Liberal Party (Netherlands)
Encyclopedia
The Liberal Party was a Dutch
conservative liberal
political party
. The LP played only a marginal role in Dutch politics.
Samuel van Houten
in reaction to the foundation of the Liberal State Party
which united all liberal parties. Van Houten disagreed with the political course of this new party especially where it came to economic policy and electoral law. Van Houten had started out as an extremely progressive liberal, who as an MP in the 1870s had initiated the first forms of social legislation and as a minister in the 1880s had reformed the electoral law. In the 1910s he had become more conservative, opposing encroaching social legislation and the new electoral system.
In the 1922 elections
the party won one seat. Van Houten was the party's top candidate; he had already announced that he would not take a seat in parliament, if the party would win too little seats. The party's one seat was taken by Lizzy van Dorp
a classical liberal and feminist, who had been member of the Liberal State Party.
After the elections of 1925 the Liberal Party merged with the State Party for People's Prosperity (Staatspartij voor de Volkswelvaart) into the Fatherland League
(Vaderlandsch Verbond) in 1925, however van Dorp did not join the new party, since it gave up its free trade stance. She returned to the Liberal State Party.
liberalism and opposition to the new electoral system in the Pacification of 1917.
The party wanted to limit government influence, levels of taxation and government spending, and prevent the introduction of a system of social welfare.
The party advocated the return to the pre-Pacification electoral system, with limited voting rights and a two-round system
in single seat constituencies. Members of parliament should be elected as independents without a party discipline
.
and Amsterdam
, and from Groningen
the home base of Van Houten.
Politics of the Netherlands
The politics of the Netherlands take place within the framework of a parliamentary representative democracy, a constitutional monarchy and a decentralised unitary state. The Netherlands is described as a consociational state...
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....
political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
. The LP played only a marginal role in Dutch politics.
Party history
The Liberal Party was founded in 1922 by 85-year old former ministerMinister (government)
A minister is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government. Senior ministers are members of the cabinet....
Samuel van Houten
Samuel van Houten
Samuel van Houten was a Dutch liberal politician.Van Houten was born in Groningen. He studied law at the University of Groningen, obtaining a degree in 1859...
in reaction to the foundation of the Liberal State Party
Liberal State Party
The Liberal State Party, "the Freedom League" , was a Dutch conservative liberal political party from 1921 to 1948...
which united all liberal parties. Van Houten disagreed with the political course of this new party especially where it came to economic policy and electoral law. Van Houten had started out as an extremely progressive liberal, who as an MP in the 1870s had initiated the first forms of social legislation and as a minister in the 1880s had reformed the electoral law. In the 1910s he had become more conservative, opposing encroaching social legislation and the new electoral system.
In the 1922 elections
Dutch general election, 1922
A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands on July 5, 1922. It was the first election under universal suffrage, which became reality after the acceptance of a proposal by Marchant in 1919 that gave women full voting rights...
the party won one seat. Van Houten was the party's top candidate; he had already announced that he would not take a seat in parliament, if the party would win too little seats. The party's one seat was taken by Lizzy van Dorp
Lizzy van Dorp
Elisabeth Carolina "Lizzy" van Dorp was a Dutch lawyer, economist, politician and feminist.Van Dorp studied law at Leiden University, obtaining a degree in 1901 and a promotion in 1903...
a classical liberal and feminist, who had been member of the Liberal State Party.
After the elections of 1925 the Liberal Party merged with the State Party for People's Prosperity (Staatspartij voor de Volkswelvaart) into the Fatherland League
Fatherland League (Netherlands)
The Fatherland League was a Dutch liberal / reactionary political party founded in 1924.The party was founded on November 15, 1924, by members of various liberal groups, by initiative of J.A.A.H. de Beaufort and R.A. Fockema...
(Vaderlandsch Verbond) in 1925, however van Dorp did not join the new party, since it gave up its free trade stance. She returned to the Liberal State Party.
Ideology and issues
The party platform was based on free marketFree market
A free market is a competitive market where prices are determined by supply and demand. However, the term is also commonly used for markets in which economic intervention and regulation by the state is limited to tax collection, and enforcement of private ownership and contracts...
liberalism and opposition to the new electoral system in the Pacification of 1917.
The party wanted to limit government influence, levels of taxation and government spending, and prevent the introduction of a system of social welfare.
The party advocated the return to the pre-Pacification electoral system, with limited voting rights and a two-round system
Two-round system
The two-round system is a voting system used to elect a single winner where the voter casts a single vote for their chosen candidate...
in single seat constituencies. Members of parliament should be elected as independents without a party discipline
Party discipline
Party discipline is the ability of a parliamentary group of a political party to get its members to support the policies of their party leadership. In liberal democracies, it usually refers to the control that party leaders have over its legislature...
.
Leadership and support
This table shows the LP's results in elections to the House of Representatives and Senate 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.| Year | HoR | S | Lijsttrekker Lijsttrekker Lijsttrekker is a Dutch term for the top candidate of a party on a party list. He or she is almost always the party's political leader. After an election, this person usually leads the party's faction in the States-General, or serves in a senior position in the Cabinet if his party is part of... |
Fractievoorzitter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1922 Dutch general election, 1922 A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands on July 5, 1922. It was the first election under universal suffrage, which became reality after the acceptance of a proposal by Marchant in 1919 that gave women full voting rights... |
1 | 0 | Samuel van Houten Samuel van Houten Samuel van Houten was a Dutch liberal politician.Van Houten was born in Groningen. He studied law at the University of Groningen, obtaining a degree in 1859... |
Lizzy van Dorp |
| 1923 | 1 | 0 | no elections | Lizzy van Dorp |
| 1924 | 1 | 0 | no elections | Lizzy van Dorp |
Electorate
The Liberal Party drew most of its support from liberal cities the HagueThe Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
and Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, and from 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...
the home base of Van Houten.