlouw
. He became the chair of the parliamentary party.
In the period 1972-1974 the party lost a dramatic number of members (from 6000 to 300) and polled very poorly in the provincial elections of 1974. The party also lost half of its senators in the 1974 indirect election to the Senate. On one of the party congresses a motion was put forth to abolish the party. A majority of the members voted in favour, but the two-thirds majority was not reached. In reaction Terlouw started a campaign to revitalise the party, involving a membership drive and a petition
to the electorate. He emphasised issues other than democratic reform, and gave the party a more liberal
orientation. The party doubled its membership in 1975 and in the 1977 general election
D66 won two additional seats, although that same year the party lost all its seats in the Senate. In the election of 1981
D66 more than doubled its seats, to seventeen. They entered government with the Christian Democratic Appeal
(CDA) and the Labour Party. Terlouw became Minister of the Economy. The cabinet was riddled by the personal and ideological conflicts between the Christian Democratic Prime Minister Dries van Agt
and the Labour minister of Social Affairs Joop den Uyl. The cabinet fell nine months after it was formed, when Labour left the cabinet. D66 and the CDA continued to govern in a caretaker government
. In the subsequent 1982 general election
, D66 lost two-thirds of its support, and was left with only six seats. After the elections Terlouw left politics, and he was replaced by Maarten Engwirda. The party was confined to opposition
.
(VVD), in order to form a government without the Christian Democratic Appeal. He led the party in the 1986 general election
and gained three seats. In the 1989 election
the party won another three seats, making a total of twelve, and it was asked to join the formation talks of a CDA/PvdA/D66 cabinet. Although the PvdA preferred a government with D66, the CDA did not. In the end D66 was numerically not necessary for the coalition, and they were excluded. Although in opposition, D66 adopted a constructive approach towards the government.
They were rewarded for this in the 1994 general election
in which the party doubled its number of seats to twenty four. D66 was able to form its 'dream coalition', the Purple government
, which combined the social-democratic
PvdA, and the conservative-liberal
VVD. The first Kok cabinet initiated legislation, which the D66 has always advocated, such as the referendum, same-sex marriage
and the legalisation of euthanasia
. The centrist
economic policies of the cabinet were also seen as a great success. Van Mierlo became Minister of Foreign Affairs. Before the election of 1998
, Van Mierlo stepped back and Els Borst
, the minister of health became the top-candidate. D66 lost ten seats in the election, but its coalition partners won considerable ground at the cost of D66. The second Kok cabinet continued. Although D66 was numerically not necessary, it was seen as the glue that kept the two opposites of PvdA and VVD together. Borst stepped down as party leader and became Deputy Prime Minister
and Minister of Health. Thom de Graaf
led the parliamentary party. Within the party, a group of age twenty-somethings, called Opschudding (Upheaval) began to call for a more explicit progressive liberal course. In 1999 a constitutional reform, which would allow referendums was rejected by the Senate. A group of dissidents around the prominent VVD member Hans Wiegel
had voted against. D66 left the cabinet. In the subsequent formation talks D66 returned to the cabinet, in return for another important issue for D66, the directly elected mayor, and a temporary referendum law.
In the 2002 general election
the tide had turned against the Purple government, and the right-wing populist
Pim Fortuyn List (LPF) had won considerable ground. The three purple parties lost an unprecedented 43 seats. D66 was left with only seven seats. The first Balkenende cabinet
, formed of CDA, LPF and VVD, lasted only three months. In the 2003 general election
D66 lost another seat, leaving only six. De Graaf stood down, in favour of Boris Dittrich. After long formation talks between CDA and PvdA failed, a second Balkenende cabinet
was formed, comprising CDA, VVD and D66 parties. In return for investments in environment and education, and a special minister of democratisation, a post taken by De Graaf, who also became Deputy Prime Minister, D66 supported the centre-right
reform cabinet and some of its more controversial legislation. In May 2005 the Senate rejected a constitutional reform that would allow a directly elected mayor. The legislation was introduced in the second Wim Kok
-led Purple government, but it was unable to get a two-thirds majority because the Labour Party, whose minister De Vries
had initiated the reform, rejected the legislation, because they were opposed the model of election proposed by De Graaf. De Graaf stepped down, but the rest of the ministers stayed on, after D66 was promised more investment in public education
and the environment, and a plan for electoral reform. A special party congress was called to ratify this so-called Easter Accord. 2,600 members (20 percent of total membership) were present and the congress broadcasted live on by the Netherlands Public Broadcasting (NPO). The congress agreed to remain in cabinet by a large majority. Alexander Pechtold
replaced De Graaf as minister of government reform. Laurens Jan Brinkhorst
, the Minister of the Economy, became Deputy Prime Minister.
In February 2006 Dittrich stepped down as chair of the parliamentary party, because he did not agree with the government's decision to send the Dutch armed forces to the southern province of Uruzgan in Afghanistan
. D66 voted against the government's proposal together with the Socialist Party
and the GreenLeft
. Dittrich stated that the mission to send troops was not a reconstruction mission (as the government and the majority of the Dutch parliament claimed), but a military operation. Lousewies van der Laan
replaced Dittrich. In May 2006, D66 polled particularly badly in the 2006 municipal election
s. D66 began to lose a considerable number of members, some of who founded deZES, another radical democratic, progressive liberal party. On a special party congress on 13 May a motion was put forth, demanding the withdrawal of D66 from the cabinet - it was rejected. In June 2006 an internal election
was held in order to choose the top candidate for the 2007 election. Both Van der Laan and Pechtold entered. Pechtold won the elections, making him political leader of the party. During the special plenary parliamentary debate of July 28, 2006, on the naturalization process
of Ayaan Hirsi Ali
, D66 supported a motion of no confidence against minister Rita Verdonk
. As D66 was a junior coalition partner, this caused a crisis in the second Balkenende cabinet. The cabinet refused to remove Verdonk from her position. Lousewies van der Laan
, parliamentary leader of D66, did not feel that the D66 faction could support the cabinet any longer, and that the cabinet had to resign. Later on June 29, the two D66 ministers Alexander Pechtold
and Laurens-Jan Brinkhorst resigned, causing the downfall of the Balkenende cabinet. New elections were called for November 2006
and the third Balkenende cabinet
governed as a minority
caretaker government
.
In October 2006, just before the D66 party congress and its 40th anniversary as party, D66 founder Hans van Mierlo
asked the question whether D66 has still political legitimacy. He believes that many errors were made in recent history, and that only the acceptance of these errors can provide for any credibility to D66. Van Mierlo has put his support behind party leader Pechtold, who in his view can provide for such credibility.
Since 2008 the party performed quite well in the polls: ranging from 10 to 26 seats in the polls, compared to only three in parliament. In the 2009 European Parliament election
the party won 11% of the votes and three seats, compared to 4% and the one seat gained in the 2004 European elections
. Dutch journalist such as the news program Nova attribute this increase to the leadership of Alexander Pechtold, who has been called "the leader of the opposition.". Under the leadership of Pechtold the party has taken strong stances against the Party for Freedom
of Geert Wilders
. Pechtold considers the PVV populist and some of the statements of Wilders racist. In the June 2010 parliamentary elections it increased its representation to ten seats.
and the progressive liberals. These two currents although some times antagonistic currently complement each other, as both emphasise the self-realisation of the individual. The Radical League
and the Free-thinking Democratic League, two early twentieth century parties are historic exponents of these two traditions.
. To obtain this it wanted to reform the electoral system
after the American first past the post
model. The electoral reform was gradually moderated, now the party favour German-style mixed member proportional representation
, which combines both proportional and majoritarian electoral systems. This radical democratisation was combined with pragmatic and anti-dogmatic attitude towards politics. Hans van Mierlo
, the party's leader between 1966 and 1972 and between 1986 and 1998 and the party's figurehead, was an important exponent of this tendency within the party.
, between 1972 and 1982, D66 began to emphasise new issues like the environment
, public education
and innovation
. He called D66 a fourth current, next to social democracy
, Christian democracy
and the conservative liberalism
of the VVD. In 1998 the group "Opschudding" called for progressive liberal course for the party. In the party's manifesto, adopted in 2000, the party explicitly adopted a progressive liberal image. National political reasons explain the usage of the label social-liberal, since the more right-wing
VVD describes itself as the liberal party.
resulted in ten seats for D66 in the House of Representatives, the Dutch Lower House
:
, the party had five representatives in the Senate, the Dutch Upper House
:
the party has three representatives in the European Parliament
:
The D66 delegation is part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
.
. Provincial elections of March 2011 per province. It shows the areas where D66 is strong, namely the urbanised provinces such as Utrecht and North Holland. The party is weaker in rural provinces like Friesland and Zeeland.
The electorate of D66 have a relatively weak commitment towards the party. It ranges from sixteen percent of vote to two. D66 tends to attract unbound, 'floating' voters. D66 voters are relatively young, tend to be female, highly-educated and have strong post-materialistic values. The party's electorate is concentrated in the larger cities. D66 lacks pillarized organizations
around it.
The youth organization of D66 is called the Young Democrats
(Dutch: Jonge Democraten; JD). It has produced several prominent active members of D66 like the MP Boris van der Ham
. The JD publishes the Demo. JD is a member of European Liberal Youth
and the International Federation of Liberal Youth
.
D66 is cofounder of the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy
, a democracy assistance organisation of seven Dutch political parties.
and of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party
(ELDR). It became a full member of the ELDR in 1994 and a full member of the Liberal International in 1986.
(PvdA). They were in four cabinets together (Den Uyl, Van Agt II, Kok I and Kok II); and they formed a shadow cabinet
during the early seventies. The relations with the PvdA came under heavy tension three times: in 1981 when D66 decided to continue to govern with the Christian Democratic Appeal
(CDA), after the PvdA ministers had left the first Van Agt cabinet; in 1989 when PvdA formed a third Lubbers cabinet without D66; and 2003 when D66 joined the second Balkenende cabinet
.
Ideologically the social-liberal D66 is linked to People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
(VVD), although VVD is considered a party of conservative liberalism
. This resulted in three coalition governments (Kok I, Kok II and Balkenende II). Both D66 and the VVD are member of European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party
(ELDR) and their members in the European Parliament joined the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
group; they have campaigned with the same ELDR program in European Parliament elections; they have together formed electoral alliance
Progressivism
Progressivism is an umbrella term for a political ideology advocating or favoring social, political, and economic reform or changes. Progressivism is often viewed by some conservatives, constitutionalists, and libertarians to be in opposition to conservative or reactionary ideologies.The...
and 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...
political party 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...
. D66 was formed in 1966 by a group of politically unaligned, young intellectuals, led by journalist Hans van Mierlo
Hans van Mierlo
Henricus Antonius Franciscus Maria Oliva "Hans" van Mierlo was a Dutch politician of the Democrats 66 . In 1966 Van Mierlo together with Hans Gruijters founded the Democrats 66...
. The party's main objective was to democratise the political system; it proposed to create an American style presidential system
Presidential system
A presidential system is a system of government where an executive branch exists and presides separately from the legislature, to which it is not responsible and which cannot, in normal circumstances, dismiss it....
. In the 1967 general election
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 party won 7 of the 150 seats in the House of Representatives, no new party had ever gained that many seats before. The electoral history of the party is characterised by large fluctuations. At one point they had 24 seats, currently (following the June 2010 Parliamentary elections) they have 10. The party was in government from 1973-1977, 1981-1982, 1994-2002 and 2003-2006
Second Balkenende cabinet
The second cabinet of Jan Peter Balkenende of the Netherlands formed on 27 May 2003. It consisted of three political parties: People's Party for Freedom and Democracy , Christian Democratic Appeal , and Democrats 66 , which is the smallest of the three.On 29 June 2006, D66 dropped its support for...
. Over time the party began to emphasise other issues in addition to democratic reform, creating a social-liberal programme.
Currently the party is represented by ten seats in the House of Representatives, five in the Senate and three in the European Parliament. The party leader, and chair of the parliamentary party in the House of Representatives, is Alexander Pechtold
Alexander Pechtold
Alexander Pechtold is a Dutch politician of the Democrats 66 party. He has been a member of the House of Representatives since 30 November 2006 as well as Parliamentary group leader since 23 November 2006...
. The party is in opposition against the Rutte cabinet. The party has a small number of elected local and provincial politicians, but supplies a relative large share of the mayors, which are appointed. The party's voters are concentrated in larger cities, especially those with a university.
The organisation of D66 is based on principles of direct democracy
Direct democracy
Direct democracy is a form of government in which people vote on policy initiatives directly, as opposed to a representative democracy in which people vote for representatives who then vote on policy initiatives. Direct democracy is classically termed "pure democracy"...
. Important decisions are made per 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...
. D66 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 European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party
European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party
The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party is a European political party mainly active in the European Union, composed of 56 national-level liberal and liberal-democratic parties from across Europe...
and the 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...
.
Foundation
D66 was founded on 14 October 1966 by 44 people. Its founders were described as homines noviNovus homo
Homo novus was the term in ancient Rome for a man who was the first in his family to serve in the Roman Senate or, more specifically, to be elected as consul...
, although 25 of the 44 had previously been members of a political party. The initiators were Hans van Mierlo
Hans van Mierlo
Henricus Antonius Franciscus Maria Oliva "Hans" van Mierlo was a Dutch politician of the Democrats 66 . In 1966 Van Mierlo together with Hans Gruijters founded the Democrats 66...
, a journalist for the Algemeen Handelsblad and Hans Gruijters
Hans Gruijters
Johannes Petrus Adrianus Gruijters was a Dutch politician, and a co-founder of the Dutch social-liberal party D66-Biography:...
, a municipal councillor in Amsterdam. Van Mierlo became the party's political leader and Gruijters the party's chair. The foundation of the party was preceded by the Appeal 1966 on October 10, in which the founders appealed to the people of the Netherlands to re-take their democratic institutions. The party renounced the 19th century political ideologies, which dominated the political system and wanted to end pillarisation
Pillarisation
Pillarisation is a term used to describe the politico-denominational segregation of Dutch and Belgian society. These societies were "vertically" divided into several segments or "pillars" according to different religions or ideologies.These pillars all had their own social institutions: their own...
. It called for radical democratisation of the Dutch society and its political system and it called for pragmatic
Pragmatism
Pragmatism is a philosophical tradition centered on the linking of practice and theory. It describes a process where theory is extracted from practice, and applied back to practice to form what is called intelligent practice...
and scientific
Technocracy (bureaucratic)
Technocracy is a form of government where technical experts are in control of decision making in their respective fields. Economists, engineers, scientists, health professionals, and those who have knowledge, expertise or skills would compose the governing body...
policy-making.
1967-1986
The party entered in the 1967 general electionDutch 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...
with Hans van Mierlo as their 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...
. The party won an unprecedented seven seats in parliament. In the 1971 general election
Dutch 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 party won an additional four seats and it formed a Shadow Cabinet
Shadow Cabinet
The Shadow Cabinet is a senior group of opposition spokespeople in the Westminster system of government who together under the leadership of the Leader of the Opposition form an alternative cabinet to the government's, whose members shadow or mark each individual member of the 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 Christian left
Christian left
The Christian left is a term originating in the United States, used to describe a spectrum of left-wing Christian political and social movements which largely embraces social justice....
Political Party of Radicals (PPR). In the 1972 general election
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 three parties formed a political alliance called the "Progressive Accord" (Dutch: Progressief Akkoord; PAK) and presented a common electoral program (Keerpunt '72; turning point '72). In the elections D66 lost nearly half its seats, leaving only six. The alliance became the largest political force in the country, but it did not gain a majority. After long cabinet formation talks the three PAK-parties formed an extra-parliamentary cabinet
Cabinet of the Netherlands
The cabinet of the Netherlands is the main executive body of the Dutch government. The current cabinet of the Netherlands is the Rutte cabinet.-Composition and role:...
joined by progressive members of 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) and 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). The cabinet was led by the Labour politician Joop 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....
. After the formation talks Van Mierlo left politics, feeling that his political position within the parliamentary party was untenable. The other party-founder Hans Gruijters became Minister of Housing and Spatial Planning. Van Mierlo was replaced by Jan Terlouw
Jan Terlouw
Jan Cornelis Terlouw is a Dutch scientist, politician, and author.- Background :Jan Terlouw was born in Kamperveen, Overijssel. He was the eldest son in his family, he has two brothers and two sisters and grew up in the Veluwe...
. He became the chair of the parliamentary party.
In the period 1972-1974 the party lost a dramatic number of members (from 6000 to 300) and polled very poorly in the provincial elections of 1974. The party also lost half of its senators in the 1974 indirect election to the Senate. On one of the party congresses a motion was put forth to abolish the party. A majority of the members voted in favour, but the two-thirds majority was not reached. In reaction Terlouw started a campaign to revitalise the party, involving a membership drive and a petition
Petition
A petition is a request to do something, most commonly addressed to a government official or public entity. Petitions to a deity are a form of prayer....
to the electorate. He emphasised issues other than democratic reform, and gave the party a more 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,...
orientation. The party doubled its membership in 1975 and in the 1977 general election
Dutch general election, 1977
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on May 25, 1977....
D66 won two additional seats, although that same year the party lost all its seats in the Senate. In the 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:...
D66 more than doubled its seats, to seventeen. They entered government 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) and the Labour Party. Terlouw became Minister of the Economy. The cabinet was riddled by the personal and ideological conflicts between the Christian Democratic Prime Minister Dries van Agt
Dries van Agt
Andreas Antonius Maria "Dries" van Agt is a retired Dutch politician of the Christian Democratic Appeal . He served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from December 19, 1977, until November 4, 1982....
and the Labour minister of Social Affairs Joop den Uyl. The cabinet fell nine months after it was formed, when Labour left the cabinet. D66 and the CDA continued to govern in a caretaker government
Cabinet of the Netherlands
The cabinet of the Netherlands is the main executive body of the Dutch government. The current cabinet of the Netherlands is the Rutte cabinet.-Composition and role:...
. In the subsequent 1982 general election
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:...
, D66 lost two-thirds of its support, and was left with only six seats. After the elections Terlouw left politics, and he was replaced by Maarten Engwirda. The party was confined to opposition
Opposition (politics)
In politics, the opposition comprises one or more political parties or other organized groups that are opposed to the government , party or group in political control of a city, region, state or country...
.
1986-present
In 1986 Van Mierlo returned to politics. He emphasised democratic reform as the core issue of the party and wanted to end the polarisation between the Labour Party (PvdA) and People's Party for Freedom and DemocracyPeople's Party for Freedom and Democracy
The People's Party for Freedom and Democracy is a conservative-liberal political party located in the Netherlands. The VVD supports private enterprise in the Netherlands and is often perceived as an economic liberal party in contrast to the social-liberal Democrats 66 alongside which it sits in...
(VVD), in order to form a government without the Christian Democratic Appeal. He led the party in the 1986 general election
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:...
and gained three seats. In the 1989 election
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 party won another three seats, making a total of twelve, and it was asked to join the formation talks of a CDA/PvdA/D66 cabinet. Although the PvdA preferred a government with D66, the CDA did not. In the end D66 was numerically not necessary for the coalition, and they were excluded. Although in opposition, D66 adopted a constructive approach towards the government.
They were rewarded for this in the 1994 general election
Dutch 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:...
in which the party doubled its number of seats to twenty four. D66 was able to form its 'dream coalition', the Purple government
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...
, which combined 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...
PvdA, and the conservative-liberal
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....
VVD. The first Kok cabinet initiated legislation, which the D66 has always advocated, such as the referendum, same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....
and the legalisation of euthanasia
Euthanasia
Euthanasia refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering....
. The centrist
Centrism
In politics, centrism is the ideal or the practice of promoting policies that lie different from the standard political left and political right. Most commonly, this is visualized as part of the one-dimensional political spectrum of left-right politics, with centrism landing in the middle between...
economic policies of the cabinet were also seen as a great success. Van Mierlo became Minister of Foreign Affairs. Before the election of 1998
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:...
, Van Mierlo stepped back and Els Borst
Els Borst
Else Borst-Eilers is a former Dutch Politician, she led D66 in the 1998 election campaign and served as Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport for eight years, and the last four as Deputy Prime Minister. Before entering politics she had a career in medicine.-Education and Academic Career:Borst...
, the minister of health became the top-candidate. D66 lost ten seats in the election, but its coalition partners won considerable ground at the cost of D66. The second Kok cabinet continued. Although D66 was numerically not necessary, it was seen as the glue that kept the two opposites of PvdA and VVD together. Borst stepped down as party leader and became Deputy Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands
The Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands is the official Deputy of the Head of Government of the Netherlands. In the absence of the Prime Minister the deputy prime minister takes over his functions, such as chairing the Cabinet of the Netherlands...
and Minister of Health. Thom de Graaf
Thom de Graaf
Thomas Carolus de Graaf is a Dutch jurist and politician. He is a member of social liberal party Democrats 66 . Since January 2007 he has been mayor of the city of Nijmegen and since 7 June 2011 also a member of the Senate...
led the parliamentary party. Within the party, a group of age twenty-somethings, called Opschudding (Upheaval) began to call for a more explicit progressive liberal course. In 1999 a constitutional reform, which would allow referendums was rejected by the Senate. A group of dissidents around the prominent VVD member 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 voted against. D66 left the cabinet. In the subsequent formation talks D66 returned to the cabinet, in return for another important issue for D66, the directly elected mayor, and a temporary referendum law.
In the 2002 general election
Dutch general election, 2002
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on May 15, 2002....
the tide had turned against the Purple government, and the right-wing populist
Right-wing populism
Right-wing populism is a political ideology that rejects existing political consensus and combines laissez-faire liberalism and anti-elitism. It is considered "right-wing" because of its rejection of social equality and government programs to achieve it, its opposition to social integration, and...
Pim Fortuyn List (LPF) had won considerable ground. The three purple parties lost an unprecedented 43 seats. D66 was left with only seven seats. The first Balkenende cabinet
First Balkenende cabinet
The first cabinet of Jan Peter Balkenende was in office in the Netherlands from 22 July 2002 until 16 October of the same year. The term of 87 days was the shortest since the fifth cabinet of Hendrikus Colijn .Following the 15 May 2002...
, formed of CDA, LPF and VVD, lasted only three months. In the 2003 general election
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:...
D66 lost another seat, leaving only six. De Graaf stood down, in favour of Boris Dittrich. After long formation talks between CDA and PvdA failed, a second Balkenende cabinet
Second Balkenende cabinet
The second cabinet of Jan Peter Balkenende of the Netherlands formed on 27 May 2003. It consisted of three political parties: People's Party for Freedom and Democracy , Christian Democratic Appeal , and Democrats 66 , which is the smallest of the three.On 29 June 2006, D66 dropped its support for...
was formed, comprising CDA, VVD and D66 parties. In return for investments in environment and education, and a special minister of democratisation, a post taken by De Graaf, who also became Deputy Prime Minister, D66 supported the 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...
reform cabinet and some of its more controversial legislation. In May 2005 the Senate rejected a constitutional reform that would allow a directly elected mayor. The legislation was introduced in the second 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....
-led Purple government, but it was unable to get a two-thirds majority because the Labour Party, whose minister De Vries
Klaas de Vries (politician)
Klaas George de Vries is a member of the Dutch House of Representatives for the PvdA. De Vries has had a long political career: he has been a member of parliament for more than 15 years, he has been a minister, and was involved in forming both Kok cabinets.-Career before politics:After attending a...
had initiated the reform, rejected the legislation, because they were opposed the model of election proposed by De Graaf. De Graaf stepped down, but the rest of the ministers stayed on, after D66 was promised more investment in public education
Public education
State schools, also known in the United States and Canada as public schools,In much of the Commonwealth, including Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom, the terms 'public education', 'public school' and 'independent school' are used for private schools, that is, schools...
and the environment, and a plan for electoral reform. A special party congress was called to ratify this so-called Easter Accord. 2,600 members (20 percent of total membership) were present and the congress broadcasted live on by the Netherlands Public Broadcasting (NPO). The congress agreed to remain in cabinet by a large majority. Alexander Pechtold
Alexander Pechtold
Alexander Pechtold is a Dutch politician of the Democrats 66 party. He has been a member of the House of Representatives since 30 November 2006 as well as Parliamentary group leader since 23 November 2006...
replaced De Graaf as minister of government reform. Laurens Jan Brinkhorst
Laurens Jan Brinkhorst
Laurens Jan Brinkhorst is a Dutch D66 politician.Brinkhorst was an undersecretary of state of foreign affairs and a minister of agriculture. Furthermore he was the leader of the D66-group in the Second Chamber of the Dutch parliament...
, the Minister of the Economy, became Deputy Prime Minister.
In February 2006 Dittrich stepped down as chair of the parliamentary party, because he did not agree with the government's decision to send the Dutch armed forces to the southern province of Uruzgan in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. D66 voted against the government's proposal together with the Socialist Party
Socialist Party (Netherlands)
The Socialist Party is a democratic socialist political party in the Netherlands. After the 2006 general election, the Socialist Party became one of the major parties of the Netherlands with 25 seats of 150, an increase of 16 seats. The party was in opposition against the fourth Balkenende cabinet...
and the GreenLeft
GreenLeft
GreenLeft is a green political party operating in the Netherlands.GreenLeft was formed on 1 March 1989 as a merger of four left-wing political parties: the Communist Party of the Netherlands, Pacifist Socialist Party, the Political Party of Radicals and the Evangelical People's Party...
. Dittrich stated that the mission to send troops was not a reconstruction mission (as the government and the majority of the Dutch parliament claimed), but a military operation. Lousewies van der Laan
Lousewies van der Laan
Louse Wies Sija Anne Lilly Berthe van der Laan is a former Dutch politician and the leader of the parliamentary group of the social liberal Democrats 66 in the House of Representatives for six months in 2006...
replaced Dittrich. In May 2006, D66 polled particularly badly in the 2006 municipal election
Dutch municipal elections, 2006
The Dutch municipal elections of 2006 were held on March 7, 2006. About 11.8 million people could vote in 419 municipalities. Due to local redistricting, 15 municipalities have already held elections in January 2006 and 24 municipalities will hold elections in November 2006...
s. D66 began to lose a considerable number of members, some of who founded deZES, another radical democratic, progressive liberal party. On a special party congress on 13 May a motion was put forth, demanding the withdrawal of D66 from the cabinet - it was rejected. In June 2006 an internal election
2006 D66 leadership election
The Dutch social liberal party, Democrats 66 , has held a lijsttrekker election for June 24, 2006. The elections were won by the Minister for Government Reform and Kingdom Relations Alexander Pechtold, runner up was the chair of the parliamentary party Lousewies van der Laan.-Background:The...
was held in order to choose the top candidate for the 2007 election. Both Van der Laan and Pechtold entered. Pechtold won the elections, making him political leader of the party. During the special plenary parliamentary debate of July 28, 2006, on the naturalization process
Naturalization
Naturalization is the acquisition of citizenship and nationality by somebody who was not a citizen of that country at the time of birth....
of Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Ayaan Hirsi Magan Ali is a Somali-Dutch feminist and atheist activist, writer, politician who strongly opposes circumcision and female genital cutting. She is the daughter of the Somali politician and opposition leader Hirsi Magan Isse and is a founder of the women's rights organisation the AHA...
, D66 supported a motion of no confidence against minister Rita Verdonk
Rita Verdonk
Maria Cornelia Frederika "Rita" Verdonk is a retired Dutch politician initially of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy until she was expelled in October 2007, she later formed her own party Proud of the Netherlands . She served as Minister for Integration and Immigration in Cabinets...
. As D66 was a junior coalition partner, this caused a crisis in the second Balkenende cabinet. The cabinet refused to remove Verdonk from her position. Lousewies van der Laan
Lousewies van der Laan
Louse Wies Sija Anne Lilly Berthe van der Laan is a former Dutch politician and the leader of the parliamentary group of the social liberal Democrats 66 in the House of Representatives for six months in 2006...
, parliamentary leader of D66, did not feel that the D66 faction could support the cabinet any longer, and that the cabinet had to resign. Later on June 29, the two D66 ministers Alexander Pechtold
Alexander Pechtold
Alexander Pechtold is a Dutch politician of the Democrats 66 party. He has been a member of the House of Representatives since 30 November 2006 as well as Parliamentary group leader since 23 November 2006...
and Laurens-Jan Brinkhorst resigned, causing the downfall of the Balkenende cabinet. New elections were called for November 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....
and the third Balkenende cabinet
Third Balkenende cabinet
The third Balkenende cabinet was formed on 7 July 2006 after a crisis in and the subsequent resignation of the second Balkenende cabinet. This demissionary minority cabinet of Christian Democratic Appeal and People's Party for Freedom and Democracy was negotiated by former prime minister Ruud...
governed as a minority
Minority government
A minority government or a minority cabinet is a cabinet of a parliamentary system formed when a political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in the parliament but is sworn into government to break a Hung Parliament election result. It is also known as a...
caretaker government
Caretaker government
Caretaker government is a type of government that rules temporarily. A caretaker government is often set up following a war until stable democratic rule can be restored, or installed, in which case it is often referred to as a provisional government...
.
In October 2006, just before the D66 party congress and its 40th anniversary as party, D66 founder Hans van Mierlo
Hans van Mierlo
Henricus Antonius Franciscus Maria Oliva "Hans" van Mierlo was a Dutch politician of the Democrats 66 . In 1966 Van Mierlo together with Hans Gruijters founded the Democrats 66...
asked the question whether D66 has still political legitimacy. He believes that many errors were made in recent history, and that only the acceptance of these errors can provide for any credibility to D66. Van Mierlo has put his support behind party leader Pechtold, who in his view can provide for such credibility.
Since 2008 the party performed quite well in the polls: ranging from 10 to 26 seats in the polls, compared to only three in parliament. In the 2009 European Parliament election
European 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...
the party won 11% of the votes and three seats, compared to 4% and the one seat gained in the 2004 European elections
European 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....
. Dutch journalist such as the news program Nova attribute this increase to the leadership of Alexander Pechtold, who has been called "the leader of the opposition.". Under the leadership of Pechtold the party has taken strong stances against 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...
. Pechtold considers the PVV populist and some of the statements of Wilders racist. In the June 2010 parliamentary elections it increased its representation to ten seats.
Name
At its foundation the party was called Democraten 1966 (Democrats 1966; D'66). "Democrats" was reference to the goal of the party (radical democratisation). The year (1966) was a reference to the year of foundation, and was supposed to convey a modern image. In 1981 the name was changed to Democraten 66 (Democrats 66; D66), the name had become a successful political brand, but the year no longer conveyed a modern image.Ideology and issues
The ideology of D66 is a highly contested subject within the party. The question is tied to the reason for its existence. There are two currents within the party: the radical democratsDemocracy
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...
and the progressive liberals. These two currents although some times antagonistic currently complement each other, as both emphasise the self-realisation of the individual. The Radical League
Radical League
The Radical League was a Dutch progressive liberal political party. The league is historically linked with the PvdA.-Party History:...
and the Free-thinking Democratic League, two early twentieth century parties are historic exponents of these two traditions.
Radical democrats
The first party congress emphasized radical democratisation of Dutch society and the political system. Its ideal was a two-party systemTwo-party system
A two-party system is a system where two major political parties dominate voting in nearly all elections at every level of government and, as a result, all or nearly all elected offices are members of one of the two major parties...
. To obtain this it wanted to reform the electoral system
Electoral reform
Electoral reform is change in electoral systems to improve how public desires are expressed in election results. That can include reforms of:...
after the American first past the post
Plurality voting system
The plurality voting system is a single-winner voting system often used to elect executive officers or to elect members of a legislative assembly which is based on single-member constituencies...
model. The electoral reform was gradually moderated, now the party favour German-style mixed member proportional representation
Mixed member proportional representation
Mixed-member proportional representation, also termed mixed-member proportional voting and commonly abbreviated to MMP, is a voting system originally used to elect representatives to the German Bundestag, and nowadays adopted by numerous legislatures around the world...
, which combines both proportional and majoritarian electoral systems. This radical democratisation was combined with pragmatic and anti-dogmatic attitude towards politics. Hans van Mierlo
Hans van Mierlo
Henricus Antonius Franciscus Maria Oliva "Hans" van Mierlo was a Dutch politician of the Democrats 66 . In 1966 Van Mierlo together with Hans Gruijters founded the Democrats 66...
, the party's leader between 1966 and 1972 and between 1986 and 1998 and the party's figurehead, was an important exponent of this tendency within the party.
Progressive liberals
D66's progressive liberal current has historically been much weaker than its radical democratic current. Progressive liberals seek to adopt a more substantive course for the party, breaking with its pragmatism. Under Jan TerlouwJan Terlouw
Jan Cornelis Terlouw is a Dutch scientist, politician, and author.- Background :Jan Terlouw was born in Kamperveen, Overijssel. He was the eldest son in his family, he has two brothers and two sisters and grew up in the Veluwe...
, between 1972 and 1982, D66 began to emphasise new issues like the environment
Natural environment
The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....
, public education
Public education
State schools, also known in the United States and Canada as public schools,In much of the Commonwealth, including Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom, the terms 'public education', 'public school' and 'independent school' are used for private schools, that is, schools...
and innovation
Innovation
Innovation is the creation of better or more effective products, processes, technologies, or ideas that are accepted by markets, governments, and society...
. He called D66 a fourth current, next to social democracy
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...
, Christian democracy
Christian Democracy
Christian democracy is a political ideology that seeks to apply Christian principles to public policy. It emerged in nineteenth-century Europe under the influence of conservatism and Catholic social teaching...
and the 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....
of the VVD. In 1998 the group "Opschudding" called for progressive liberal course for the party. In the party's manifesto, adopted in 2000, the party explicitly adopted a progressive liberal image. National political reasons explain the usage of the label social-liberal, since the more right-wing
Right-wing politics
In politics, Right, right-wing and rightist generally refer to support for a hierarchical society justified on the basis of an appeal to natural law or tradition. To varying degrees, the Right rejects the egalitarian objectives of left-wing politics, claiming that the imposition of equality is...
VVD describes itself as the liberal party.
Issues
Some of the party's most important policies include:- D66 is in favour of a mixed economyMixed economyMixed economy is an economic system in which both the state and private sector direct the economy, reflecting characteristics of both market economies and planned economies. Most mixed economies can be described as market economies with strong regulatory oversight, in addition to having a variety...
combining market economics and government intervention. D66 is also a proponent of increased flexibility in the labour marketLabour market flexibilityLabour market flexibility refers to the speed with which labour markets adapt to fluctuations and changes in society, the economy or production.-Definition:In the past, the most common definition of labour market flexibility was the neo-liberal definition...
and tax-cuts for the lower and middle classes. - D66 proposes to increase government spending on educationEducationEducation in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
and innovationInnovationInnovation is the creation of better or more effective products, processes, technologies, or ideas that are accepted by markets, governments, and society...
, for instance increases in teachers' salaries. Also, D66 wants the education sector to be deregulated and introduce more competition in the sector. - The environmentNatural environmentThe natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....
is an important issue for the party. D66 favours more investment in sustainable energySustainable energySustainable energy is the provision of energy that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Sustainable energy sources include all renewable energy sources, such as hydroelectricity, solar energy, wind energy, wave power, geothermal...
. D66, however, also favours nuclear powerNuclear powerNuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity...
, under certain conditions. - D66 is a social liberalSocial liberalismSocial 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...
party. The first Kok cabinet, in which it participated introduced several "liberal" reforms in the past, such as the legalisation of euthanasiaEuthanasiaEuthanasia refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering....
, gay marriage and prostitutionProstitution in the NetherlandsProstitution in the Netherlands is legal and regulated. Operating a brothel is also legal. In the last few years, a significant number of brothels and "windows" have been closed because of suspected criminal activity...
. - D66 is a proponent of democratic reform. It favours electoral reforms such as a binding 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...
, abolition of the Senate and direct election of prime ministers and mayors. - D66 favours a Federal Europe and more European cooperation on issues such as the environment, immigration policy and foreign policy.
- In exchange for an agreed upon mutual support from centre-rightCentre-rightThe 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...
legislators in the second Balkenende cabinetSecond Balkenende cabinetThe second cabinet of Jan Peter Balkenende of the Netherlands formed on 27 May 2003. It consisted of three political parties: People's Party for Freedom and Democracy , Christian Democratic Appeal , and Democrats 66 , which is the smallest of the three.On 29 June 2006, D66 dropped its support for...
, D66 helped them implement social security and healthcare reforms, which included discouraging early retirement, reforming the Disability benefit system and introducing market forces into the Dutch healthcare system. (For more on that compromise, refer to the "1986-now" section in this article)
Representation
This table shows the results of D66 in elections to the House of Representatives, the Senate, the States-Provincial and European elections, as well as the party's political leadership: the fractievoorzitter, is the chair of the parliamentary party and the lijsttrekker is the party's top candidate in the general election, these posts are normally taken by the party's leader. It also possible that the party leader is member of cabinet, if the D66 was part of the governing coalition, the "highest ranking" minister is listed. The membership and party chair of D66 is also represented.| Year | HoR | S | EP European Parliament The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world... |
SP States-Provincial The States'-Provincial is the provincial parliament and legislative assembly in each of the Provinces of the Netherlands. It is elected for each province simultaneously once every four years and has the responsibility for matters of sub-national or regional importance... |
Lijsttrekker Lijsttrekker Lijsttrekker is a Dutch term for the top candidate of a party on a party list. He or she is almost always the party's political leader. After an election, this person usually leads the party's faction in the States-General, or serves in a senior position in the Cabinet if his party is part of... |
Fractievoorzitter | Cabinet Cabinet (government) A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :... |
Chair | membership |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 0 | no elections | none | extra-parliamentary | Hans van Mierlo Hans van Mierlo Henricus Antonius Franciscus Maria Oliva "Hans" van Mierlo was a Dutch politician of the Democrats 66 . In 1966 Van Mierlo together with Hans Gruijters founded the Democrats 66... |
1,500 |
| 1967 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... |
7 | 0 | n/a | 0 | Hans van Mierlo | Hans van Mierlo | opposition | G. Ringalda | 3,700 |
| 1968 | 7 | 0 | n/a | 0 | no elections | Hans van Mierlo | opposition | H.J. Lookeren-Campagne | 3,850 |
| 1969 | 7 | 0 | n/a | 0 | no elections | Hans van Mierlo | opposition | J.A.P.M. Beekmans | 5,075 |
| 1970 | 7 | 0 | n/a | 47 | no elections | Hans van Mierlo | opposition | J.A.P.M. Beekmans | 6,400 |
| 1971 Dutch 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%... |
11 | 6 | n/a | 47 | Hans van Mierlo | Hans van Mierlo | opposition | J.A.P.M. Beekmans | 5,620 |
| 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:... |
6 | 6 | n/a | 47 | no elections | Jan Terlouw Jan Terlouw Jan Cornelis Terlouw is a Dutch scientist, politician, and author.- Background :Jan Terlouw was born in Kamperveen, Overijssel. He was the eldest son in his family, he has two brothers and two sisters and grew up in the Veluwe... |
Hans Gruijters Hans Gruijters Johannes Petrus Adrianus Gruijters was a Dutch politician, and a co-founder of the Dutch social-liberal party D66-Biography:... |
R.E. van der Scheer-van Essen | 6,000 |
| 1973 | 6 | 6 | n/a | 47 | no elections | Jan Terlouw | Hans Gruijters | J. ten Brink | 6,000 |
| 1974 | 6 | 3 | n/a | 2 | no elections | Jan Terlouw | Hans Gruijters | J. ten Brink | 300 |
| 1975 | 6 | 3 | n/a | 2 | no elections | Jan Terlouw | Hans Gruijters | J. ten Brink | 667 |
| 1976 | 6 | 3 | n/a | 2 | no elections | Jan Terlouw | Hans Gruijters | Jan Glastra van Loon | 2,000 |
| 1977 Dutch general election, 1977 The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on May 25, 1977.... |
8 | 0 | n/a | 2 | Jan Terlouw | Jan Terlouw | opposition | Jan Glastra van Loon | 4,410 |
| 1978 | 8 | 0 | n/a | 31 | no elections | Jan Terlouw | opposition | Jan Glastra van Loon | 8,424 |
| 1979 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 31 | no elections | Jan Terlouw | opposition | Jan Glastra van Loon | 11,677 |
| 1980 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 31 | no elections | Jan Terlouw | opposition | Henk Zeevalking Henk Zeevalking Hendrik Jan Zeevalking was a Dutch politician. He was co-founder of the political party Democrats 66... |
14,638 |
| 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:... |
17 | 0 | 2 | 31 | Jan Terlouw | Laurens-Jan Brinkhorst | Jan Terlouw | Henk Zeevalking | 17,765 |
| 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:... |
6 | 0 | 2 | 56 | Jan Terlouw | Maarten Engwirda | opposition | J. Berkom | 14,500 |
| 1983 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 56 | no elections | Maarten Engwirda | opposition | Jacob Kohnstam | 12,000 |
| 1984 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 56 | no elections | Maarten Engwirda | opposition | Jacob Kohnstam | 8,774 |
| 1985 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 56 | no elections | Maarten Engwirda | opposition | Jacob Kohnstam | 8,000 |
| 1986 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:... |
9 | 6 | 0 | 56 | Hans van Mierlo | Hans van Mierlo | opposition | S. van der Loo | 8,300 |
| 1987 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 45 | no elections | Hans van Mierlo | opposition | S. van der Loo | 8,700 |
| 1988 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 45 | no elections | Hans van Mierlo | opposition | S. van der Loo | 8,543 |
| 1989 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:... |
12 | 5 | 1 | 45 | Hans van Mierlo | Hans van Mierlo | opposition | M. de Jager | unknown |
| 1990 | 12 | 5 | 1 | 45 | no elections | Hans van Mierlo | opposition | M. de Jager | 9,829 |
| 1991 | 12 | 12 | 1 | 116 | no elections | Hans van Mierlo | opposition | H.J.D. Janssen | 11,325 |
| 1992 | 12 | 12 | 1 | 116 | no elections | Hans van Mierlo | opposition | H.J.D. Janssen | 13,000 |
| 1993 | 12 | 12 | 1 | 116 | no elections | Hans van Mierlo | opposition | W.I.J.M. Vrijhoef | 14,500 |
| 1994 Dutch 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:... |
24 | 12 | 4 | 116 | Hans van Mierlo | Gerrit-Jan Wolffensperger | Hans van Mierlo | W.I.J.M. Vrijhoef | 15,000 |
| 1995 | 24 | 7 | 4 | 68 | no elections | Gerrit-Jan Wolffensperger | Hans van Mierlo | W.I.J.M. Vrijhoef | 13,230 |
| 1996 | 24 | 7 | 4 | 68 | no elections | Gerrit-Jan Wolffensperger | Hans van Mierlo | W.I.J.M. Vrijhoef | 13,747 |
| 1997 | 24 | 7 | 4 | 68 | no elections | Thom de Graaf Thom de Graaf Thomas Carolus de Graaf is a Dutch jurist and politician. He is a member of social liberal party Democrats 66 . Since January 2007 he has been mayor of the city of Nijmegen and since 7 June 2011 also a member of the Senate... |
Hans van Mierlo | T.A. Kok | 13,391 |
| 1998 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:... |
14 | 7 | 4 | 68 | Els Borst Els Borst Else Borst-Eilers is a former Dutch Politician, she led D66 in the 1998 election campaign and served as Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport for eight years, and the last four as Deputy Prime Minister. Before entering politics she had a career in medicine.-Education and Academic Career:Borst... |
Thom de Graaf | Els Borst | T.A. Kok | 12,027 |
| 1999 | 14 | 4 | 2 | 39 | no elections | Thom de Graaf | Els Borst | T.A. Kok | 12,027 |
| 2000 | 14 | 4 | 2 | 39 | no elections | Thom de Graaf | Els Borst | A.G. Schouw | 11,878 |
| 2001 | 14 | 4 | 2 | 39 | no elections | Thom de Graaf | Els Borst | A.G. Schouw | 12,188 |
| 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.... |
7 | 4 | 2 | 39 | Thom de Graaf | Thom de Graaf | opposition | A.G. Schouw | unknown |
| 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:... |
6 | 3 | 2 | 31 | Thom de Graaf | Boris Dittrich | Thom de Graaf | Alexander Pechtold Alexander Pechtold Alexander Pechtold is a Dutch politician of the Democrats 66 party. He has been a member of the House of Representatives since 30 November 2006 as well as Parliamentary group leader since 23 November 2006... |
12,711 |
| 2004 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 31 | no elections | Boris Dittrich | Thom de Graaf | Alexander Pechtold | 13,507 |
| 2005 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 31 | no elections | Boris Dittrich | Laurens-Jan Brinkhorst | Frank Dales | 12,827 |
| 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.... |
3 | 3 | 1 | 31 | Alexander Pechtold Alexander Pechtold Alexander Pechtold is a Dutch politician of the Democrats 66 party. He has been a member of the House of Representatives since 30 November 2006 as well as Parliamentary group leader since 23 November 2006... |
Lousewies van der Laan Lousewies van der Laan Louse Wies Sija Anne Lilly Berthe van der Laan is a former Dutch politician and the leader of the parliamentary group of the social liberal Democrats 66 in the House of Representatives for six months in 2006... |
Laurens-Jan Brinkhorst | Frank Dales | 11,059 |
| 2007 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 9 | no elections | Alexander Pechtold | opposition | Ingrid van Engelshoven | 10,299 |
| 2008 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 9 | no elections | Alexander Pechtold | opposition | Ingrid van Engelshoven | 10,357 |
| 2009 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 9 | no elections | Alexander Pechtold | opposition | Ingrid van Engelshoven | 12,432 |
| 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... |
10 | 2 | 3 | 9 | Alexander Pechtold | Alexander Pechtold | opposition | Ingrid van Engelshoven | 18,500 |
| 2011 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 42 | no elections | Alexander Pechtold | opposition | Ingrid van Engelshoven | 21.599 |
Members of the House of Representatives
The 2010 general electionsDutch 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...
resulted in ten seats for D66 in the House of Representatives, the Dutch Lower House
Lower house
A lower house is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the upper house.Despite its official position "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide the lower house has come to wield more power...
:
- Alexander PechtoldAlexander PechtoldAlexander Pechtold is a Dutch politician of the Democrats 66 party. He has been a member of the House of Representatives since 30 November 2006 as well as Parliamentary group leader since 23 November 2006...
, Parliamentary group leaderParliamentary group leaderThe leader or chairman of a parliamentary group holds an influential political post in a parliamentary system with strong party discipline... - Magda BerndsenMagda BerndsenMagdalena Adriaantje Berndsen-Jansen is a Dutch politician and former police officer. As a member of Democrats 66 she has been an MP since June 17, 2010...
- Pia DijkstraPia DijkstraPietje Aafke Dijkstra is a Dutch politician and former television presenter. As a member of Democrats 66 she has been an MP since June 17, 2010. She focuses on matters of public health, welfare, sports and emancipation.From 1988 to 2000 she was news anchor of NOS Journaal.- References : -...
- Wassila HachchiWassila HachchiWassila Hachchi is a Dutch politician and former civil servant and officer. As a member of Democrats 66 she has been an MP since June 17, 2010. She focuses on matters of defense, development aid and Kingdom relations....
- Boris van der HamBoris van der HamBoris van der Ham is a Dutch politician and former actor. On 23 May 2002 he has become a member of the Dutch House of Representatives for Democrats 66 , a social liberal party. In November 2006 he has also become vice-Parliamentary group leader...
- Wouter KoolmeesWouter KoolmeesWouter Koolmees is a Dutch politician and former civil servant. As a member of Democrats 66 he has been an MP since June 17, 2010. He focuses on matters of finance, transport and water supply....
- Fatma Koşer KayaFatma Koşer KayaFatma Koşer Kaya is a Dutch lawyer and politician of Turkish origin. As a member of Democrats 66 she has been an MP since September 8, 2004. She focuses on social affairs....
- Gerard SchouwGerard SchouwAdrianus Gerardus Schouw is a Dutch politician. As a member of Democrats 66 he has been an MP since June 17, 2010...
- Stientje van VeldhovenStientje van VeldhovenStientje van Veldhoven-van der Meer is a Dutch politician and former diplomat and civil servant. As a member of Democrats 66 she has been an MP since June 17, 2010...
- Kees VerhoevenKees VerhoevenKees Verhoeven is a Dutch politician and geographer. As a member of Democrats 66 he has been an MP since June 17, 2010. He focuses on matters of economic affairs, housing, spatial planning and infrastructure....
Members of the Senate
After the 2011 Senate electionsDutch Senate election, 2011
The elections of the Dutch Senate of 2011 were held on 23 May 2011, following the provincial elections on 2 March 2011. The 566 members of the twelve States-Provincial elected the 75 Senate members...
, the party had five representatives in the Senate, the Dutch Upper House
Upper house
An upper house, often called a senate, is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the lower house; a legislature composed of only one house is described as unicameral.- Possible specific characteristics :...
:
- Roger van BoxtelRoger van BoxtelRoger Henri Ludovic Maria van Boxtel is a Dutch politician.-References:* at "Parlement & Politiek" site...
, Senate group leaderParliamentary group leaderThe leader or chairman of a parliamentary group holds an influential political post in a parliamentary system with strong party discipline... - Joris Backer
- Hans Engels
- Thom de GraafThom de GraafThomas Carolus de Graaf is a Dutch jurist and politician. He is a member of social liberal party Democrats 66 . Since January 2007 he has been mayor of the city of Nijmegen and since 7 June 2011 also a member of the Senate...
- Marijke Scholten
Members of the European Parliament
After the 2009 European Parliament electionsEuropean Parliament election, 2009
Elections to the European Parliament were held in the 27 member states of the European Union between 4 and 7 June 2009. A total of 736 Members of the European Parliament were elected to represent some 500 million Europeans, making these the biggest trans-national elections in history...
the party has three representatives in the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
:
- Sophie in 't VeldSophie in 't VeldSophia Helena in 't Veld is a Dutch Member of the European Parliament for the social liberal party Democrats 66 as part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe.-Biography:...
, group leader - Gerben-Jan GerbrandyGerben-Jan GerbrandyGerben-Jan Gerbrandy is a Dutch politician.- Life :Gerbrandy is a member of liberal party Democrats 66. Since 2009 Gerbrandy is a member of European Parliament.- External links :* * -References:...
- Marietje SchaakeMarietje SchaakeMarietje Schaake is a Dutch politician for the social liberal party Democrats 66. Since July 2009, she has served as a member of the European Parliament. She is a member of the parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs , as well as the Committee on Culture, Media and Education...
The D66 delegation is part of the 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...
.
Provincial government
D66 has 42 members of States-ProvincialStates-Provincial
The States'-Provincial is the provincial parliament and legislative assembly in each of the Provinces of the Netherlands. It is elected for each province simultaneously once every four years and has the responsibility for matters of sub-national or regional importance...
. Provincial elections of March 2011 per province. It shows the areas where D66 is strong, namely the urbanised provinces such as Utrecht and North Holland. The party is weaker in rural provinces like Friesland and Zeeland.
| Province | Seats |
|---|---|
| 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... |
5 |
| 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:... |
6 |
| 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... |
5 |
| 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... |
3 |
| 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,... |
4 |
| 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... |
2 |
| 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 :... |
5 |
| 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... |
3 |
| 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... |
2 |
| 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... |
3 |
| 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... |
2 |
| 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... |
2 |
Municipal government
28 of the 414 mayors of the Netherlands are members of D66. The party cooperates in several local executives and has 30 aldermen. It has 144 members of local legislatives and 16 members of borough legislatives. Fourteen of the borough councillors were elected in Amsterdam, and only two in Rotterdam.Electorate
Pillarisation
Pillarisation is a term used to describe the politico-denominational segregation of Dutch and Belgian society. These societies were "vertically" divided into several segments or "pillars" according to different religions or ideologies.These pillars all had their own social institutions: their own...
around it.
Organisational structure
D66 has long history of strong internal democracy. The highest organ of the D66 is the General Assembly, it is formed by delegates in which every member can participate. It convenes multiple times per year. It appoints the party board and has the last say over the party program. The party list, including the party's top candidate, for the Senate, House of Representatives, European Parliament candidates are elected per referendum. The party has between 250 and 300 branches all over the Netherlands.Linked organisations
The party's scientific institute is called "Hans van Mierlo Foundation" (as from may 2011). It publishes the "Idea" (Dutch: Idee). The party's magazine is the "Democrat". The education institute is called Education Centre D66. D66 has an organization for cooperation with Eastern European liberal parties called "Foundation International Democratic Initiative D66".The youth organization of D66 is called the Young Democrats
Jonge Democraten
The Young Democrats is the social-liberal youth organisation of the Netherlands, founded in 1984. With over 5000 members it's the largest non-Christian political youth organisation of the Netherlands...
(Dutch: Jonge Democraten; JD). It has produced several prominent active members of D66 like the MP Boris van der Ham
Boris van der Ham
Boris van der Ham is a Dutch politician and former actor. On 23 May 2002 he has become a member of the Dutch House of Representatives for Democrats 66 , a social liberal party. In November 2006 he has also become vice-Parliamentary group leader...
. The JD publishes the Demo. JD is a member of European Liberal Youth
European Liberal Youth
European Liberal Youth is an international organisation of Liberal youth movements - mostly the youth wings of members of the European Liberal, Democrat and Reform Party....
and the International Federation of Liberal Youth
International Federation of Liberal Youth
The International Federation of Liberal Youth is an international liberal youth organization. It consists of a global membership of national youth organizations. These are often but not exclusively affiliated with political parties that are members of Liberal International.IFLRY continues the...
.
D66 is cofounder of 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.
International organisations
D66 is a member of the Liberal InternationalLiberal 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...
and of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party
European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party
The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party is a European political party mainly active in the European Union, composed of 56 national-level liberal and liberal-democratic parties from across Europe...
(ELDR). It became a full member of the ELDR in 1994 and a full member of the Liberal International in 1986.
Relationships to other parties
In the recent decade's general elections, political commentators positioned D66 at the centre of the political spectrum and that most inclined to progressive reform. This offers the party much possibilities for co-operation with others in the Netherlands' political landscape. Historically, D66 has co-operated in cabinet with the Labour PartyLabour 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). They were in four cabinets together (Den Uyl, Van Agt II, Kok I and Kok II); and they formed a shadow cabinet
Shadow Cabinet
The Shadow Cabinet is a senior group of opposition spokespeople in the Westminster system of government who together under the leadership of the Leader of the Opposition form an alternative cabinet to the government's, whose members shadow or mark each individual member of the government...
during the early seventies. The relations with the PvdA came under heavy tension three times: in 1981 when D66 decided to continue to govern 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), after the PvdA ministers had left the first Van Agt cabinet; in 1989 when PvdA formed a third Lubbers cabinet without D66; and 2003 when D66 joined the second Balkenende cabinet
Second Balkenende cabinet
The second cabinet of Jan Peter Balkenende of the Netherlands formed on 27 May 2003. It consisted of three political parties: People's Party for Freedom and Democracy , Christian Democratic Appeal , and Democrats 66 , which is the smallest of the three.On 29 June 2006, D66 dropped its support for...
.
Ideologically the social-liberal D66 is linked to People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
The People's Party for Freedom and Democracy is a conservative-liberal political party located in the Netherlands. The VVD supports private enterprise in the Netherlands and is often perceived as an economic liberal party in contrast to the social-liberal Democrats 66 alongside which it sits in...
(VVD), although VVD is considered a party of 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....
. This resulted in three coalition governments (Kok I, Kok II and Balkenende II). Both D66 and the VVD are member of European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party
European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party
The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party is a European political party mainly active in the European Union, composed of 56 national-level liberal and liberal-democratic parties from across Europe...
(ELDR) and their members in the European Parliament joined the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
The Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe is the current liberal/centrist political group of the European Parliament...
group; they have campaigned with the same ELDR program in European Parliament elections; they have together formed electoral alliance
Electoral alliance
An electoral alliance may take the form of a bipartisan electoral agreement, electoral agreement, electoral coalition or electoral bloc. It is an association of political parties or individuals which exists solely to stand in elections...
See also
- Social LiberalismSocial liberalismSocial 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...
- LiberalismLiberalismLiberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
- Contributions to liberal theoryContributions to liberal theoryIndividual contributors to classical liberalism and political liberalism are associated with philosophers of the Enlightenment. Liberalism as a specifically named ideology begins in the late 18th century as a movement towards self-government and away from aristocracy...
- Liberalism worldwideLiberalism worldwideThis article gives information on liberalism in diverse countries around the world. It is an overview of parties that adhere more or less to the ideas of political liberalism and is therefore a list of liberal parties around the world....
- List of liberal parties
- Liberal democracyLiberal democracyLiberal democracy, also known as constitutional democracy, is a common form of representative democracy. According to the principles of liberal democracy, elections should be free and fair, and the political process should be competitive...
- Liberalism in the NetherlandsLiberalism in the NetherlandsThis article gives an overview of liberalism in the Netherlands. It is limited to liberal parties with substantial support, mainly proved by having had a representation in parliament.-Background:...
External links
- Democrats 66 official site
- Democrats 66 official site (English)