Pacifist Socialist Party
Encyclopedia
The Pacifist Socialist Party (in Dutch: Pacifistisch Socialistische Partij, PSP) was a Dutch
left-socialist
political party
. The PSP played a small role in Dutch politics. It is a predecessor of the GreenLeft
.
(CPN). They had left the PvdA over the military intervention
against the Indonesian independence movement
and the Labour party's support for NATO. Many of them had a background in the orthodox Marxist wing of the Social Democratic Workers' Party
or the Christian Democratic Union
(CDU), which had merged into the PvdA. The member of the CPN had left their party over the Stalinist course of the CPN. Some of these politically homeless had never been members of parties, while others had been member of pre-war parties such as the Independent Socialist Party.
These politically homeless individuals were a diverse group: progressive Christians, leftwing socialists, orthodox Marxists, anti-Stalinist Trotskyists, left communists, liberal pacifists and some anarchists. Many of them were active in the developing peace movement
.
The rise of the Cold War
, the 1956 French/English/Israeli intervention in the Suez
and the Soviet intervention in Hungary had made this group skeptic of both the Eastern bloc
and Western bloc
. They were oriented at some Third way
between communism and capitalism.
In 1956 the group asked the PvdA to put two candidates of these politically homeless on their list for the next elections, one who would certainly gain a seat and one who would need to be elected by preference votes. These person would have an independent position in parliament. The PvdA, although originally sympathetic to idea rejected this. Thus the group felt forced to found its own party and it founded the Action group for the formation of a Party on Anti-militarist and Socialist principles in November 1956. It would chart the possibilities of a new political party.
On 27 January 1957 the PSP was founded by the Action group. The first year was devoted to the organization of the party and the preparation for the elections which were expected to be in 1960. The party sought to expand its membership, its branches and its electoral support. The founders were joined by members of the Socialist Union, a group which had split unsuccessfully from the PvdA in 1950. In 1958 it entered in the provincial elections and it won two seats in the North Holland
provincial legislative. In the 1959 elections
the party won two seats in the House of Representatives.
In the early years the party became known for its parliamentary and extra-parliamentary opposition against the rising Cold War
, and especially the placement of nuclear weapons. The socialist revolution in Cuba
and uprisings against the South African system of Apartheid led to considerable debate within the party between groups who opposed all violence and groups who opposed repressive violence (from the ruling class) and supported liberating violence (against the ruling class). In 1961 the party threw off its principled pacifism and advocated the minimization of violence. Extra-parliamentary action against colonialism also became more important; the party supported New Guinean
and Algeria
n independence.
In the 1963 elections
the party performed particularly well. It doubled its seats to four. This success can be attributed to several developments: the rising opposition to the Cold War, the party's appeal to the developing students' movement and especially the anarchist Provo movement, for whom the PSP was the only acceptable party, and finally the CPN's internal conflicts - in 1958 three MPs had left the CPN and formed their own parliamentary party, led by Henk Gortzak, called the Bridge Group (Dutch: Brug-groep) and unsuccessfully competed in the 1959 elections. The group subsequently founded the Socialist Workers' Party (Dutch: Socialist Werkerspartij; SWP). This internal dissent had caused the CPN to fall to only one seat in the 1963 elections.
In the mid-1960s the Vietnam War
became an important issue. The PSP was heavily involved in opposition against the American intervention. It was the first party to pay attention to the war and it was involved in the organization of demonstrations, rallies and teach ins. The monarchy also became an issue as Crown Princess Beatrix
would marry Claus von Amsberg
in 1966. The PSP used this opportunity to voice its support for a republican constitution. In the same year the CPN-dissenters of the SWP joined the PSP. The PSP held on to its four seats in the 1967 election
. In 1969 Gortzak, previously leader of the SWP returned as MP: now for the PSP.
The 1970s were characterized by internal conflicts between moderate and more radical members of the PSP. The most important reason for this was the radicalization within the PvdA. A new, more radical, generation had gained power with the PvdA. They wanted to form a majority cabinet with only leftwing parties. To achieve this they formed the Progressive Accord with the new left-liberal Democrats 66 and the progressive Christian PPR. The PSP also participated in these talks but broke off, because the majority of the PSP congress thought this alliance was neither pacifist nor socialist. The cooperative minority clashed strongly with the isolationist majority. In the 1971 elections
the party lost two of its four seats, while the PvdA won seats.
In 1972 the party's political leader, Hans Wiebenga (1917-2005) was replaced by the younger Bram van der Lek, who emphasized the environment as an important issue. He was unable to win seats in the 1972 elections
. As party leader he would embrace extra-parliamentary protest of all kinds of groups: the PSP was involved in the nascent environmental, squatting, women's and students' movements.
Both the moderates and the most radicals left the party. Until 1974 a Trotskyist group, the Proletarian Left, led by Erik Meijer, now MEP for the Socialist Party
operated within the party because they wanted to use the PSP to electrify the masses. In 1974 nearly all of them (except for their leader Meijer) left the party to found what later became the group Socialist Alternative Politics
. In 1975 the moderate so called progressive cooperatives left the party. Many members of them joined the PvdA.
From 1975 on, the party membership exhibited strong growth and doubled in the next five years. Nevertheless, the 1977 elections
were especially disastrous: the party lost all but one seat - this is attributed to the political competition between the social-democratic prime minister
Joop den Uyl
and his Christian democratic competitor Dries van Agt
, which caused many PSP-sympathizers to vote for Den Uyl. The internal dissent within the party also damaged its popular appeal. After one year Van der Lek left parliament, and he was replaced by Fred van der Spek.
became an important political issue. The PSP was involved in the organization of national demonstrations against nuclear weapons and more than 80% of the members of the PSP attended one of the two mass protests against the placement nuclear weapons
of 1981 and 1983. In the 1981 election
the PSP was rewarded for its principled opposition: it won three seats. In the subsequent 1982 election
it kept its seats. The party membership nearly reached 10,000 in this period.
Since the 1980s the party began to cooperate more with the PPR, which had broken with the PvdA, and the CPN, which had destalinized. It cooperated mainly in municipal and provincial elections and legislatures, because a higher percentage of votes is necessary to gain seats in such elections. In 1984
the PPR, CPN and PSP formed the Green Progressive Accord that entered with one list in the European elections. They won one seat, which rotated between the PSP and PPR. Party members also met each other in grassroots extraparliamentary protest against nuclear energy
and nuclear weapons. The cooperation led to internal conflicts. Before the election of 1986 the CPN and the PPR wanted to form an electoral alliance with the PSP. This led to a crisis within the party: chair of the parliamentary party, Fred van der Spek who opposed cooperation was replaced by the party congress by Andrée van Es
, who favoured cooperation. Van der Spek founded his own Party for Socialism and Disarmament (Dutch: Party voor Socialisme en Ontwapening; PSvO). The 1986 PSP congress however still rejected cooperation. In the elections of 1986
nuclear weapons were no longer an issue: the party was left with only one seat. The membership of the party rapidly declined. The pressure to cooperate increased.
s, environmental movement
s and the arts
which called for one progressive formation left of the PvdA. After long negotiations, which were pressured by the fall of the Second cabinet Lubbers
and the subsequent earlier elections, the party entered in the 1989 elections
as part of GreenLeft. Andrée van Es was second on the list. In 1991 the PSP dissolved itself into GreenLeft. In 1992 a group of former PSP-members who had refused to join GreenLeft formed the PSP'92.
The PSP made a considerable mark on GreenLeft, although it has moderated its pacifism and socialism. Especially the progressive, tolerant and non-dogmatic ideals of the PSP still play an important role. MPs Kees Vendrik
, Ineke van Gent
and Leo Platvoet were active within the party, as was MEP Joost Lagendijk.
, socialism
and democracy
. These three values were united by human rights. In war, capitalism and dictatorship human rights are infringed.
In its 1957 manifesto of principles the PSP advocated two major societal renewals: Firstly, a spiritual renewal, which sought to replace a society based on fear, division and power with a society based on trust, unity and justice - this reflected the party's pacifism. Secondly, an economic renewal, which sought to replace a society based on classes by a classless society. This reflected the party's socialism. The PSP furthermore advocated a democratic political system and a democratic economy, it rejected the use of violence to solve international conflicts and it proposed a federal world state in which wealth would be shared by both the former colonizing powers and their former colonies.
In the 1970s and 1980s new issues were incorporated into the PSP's ideology: women's liberation
, gay rights and environmentalism
.
The PSP advocated a democratic socialist society where government planning
and workers' self-management
played an important role:
The PSP advocated an anti-militarist and socialist foreign policy:
On the national level the party advocated radical democratization of society and protection of civil rights:
The PSP wanted to radically feminize society, liberate other oppressed groups and democratize society:
Provincial (SS) and municipalities (M), 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. The membership of PSP and the party chair is also represented.
(a): elected on combined PSP/PvdA/PPR lists
(b): elected on combined PSP/CPN, PSP/PPR or PSP/CPN/PPR lists (estimate)
(c): PSvO split from the PSP
(d): cooperating in GreenLeft parliamentary parties.
It had some municipal strongholds in the Zaan
streek and Amsterdam
, but also in some cities, where it had particularly strong branches, such as Midwoud
, Bussum
, Hoorn
and Goirle
. Because of its isolated position it did not supply many aldermen, though between 1974 and 1975 its supplied one Amsterdam alderman.
In the following figure one can see the election results of the provincial election of 1962 per province. It shows the areas where the PSP was strong, namely the urban areas like North Holland and South Holland. The party was weaker in rural Catholic provinces like Limburg and North Brabant, but also strong in the rural traditional socialist strongholds such as rural Groningen and Friesland.
s. Most of its voters lived in Amsterdam or Rotterdam.
The electorate of the PSP fluctuated; the changing appeal of the PvdA and the CPN played a role, as did the events of he Cold War. The rise of youth movements, like Provo, and the Vietnam war boosted the electorate of the party in the 1960s. Internal conflicts in the PSP and radical course of the social-democratic PvdA cost the PSP votes in the 1970s. The mass demonstrations against the placement of nuclear weapons boosted the party's support in the early 1980s.
, formed by delegates from the municipal branches. It convened once every year. It appointed the party board and decided the order of the Senate, House of Representatives and European Parliament candidate lists and had the final say over the party program. For the months that the congress did not convene, a party council took over its role. It consisted out of representatives of all the municipal branches.
The party board consisted of 10 members: a party chair, general secretary, treasurer, political secretary, parliamentary secretary, international secretary, youth secretary, education secretary, the secretary for propaganda
and a chair for the committee for radio and television.
The PSPs youth was organized in the Pacifist Socialist Young Working Groups
(Dutch: Pacifistisch Socialistische Jongeren Groepen, PSJG) between 1977 and 1991. Between 1985 and 1991 the PSJG became more independent as it saw itself as the youth organization of both the PSP and the PSvO which had split from the party. It published Keihard Tegengeweld (The title is a pun as it means both strongly against violence as strong counter-violence) and Disaster (Dutch: RamPSPoed, which spells PSP). In 1991 the PSJG merged into DWARS
GreenLeft youth, which continued publishing Disaster until 1995.
In the 1980s the scientific institute of the PSP cooperated strongly with the scientific institutes of the PPR and CPN. They published De Helling together since 1985. The Rode Draad was published since 1985 it was a magazine for municipal and provincial councillors of the both the PSP, PPR and CPN.
, which resembles the position of the Dutch orthodox Protestant parties, like the Political Reformed Party. The PSP's members of parliament, although isolated because of their radical position, were often respected across all parties for their principled position, commitment, rhetoric abilities and demeanour.
Between 1956 and 1981 it was at "cold war" with the Communist Party of the Netherlands
as many former communists had joined the PSP's ranks. The PSP was highly critical of the CPN's Stalinist course. After 1981 the CPN, which had destalinized and PSP, began to cooperate more closely. The Christian left
Political Party of Radicals and the Evangelical People's Party were also dismissed by the PSP as too supportive of the PvdA and too moderate on important issues. After 1981 the PPR broke its links with the PvdA and became more oriented toward PSP and CPN. In the 1980s the four parties began to cooperate in municipal and European elections, because less seats can be won there. In 1989 this intensive cooperation led to the formation of a new party, the GreenLeft
.
The party was originally sympathetic to the Labour Party PvdA. Before the party was founded, the group of politically homeless activists had asked to have an independent candidate on their lists. During the 1960s the relation deteriorated, as the PSP rejected the PvdA's moderate course and the PvdA the PSP's radical course. In 1971 the PvdA, which had become more leftwing under pressure of a new generation of party members, opened the door to the PSP. It wanted the PSP to cooperate in the Progressive Accords together with left-liberal Democrats 66 and the PPR. The PSP rejected as it felt these accords would be neither socialist nor pacifist. This decision let to considerable upheaval within the party. In the 1980s as the PvdA became more centrist, the PSP rejected the PvdA even more.
like the Danish Socialist People's Party
and Norwegian Socialist Left Party
come close. These parties also combine socialist with new left ideals, and stand between United States-oriented social democracy and Soviet Union-oriented communism. The French Unified Socialist Party
which was formed by leftwing dissenters in the main socialist SFIO and anti-stalinist dissenters in the French Communist Party
is also similar in its opposition to both social democracy and communism. The Australian Nuclear Disarmament Party
shared its priority of nuclear disarmament.
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...
left-socialist
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
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 PSP played a small role in Dutch politics. It is a predecessor of 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...
.
Before 1957
In 1955 a group of "politically homeless" activists had formed. The group mainly consisted of former members of the Labour Party (PvdA) and the Communist Party of the NetherlandsCommunist Party of the Netherlands
The Communist Party of the Netherlands was a Dutch communist political party. The CPN is one of the predecessors of the GreenLeft.- Foundation :...
(CPN). They had left the PvdA over the military intervention
Politionele acties
"Politionele Acties" refers to two major military offensives undertaken by the Netherlands on Java and Sumatra against the Republic of Indonesia during its struggle for independence in the Indonesian National Revolution...
against the Indonesian independence movement
Indonesian National Revolution
The Indonesian National Revolution or Indonesian War of Independence was an armed conflict and diplomatic struggle between Indonesia and the Dutch Empire, and an internal social revolution...
and the Labour party's support for NATO. Many of them had a background in the orthodox Marxist wing of the Social Democratic Workers' Party
Social Democratic Workers' Party (Netherlands)
The Social Democratic Workers' Party was a Dutch socialist political party and a predecessor of the social-democratic PvdA.-1893-1904:...
or the Christian Democratic Union
Christian Democratic Union (Netherlands)
The Christian-Democratic Union was a minor Christian left party in the Netherlands in the interbellum.-History:...
(CDU), which had merged into the PvdA. The member of the CPN had left their party over the Stalinist course of the CPN. Some of these politically homeless had never been members of parties, while others had been member of pre-war parties such as the Independent Socialist Party.
These politically homeless individuals were a diverse group: progressive Christians, leftwing socialists, orthodox Marxists, anti-Stalinist Trotskyists, left communists, liberal pacifists and some anarchists. Many of them were active in the developing peace movement
Peace movement
A peace movement is a social movement that seeks to achieve ideals such as the ending of a particular war , minimize inter-human violence in a particular place or type of situation, often linked to the goal of achieving world peace...
.
The rise of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, the 1956 French/English/Israeli intervention in the Suez
Suez Crisis
The Suez Crisis, also referred to as the Tripartite Aggression, Suez War was an offensive war fought by France, the United Kingdom, and Israel against Egypt beginning on 29 October 1956. Less than a day after Israel invaded Egypt, Britain and France issued a joint ultimatum to Egypt and Israel,...
and the Soviet intervention in Hungary had made this group skeptic of both the Eastern bloc
Eastern bloc
The term Eastern Bloc or Communist Bloc refers to the former communist states of Eastern and Central Europe, generally the Soviet Union and the countries of the Warsaw Pact...
and Western bloc
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
. They were oriented at some Third way
Third way (centrism)
The Third Way refers to various political positions which try to reconcile right-wing and left-wing politics by advocating a varying synthesis of right-wing economic and left-wing social policies. Third Way approaches are commonly viewed from within the first- and second-way perspectives as...
between communism and capitalism.
In 1956 the group asked the PvdA to put two candidates of these politically homeless on their list for the next elections, one who would certainly gain a seat and one who would need to be elected by preference votes. These person would have an independent position in parliament. The PvdA, although originally sympathetic to idea rejected this. Thus the group felt forced to found its own party and it founded the Action group for the formation of a Party on Anti-militarist and Socialist principles in November 1956. It would chart the possibilities of a new political party.
1957-1971
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:...
provincial legislative. In the 1959 elections
Dutch general election, 1959
A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands on March 12, 1959.-National summary:-Parties:* Anti Revolutionary Party...
the party won two seats in the House of Representatives.
In the early years the party became known for its parliamentary and extra-parliamentary opposition against the rising Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, and especially the placement of nuclear weapons. The socialist revolution in Cuba
Cuban Revolution
The Cuban Revolution was an armed revolt by Fidel Castro's 26th of July Movement against the regime of Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista between 1953 and 1959. Batista was finally ousted on 1 January 1959, and was replaced by a revolutionary government led by Castro...
and uprisings against the South African system of Apartheid led to considerable debate within the party between groups who opposed all violence and groups who opposed repressive violence (from the ruling class) and supported liberating violence (against the ruling class). In 1961 the party threw off its principled pacifism and advocated the minimization of violence. Extra-parliamentary action against colonialism also became more important; the party supported New Guinean
Western New Guinea
West Papua informally refers to the Indonesian western half of the island of New Guinea and other smaller islands to its west. The region is officially administered as two provinces: Papua and West Papua. The eastern half of New Guinea is Papua New Guinea.The population of approximately 3 million...
and Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
n independence.
In the 1963 elections
Dutch general election, 1963
A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands on May 15, 1963.-National summary:-Parties:* Anti Revolutionary Party...
the party performed particularly well. It doubled its seats to four. This success can be attributed to several developments: the rising opposition to the Cold War, the party's appeal to the developing students' movement and especially the anarchist Provo movement, for whom the PSP was the only acceptable party, and finally the CPN's internal conflicts - in 1958 three MPs had left the CPN and formed their own parliamentary party, led by Henk Gortzak, called the Bridge Group (Dutch: Brug-groep) and unsuccessfully competed in the 1959 elections. The group subsequently founded the Socialist Workers' Party (Dutch: Socialist Werkerspartij; SWP). This internal dissent had caused the CPN to fall to only one seat in the 1963 elections.
In the mid-1960s the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
became an important issue. The PSP was heavily involved in opposition against the American intervention. It was the first party to pay attention to the war and it was involved in the organization of demonstrations, rallies and teach ins. The monarchy also became an issue as Crown Princess Beatrix
Beatrix of the Netherlands
Beatrix is the Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands comprising the Netherlands, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, and Aruba. She is the first daughter of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands and Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld. She studied law at Leiden University...
would marry Claus von Amsberg
Claus von Amsberg
Prince Claus of the Netherlands was the prince consort of the current Queen regnant of the Netherlands, Queen Beatrix.-Biography:...
in 1966. The PSP used this opportunity to voice its support for a republican constitution. In the same year the CPN-dissenters of the SWP joined the PSP. The PSP held on to its four seats in the 1967 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...
. In 1969 Gortzak, previously leader of the SWP returned as MP: now for the PSP.
1971-1981
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 lost two of its four seats, while the PvdA won seats.
In 1972 the party's political leader, Hans Wiebenga (1917-2005) was replaced by the younger Bram van der Lek, who emphasized the environment as an important issue. He was unable to win seats in the 1972 elections
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:...
. As party leader he would embrace extra-parliamentary protest of all kinds of groups: the PSP was involved in the nascent environmental, squatting, women's and students' movements.
Both the moderates and the most radicals left the party. Until 1974 a Trotskyist group, the Proletarian Left, led by Erik Meijer, now MEP for 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...
operated within the party because they wanted to use the PSP to electrify the masses. In 1974 nearly all of them (except for their leader Meijer) left the party to found what later became the group Socialist Alternative Politics
Socialist Alternative Politics
The Socialist Alternative Politics is a socialist political party in the Netherlands without parliamentary representation...
. In 1975 the moderate so called progressive cooperatives left the party. Many members of them joined the PvdA.
From 1975 on, the party membership exhibited strong growth and doubled in the next five years. Nevertheless, the 1977 elections
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....
were especially disastrous: the party lost all but one seat - this is attributed to the political competition between the social-democratic prime minister
Prime Minister of the Netherlands
The Prime Minister of the Netherlands is the chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Netherlands. He is the de facto head of government of the Netherlands and coordinates the policy of the government...
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....
and his Christian democratic competitor 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....
, which caused many PSP-sympathizers to vote for Den Uyl. The internal dissent within the party also damaged its popular appeal. After one year Van der Lek left parliament, and he was replaced by Fred van der Spek.
1981-1989
In the early 1980s the placement of American nuclear weaponsNetherlands and weapons of mass destruction
Although the Netherlands does not have weapons of mass destruction made by itself, the country participates in the NATO nuclear weapons sharing arrangements and trains for delivering U.S...
became an important political issue. The PSP was involved in the organization of national demonstrations against nuclear weapons and more than 80% of the members of the PSP attended one of the two mass protests against the placement nuclear weapons
Hollanditis
Hollanditis was a term coined in 1981 by the American historian Walter Laqueur. It was used to describe the wave of pacifist neutralism that swept through the Netherlands in the first half of the 1980s and which influenced similar grass roots movements in other European countries...
of 1981 and 1983. In the 1981 election
Dutch general election, 1981
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on May 26, 1981.-National summary:...
the PSP was rewarded for its principled opposition: it won three seats. In the subsequent 1982 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:...
it kept its seats. The party membership nearly reached 10,000 in this period.
Since the 1980s the party began to cooperate more with the PPR, which had broken with the PvdA, and the CPN, which had destalinized. It cooperated mainly in municipal and provincial elections and legislatures, because a higher percentage of votes is necessary to gain seats in such elections. In 1984
European Parliament election, 1984
The 1984 election to the European Parliament was the first since the inaugural election of 1979 and the 1981 enlargement of the European Community to include Greece. It was also the last before the accession of Spain and Portugal in 1987....
the PPR, CPN and PSP formed the Green Progressive Accord that entered with one list in the European elections. They won one seat, which rotated between the PSP and PPR. Party members also met each other in grassroots extraparliamentary protest against nuclear energy
Nuclear power
Nuclear 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...
and nuclear weapons. The cooperation led to internal conflicts. Before the election of 1986 the CPN and the PPR wanted to form an electoral alliance with the PSP. This led to a crisis within the party: chair of the parliamentary party, Fred van der Spek who opposed cooperation was replaced by the party congress by Andrée van Es
Andrée van Es
Andrée Christine van Es is a Dutch politician. She is currently wethouder in the executive of the city of Amsterdam for GreenLeft. She was member of the House of Representatives for the Pacifist Socialist Party and GreenLeft.- Biography :Van Es became assistant to the PSP parliamentary party in...
, who favoured cooperation. Van der Spek founded his own Party for Socialism and Disarmament (Dutch: Party voor Socialisme en Ontwapening; PSvO). The 1986 PSP congress however still rejected cooperation. In the elections of 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:...
nuclear weapons were no longer an issue: the party was left with only one seat. The membership of the party rapidly declined. The pressure to cooperate increased.
After 1989
In 1989 the PSP initiated talks with the PPR and the CPN. Their initiative was supported by an open letter from members of trade unionTrade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
s, environmental movement
Environmental movement
The environmental movement, a term that includes the conservation and green politics, is a diverse scientific, social, and political movement for addressing environmental issues....
s and the arts
ARts
aRts, which stands for analog Real time synthesizer, is an audio framework that is no longer under development. It is best known for previously being used in KDE to simulate an analog synthesizer....
which called for one progressive formation left of the PvdA. After long negotiations, which were pressured by the fall of the Second cabinet Lubbers
Netherlands cabinet Lubbers-2
The second Lubbers cabinet was a continuation of the coalition of the right-wing political parties CDA and VVD. Its main aim was the continuation of the policy of cutting government spending. There was a large-scale revision of the welfare state and the public postal service was privatised...
and the subsequent earlier elections, the party entered in the 1989 elections
Dutch general election, 1989
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on September 6, 1989.-National summary:...
as part of GreenLeft. Andrée van Es was second on the list. In 1991 the PSP dissolved itself into GreenLeft. In 1992 a group of former PSP-members who had refused to join GreenLeft formed the PSP'92.
The PSP made a considerable mark on GreenLeft, although it has moderated its pacifism and socialism. Especially the progressive, tolerant and non-dogmatic ideals of the PSP still play an important role. MPs Kees Vendrik
Kees Vendrik
Cornelis Constant Maria Vendrik is a Dutch politician. He was a member of the House of Representatives for GreenLeft.Vendrik studied political science at the Radboud University Nijmegen and the University of Amsterdam...
, Ineke van Gent
Ineke van Gent
Wilhelmina van Gent is a Dutch politician. She has been a member of the House of Representatives for GreenLeft since May 19, 1998...
and Leo Platvoet were active within the party, as was MEP Joost Lagendijk.
Name
The name Pacifist Socialist Party is an obvious combination of the party two main issues: peace and social justice. Other proposals on the 1957 foundation congress were Radical Socialist Peace Party (Dutch: Radicaal Socialistische Vredespartij), League for General Welfare (Bond voor Algemeen Welzijn), Progressive Party (Vernieuwingspartij) and Dutch Workers' Party (Nederlandse Arbeiderspartij).Ideology
The party's ideology was based on pacifismPacifism
Pacifism is the opposition to war and violence. The term "pacifism" was coined by the French peace campaignerÉmile Arnaud and adopted by other peace activists at the tenth Universal Peace Congress inGlasgow in 1901.- Definition :...
, socialism
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
and democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
. These three values were united by human rights. In war, capitalism and dictatorship human rights are infringed.
In its 1957 manifesto of principles the PSP advocated two major societal renewals: Firstly, a spiritual renewal, which sought to replace a society based on fear, division and power with a society based on trust, unity and justice - this reflected the party's pacifism. Secondly, an economic renewal, which sought to replace a society based on classes by a classless society. This reflected the party's socialism. The PSP furthermore advocated a democratic political system and a democratic economy, it rejected the use of violence to solve international conflicts and it proposed a federal world state in which wealth would be shared by both the former colonizing powers and their former colonies.
In the 1970s and 1980s new issues were incorporated into the PSP's ideology: women's liberation
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
, gay rights and environmentalism
Environmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
.
Issues
These radical principles are relfected in the party's concern for a democratic socialist economy, a pacifist foreign policy, a directly democratic political system and feminization of society.The PSP advocated a democratic socialist society where government planning
Planned economy
A planned economy is an economic system in which decisions regarding production and investment are embodied in a plan formulated by a central authority, usually by a government agency...
and workers' self-management
Workers' self-management
Worker self-management is a form of workplace decision-making in which the workers themselves agree on choices instead of an owner or traditional supervisor telling workers what to do, how to do it and where to do it...
played an important role:
- The party advocated the nationalizationNationalizationNationalisation, also spelled nationalization, is the process of taking an industry or assets into government ownership by a national government or state. Nationalization usually refers to private assets, but may also mean assets owned by lower levels of government, such as municipalities, being...
of major parts of the economy, including banks, transport companies, basic industries and construction. These government companies should be controlled by the workers; - In other economic sectors such as agriculture, should make more use of cooperativesCooperative farmingAn agricultural cooperative, also known as a farmers' co-op, is a cooperative where farmers pool their resources in certain areas of activity....
; - The government has to plan the economic development of the Netherlands and control the development of prices and profits;
- The PSP wanted to attain full employmentFull employmentIn macroeconomics, full employment is a condition of the national economy, where all or nearly all persons willing and able to work at the prevailing wages and working conditions are able to do so....
by decreasing working timeWorking timeWorking time is the period of time that an individual spends at paid occupational labor. Unpaid labors such as personal housework are not considered part of the working week...
, lowering the pensionPensionIn general, a pension is an arrangement to provide people with an income when they are no longer earning a regular income from employment. Pensions should not be confused with severance pay; the former is paid in regular installments, while the latter is paid in one lump sum.The terms retirement...
able age to 60, extending obligatory school attendance to 18 and increasing part timePart timeA part-time job is a form of employment that carries fewer hours per week than a full-time job. Workers are considered to be part time if they commonly work fewer than 30 or 35 hours per week...
work; - Through progressive taxation, which would have to be almost 100% after 50,000 euroEuroThe euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
s (then 100,000 guilders, incomes should be made more equal; - The PSP advocated government ownership of all the land, which could then be rented by companies;
- The party wanted to increase the rights of tenantsLeasehold estateA leasehold estate is an ownership of a temporary right to land or property in which a lessee or a tenant holds rights of real property by some form of title from a lessor or landlord....
and squatSquattingSquatting consists of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied space or building, usually residential, that the squatter does not own, rent or otherwise have permission to use....
ters and take government action against unoccupied buildings; - The PSP opposed the use of nuclear energyNuclear 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...
and advocated investing in alternative energy sources; - The party wanted to invest in public transportPublic transportPublic transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...
, which would be owned by the government; - Environmental protection was an important issue for the party. It wanted to put the burden of environmental protection on companies and it opposed direct eco-taxes, which would have a regressiveRegressive taxA regressive tax is a tax imposed in such a manner that the tax rate decreases as the amount subject to taxation increases. "Regressive" describes a distribution effect on income or expenditure, referring to the way the rate progresses from high to low, where the average tax rate exceeds the...
effect.
The PSP advocated an anti-militarist and socialist foreign policy:
- The party opposed the placement of nuclear weapons in the NetherlandsNetherlands and weapons of mass destructionAlthough the Netherlands does not have weapons of mass destruction made by itself, the country participates in the NATO nuclear weapons sharing arrangements and trains for delivering U.S...
; - The PSP wanted to withdraw from NATO;
- It wanted to dissolve the Dutch army in time: until that time the rights of conscientious objectorConscientious objectorA conscientious objector is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, and/or religion....
s should be protected and the Dutch arms industryArms industryThe arms industry is a global industry and business which manufactures and sells weapons and military technology and equipment. It comprises government and commercial industry involved in research, development, production, and service of military material, equipment and facilities...
should be dissolved; - The party opposed the European Economic CommunityEuropean Economic CommunityThe European Economic Community The European Economic Community (EEC) The European Economic Community (EEC) (also known as the Common Market in the English-speaking world, renamed the European Community (EC) in 1993The information in this article primarily covers the EEC's time as an independent...
, which undermined the ability of the government to plan its own economy; - The PSP advocated increased trade with Second WorldSecond WorldThe term "Second World" is a phrase used to describe those countries which are allied with or are supported by the "First World" countries . These include countries supported by the United States, such as Colombia, Israel, etc., and those supported by the former Soviet Union, also known as the the...
and Third WorldThird WorldThe term Third World arose during the Cold War to define countries that remained non-aligned with either capitalism and NATO , or communism and the Soviet Union...
countries. Third World countries should also receive more development aid, with fewer restrictions.
On the national level the party advocated radical democratization of society and protection of civil rights:
- It proposed decentralizationDecentralization__FORCETOC__Decentralization or decentralisation is the process of dispersing decision-making governance closer to the people and/or citizens. It includes the dispersal of administration or governance in sectors or areas like engineering, management science, political science, political economy,...
of government services and direct democracyDirect democracyDirect 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"...
at the municipal level; - The party sought to abolish the Senate and double the number of seats in the House of Representatives;
- The PSP wanted to abolish the position of head of stateHead of StateA head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
, and with that the Dutch Monarchy, positions like Queen's CommissionerQueen's CommissionerThe Queen's Commissioner is the head of a province in the Netherlands, who is chairman of both the Provinciale Staten and the Gedeputeerde Staten , but only has a right to vote in the latter...
and mayor should also be abolished; - It wanted to lower the age limitVoting ageA voting age is a minimum age established by law that a person must attain to be eligible to vote in a public election.The vast majority of countries in the world have established a voting age. Most governments consider that those of any age lower than the chosen threshold lack the necessary...
for voting rightsSuffrageSuffrage, political franchise, or simply the franchise, distinct from mere voting rights, is the civil right to vote gained through the democratic process...
and extend voting rights for migrants; - The PSP opposed undemocratic institutions, especially when they endangered the civil rightsCivil rightsCivil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
of citizens, it sought to abolish the secret serviceGeneral Intelligence and Security ServiceAlgemene Inlichtingen- en Veiligheidsdienst , formerly known as the BVD is the General Intelligence and Security Service or The Secret service of the Netherlands. The office is in Zoetermeer...
and private security companies; - The party wanted to protect the rights of convicts.
The PSP wanted to radically feminize society, liberate other oppressed groups and democratize society:
- The party wanted to better the position of women: it advocated free child care, the legalization of abortionAbortionAbortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
and part timePart timeA part-time job is a form of employment that carries fewer hours per week than a full-time job. Workers are considered to be part time if they commonly work fewer than 30 or 35 hours per week...
work for both partners. It sought to make social securitySocial securitySocial security is primarily a social insurance program providing social protection or protection against socially recognized conditions, including poverty, old age, disability, unemployment and others. Social security may refer to:...
arrangements individual instead of family oriented; - It advocated the rights of sexual minorities: equal rights for same-sex partnershipsSame-sex marriage in the NetherlandsSame-sex marriage has been legal in the Netherlands since 1 April 2001...
and legalization of transvestismTransvestismTransvestism is the practice of cross-dressing, which is wearing clothing traditionally associated with the opposite sex. Transvestite refers to a person who cross-dresses; however, the word often has additional connotations. -History:Although the word transvestism was coined as late as the 1910s,...
; - It supported the 1979 petition to lower the age of consentAge of consentWhile the phrase age of consent typically does not appear in legal statutes, when used in relation to sexual activity, the age of consent is the minimum age at which a person is considered to be legally competent to consent to sexual acts. The European Union calls it the legal age for sexual...
to the age of 12 - The PSP paid special attention to the position of minority cultures and languages in the Netherlands such as West FrisianWest Frisian languageWest Frisian is a language spoken mostly in the province of Friesland in the north of the Netherlands. West Frisian is the name by which this language is usually known outside the Netherlands, to distinguish it from the closely related Frisian languages of Saterland Frisian and North Frisian,...
; - The party advocated the democratization of schools and universities, better protection of the rights of students, smaller class sizes, and more room for experimentation and alternative educationAlternative educationAlternative education, also known as non-traditional education or educational alternative, includes a number of approaches to teaching and learning other than mainstream or traditional education. Educational alternatives are often rooted in various philosophies that are fundamentally different...
. The party opposed religious schoolsSpecial school (Netherlands)A special school , in the education system of the Netherlands, is a separate category from a public or private school. It is not to be confused with "speciaal onderwijs", which refers to schools specialized to deal with severe learning disabilities.It is administered by an independent board, as...
; - The PSP sought to ban all casinoCasinoIn modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
s and smokingTobacco smokingTobacco smoking is the practice where tobacco is burned and the resulting smoke is inhaled. The practice may have begun as early as 5000–3000 BCE. Tobacco was introduced to Eurasia in the late 16th century where it followed common trade routes...
in public buildings on the one side, but it also advocated the legalisation of soft drugsDrug policy of the NetherlandsThe drug policy of the Netherlands officially has four major objectives:# To prevent recreational drug use and to treat and rehabilitate recreational drug users.# To reduce harm to users....
and government controlled supply of hard drugs; - The party was opposed to any form of discriminationDiscriminationDiscrimination is the prejudicial treatment of an individual based on their membership in a certain group or category. It involves the actual behaviors towards groups such as excluding or restricting members of one group from opportunities that are available to another group. The term began to be...
and sought to expand the rights of migrants; - It sought to legalize of 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...
and increase the protection of prostitutes; - The PSP favoured individual choice for euthanasiaEuthanasiaEuthanasia refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering....
; - It wanted to democratize hospitals, better protect rights for patients and create one healthcare insurance system for all.
Representation
This table shows the PSP's results in elections to the House of Representatives (HoR), Senate (S), European Parliament (EP), States-Provincial (SS) and municipalities (M), 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. The membership of PSP and the party chair 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... |
M | 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 | Party Chair Party Chair In politics, a party chair is the presiding officer of a political party.... |
Membership |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 0 | 0 | no elections | extra-parliamentary | Henk van Steenis | 858 |
| 1958 | 0 | 0 | n/a | 2 | 17 | no elections | extra-parliamentary | Henk van Steenis | 1986 |
| 1959 Dutch general election, 1959 A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands on March 12, 1959.-National summary:-Parties:* Anti Revolutionary Party... |
2 | 0 | n/a | 2 | 17 | Henk Lankhorst and Nico van der Veen |
Nico van der Veen | Hannes de Graaf | 2497 |
| 1960 | 2 | 0 | n/a | 2 | 17 | no elections | Nico van der Veen | Piet Burggraaf | 2561 |
| 1961 | 2 | 0 | n/a | 2 | 17 | no elections | Nico van der Veen | Piet Burggraaf | 2852 |
| 1962 | 2 | 0 | n/a | 13 | 77 | no elections | Henk Lankhorst | Piet Burggraaf | 3624 |
| 1963 Dutch general election, 1963 A general election of the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament was held in the Netherlands on May 15, 1963.-National summary:-Parties:* Anti Revolutionary Party... |
4 | 2 | n/a | 13 | 77 | Henk Lankhorst | Henk Lankhorst | Gerard Slotemaker de Bruïne Gerard Slotemaker de Bruïne Gerard Hendrik Slotemaker de Bruïne was a Dutch politician.-References:* in the Biografisch Woordenboek van Nederland.... |
3786 |
| 1964 | 4 | 2 | n/a | 13 | 77 | no elections | Henk Lankhorst | Joop Vogt | 3779 |
| 1965 | 4 | 2 | n/a | 13 | 77 | no elections | Henk Lankhorst | Hans Wiebenga | 3888 |
| 1966 | 4 | 3 | n/a | 24 | 122 | no elections | Henk Lankhorst | Hans Wiebenga | 4857 |
| 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... |
4 | 3 | n/a | 24 | 122 | Henk Lankhorst | Henk Lankhorst | Hans Wiebenga | 4849 |
| 1968 | 4 | 3 | n/a | 24 | 122 | no elections | Henk Lankhorst | Hans Wiebenga | 4462 |
| 1969 | 4 | 3 | n/a | 24 | 122 | no elections | Hans Wiebenga | Piet Burggraaf | 4325 |
| 1970 | 4 | 3 | n/a | 5 | 30+39 (a) | no elections | Hans Wiebenga | Piet Burggraaf | 4228 |
| 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%... |
2 | 3 | n/a | 5 | 30+39 (a) | Hans Wiebenga | Hans Wiebenga | Piet Burggraaf | 4445 |
| 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:... |
2 | 1 | n/a | 5 | 30+39 (a) | Bram van der Lek | Bram van der Lek | Piet Burggraaf | 4581 |
| 1973 | 2 | 1 | n/a | 5 | 30+39 (a) | no elections | Bram van der Lek | Paul Hoogerwerf | 4871 |
| 1974 | 2 | 0 | n/a | 4 | 15+37 (b) | no elections | Bram van der Lek | Paul Hoogerwerf | 4802 |
| 1975 | 2 | 0 | n/a | 4 | 15+37 (b) | no elections | Bram van der Lek | Lambert Meertens Lambert Meertens Lambert Guillaume Louis Théodore Meertens is a Dutch computer scientist and professor.While still a student at the Ignatius Gymnasium in Amsterdam, Meertens designed a computer, together with his classmate Kees Koster.... |
4333 |
| 1976 | 2 | 0 | n/a | 4 | 15+37 (b) | no elections | Bram van der Lek | Lambert Meertens | 4543 |
| 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.... |
1 | 1 | n/a | 4 | 15+37 (b) | no elections | Bram van der Lek | Lambert Meertens | 6506 |
| 1978 | 1 | 1 | n/a | 4 | 23+18 (b) | no elections | Fred van der Spek | Lambert Meertens | 8797 |
| 1979 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 23+18 (b) | no elections | Fred van der Spek | Lambert Meertens | 9018 |
| 1980 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 23+18 (b) | no elections | Fred van der Spek | Lambert Meertens | 8703 |
| 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:... |
3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 23+18 (b) | Fred van der Spek | Fred van der Spek | Lambert Meertens | 9595 |
| 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:... |
3 | 0 | 0 | 11+7 (b) | 40+77 (b) | Fred van der Spek | Fred van der Spek | Bram van der Lek | 9979 |
| 1983 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 11+7 (b) | 40+77 (b) | no elections | Fred van der Spek | Marko Mazeland | 8853 |
| 1984 | 3 | 2 | 1 (b) | 11+7 (b) | 40+77 (b) | no elections | Fred van der Spek | Marko Mazeland | 7767 |
| 1985 | 2+1 (c) | 2 | 1 (b) | 11+7 (b) | 40+77 (b) | no elections | Fred van der Spek | Marko Mazeland | 6450 |
| 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:... |
1 | 2 | 1 (b) | 11+7 (b) | 19+58 (b) | Andrée van Es Andrée van Es Andrée Christine van Es is a Dutch politician. She is currently wethouder in the executive of the city of Amsterdam for GreenLeft. She was member of the House of Representatives for the Pacifist Socialist Party and GreenLeft.- Biography :Van Es became assistant to the PSP parliamentary party in... |
Andrée van Es | Saar Boerlage | 6450 |
| 1987 | 1 | 1 | 1 (b) | 6+9 (b) | 19+58 (b) | no elections | Andrée van Es | Saar Boerlage | 4992 |
| 1988 | 1 | 1 | 1 (b) | 6+9 (b) | 19+58 (b) | no elections | Andrée van Es | Saar Boerlage | 4478 |
| 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:... |
2 (d) | 1 (d) | 0 (d) | 17 (d) | 77 (d) | Andrée van Es (#2 of 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... ) |
Andrée van Es (sole MP works with GreenLeft) |
Joop Vogt | 3639 |
| 1990 | 2 (d) | 1 (d) | 0 (d) | 17 (d) | 77 (d) | Andrée van Es (#2 of 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... ) |
no elections | Joop Vogt | 3591 |
(a): elected on combined PSP/PvdA/PPR lists
(b): elected on combined PSP/CPN, PSP/PPR or PSP/CPN/PPR lists (estimate)
(c): PSvO split from the PSP
(d): cooperating in GreenLeft parliamentary parties.
Municipal and Provincial Government
The PSP had a provincial stronghold in North Holland, which gave the party more than half of its vote.It had some municipal strongholds in the Zaan
Zaan
The Zaan is a small river in the province of North-Holland in The Netherlands and the name of the district through which it runs. The river was originally a side arm of the IJ bay and travels 10 kilometers through the municipality of Zaanstad north of Amsterdam, from West-Knollendam in the north...
streek and Amsterdam
Amsterdam (municipality)
The Government of Amsterdam is the government of the municipality and city of Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Most of the inhabitants live in the city of Amsterdam, but the municipality also covers a number of small villages, and other parts of the local government, such as the Waterschap or the...
, but also in some cities, where it had particularly strong branches, such as Midwoud
Midwoud
Midwoud is a village in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Medemblik, and lies about 7 km north of Hoorn....
, Bussum
Bussum
Bussum is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland.-History:Bussum was first mentioned in 1306. In this time, Bussum was a large heathland with many small farms, sheep pens and forests as is shown on old maps. Since Bussum is situated near the fortified town...
, Hoorn
Hoorn
-Cities :* Purmerend * Enkhuizen * Alkmaar * Amsterdam * Lelystad * Den Helder * Leeuwarden -Towns :* Edam...
and Goirle
Goirle
Goirle is a municipality and town in the southern Netherlands, in the province of North Brabant. Part of the suburban area of the city of Tilburg, it shares with it its phone area code and public transport system....
. Because of its isolated position it did not supply many aldermen, though between 1974 and 1975 its supplied one Amsterdam alderman.
In the following figure one can see the election results of the provincial election of 1962 per province. It shows the areas where the PSP was strong, namely the urban areas like North Holland and South Holland. The party was weaker in rural Catholic provinces like Limburg and North Brabant, but also strong in the rural traditional socialist strongholds such as rural Groningen and Friesland.
| Province | Result (seats) |
|---|---|
| Groningen Groningen (province) Groningen [] is the northeasternmost province of the Netherlands. In the east it borders the German state of Niedersachsen , in the south Drenthe, in the west Friesland and in the north the Wadden Sea... |
2 |
| 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 |
| 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... |
0 |
| 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... |
1 |
| 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,... |
0 |
| 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... |
1 |
| 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:... |
5 |
| 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... |
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... |
0 |
| 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 :... |
0 |
| 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... |
0 |
Electorate
The party's electorate was very heterogeneous, although most voters could be seen as intellectuals, students, scientists, artists, while most socialist parties are oriented at workers. The party was a refuge for people who no longer felt at home in the social-democratic PvdA and the Communist Party of the Netherlands. It was supported by progressive Christians, especially MennoniteMennonite
The Mennonites are a group of Christian Anabaptist denominations named after the Frisian Menno Simons , who, through his writings, articulated and thereby formalized the teachings of earlier Swiss founders...
s. Most of its voters lived in Amsterdam or Rotterdam.
The electorate of the PSP fluctuated; the changing appeal of the PvdA and the CPN played a role, as did the events of he Cold War. The rise of youth movements, like Provo, and the Vietnam war boosted the electorate of the party in the 1960s. Internal conflicts in the PSP and radical course of the social-democratic PvdA cost the PSP votes in the 1970s. The mass demonstrations against the placement of nuclear weapons boosted the party's support in the early 1980s.
Organizational structure
The highest organ of the PSP was the congressParty Congress
A party congress is a general conference of a political party. The congress is attended by delegates who represent the party membership. In most parties the party congress is the highest decision making body of the organisation and elects the party's leadership bodies such as the National Executive...
, formed by delegates from the municipal branches. It convened once every year. It appointed the party board and decided the order of the Senate, House of Representatives and European Parliament candidate lists and had the final say over the party program. For the months that the congress did not convene, a party council took over its role. It consisted out of representatives of all the municipal branches.
The party board consisted of 10 members: a party chair, general secretary, treasurer, political secretary, parliamentary secretary, international secretary, youth secretary, education secretary, the secretary for propaganda
Propaganda
Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
and a chair for the committee for radio and television.
Linked organisations
The PSP published its own magazine which was called Liberation (Dutch: Bevrijding) between 1957 and 1966 and 1978 and 1991 and Radical: Weekly for Socialism and Peace (Dutch: Radikaal: Weekbad voor Socialisme en Vrede) between 1967 and 1977. It was printed at the PSPs own printing company also called Liberation.The PSPs youth was organized in the Pacifist Socialist Young Working Groups
Pacifist Socialist Young Working Groups
Pacifist Socialist Young Working Groups was the youth wing of the Pacifist Socialist Party in the Netherlands....
(Dutch: Pacifistisch Socialistische Jongeren Groepen, PSJG) between 1977 and 1991. Between 1985 and 1991 the PSJG became more independent as it saw itself as the youth organization of both the PSP and the PSvO which had split from the party. It published Keihard Tegengeweld (The title is a pun as it means both strongly against violence as strong counter-violence) and Disaster (Dutch: RamPSPoed, which spells PSP). In 1991 the PSJG merged into DWARS
DWARS
DWARS, de GroenLinkse jongerenorganisatie is the independent youth wing of GreenLeft, the Dutch Green political party.-Ideals and policies:...
GreenLeft youth, which continued publishing Disaster until 1995.
In the 1980s the scientific institute of the PSP cooperated strongly with the scientific institutes of the PPR and CPN. They published De Helling together since 1985. The Rode Draad was published since 1985 it was a magazine for municipal and provincial councillors of the both the PSP, PPR and CPN.
Relationships to other parties
For a long time the party refused to cooperate with other parties and preferred a position of testimonial partyTestimonial party
Testimonial party is a political party that focuses on its principles, instead of adapting them to local or temporal issues in the pursuit of coalition government participation...
, which resembles the position of the Dutch orthodox Protestant parties, like the Political Reformed Party. The PSP's members of parliament, although isolated because of their radical position, were often respected across all parties for their principled position, commitment, rhetoric abilities and demeanour.
Between 1956 and 1981 it was at "cold war" with the Communist Party of the Netherlands
Communist Party of the Netherlands
The Communist Party of the Netherlands was a Dutch communist political party. The CPN is one of the predecessors of the GreenLeft.- Foundation :...
as many former communists had joined the PSP's ranks. The PSP was highly critical of the CPN's Stalinist course. After 1981 the CPN, which had destalinized and PSP, began to cooperate more closely. 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 and the Evangelical People's Party were also dismissed by the PSP as too supportive of the PvdA and too moderate on important issues. After 1981 the PPR broke its links with the PvdA and became more oriented toward PSP and CPN. In the 1980s the four parties began to cooperate in municipal and European elections, because less seats can be won there. In 1989 this intensive cooperation led to the formation of a new party, 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...
.
The party was originally sympathetic to the Labour Party PvdA. Before the party was founded, the group of politically homeless activists had asked to have an independent candidate on their lists. During the 1960s the relation deteriorated, as the PSP rejected the PvdA's moderate course and the PvdA the PSP's radical course. In 1971 the PvdA, which had become more leftwing under pressure of a new generation of party members, opened the door to the PSP. It wanted the PSP to cooperate in the Progressive Accords together with left-liberal Democrats 66 and the PPR. The PSP rejected as it felt these accords would be neither socialist nor pacifist. This decision let to considerable upheaval within the party. In the 1980s as the PvdA became more centrist, the PSP rejected the PvdA even more.
International Comparison
There are very few parties, internationally, that resemble the PSP. Scandinavian parties espousing Popular SocialismPopular Socialism
Popular Socialism is a distinct Scandinavian socialist current. Around the world there are many parties called Popular Socialist Party or likewise, which does not really imply any specific ideological direction...
like the Danish Socialist People's Party
Socialist People's Party (Denmark)
The Socialist People's Party is a green and socialist political party in Denmark.-1959–69:The SF was founded on 15 February 1959 by Aksel Larsen, a former leader of the Communist Party of Denmark and CIA agent. Larsen was removed from the ranks of the DKP for his criticism over the Soviet...
and Norwegian Socialist Left Party
Socialist Left Party (Norway)
The Socialist Left Party or SV, is a Norwegian left-wing political party. At one point one of the smallest parties in Parliament, it became the fourth-largest political party in Norway for the first time in the 2001 parliamentary election, and has been so ever since...
come close. These parties also combine socialist with new left ideals, and stand between United States-oriented social democracy and Soviet Union-oriented communism. The French Unified Socialist Party
Unified Socialist Party (France)
The Unified Socialist Party was a socialist political party in France, founded on April 3, 1960. It was originally led by Édouard Depreux , and by Michel Rocard .- History :...
which was formed by leftwing dissenters in the main socialist SFIO and anti-stalinist dissenters in the French Communist Party
French Communist Party
The French Communist Party is a political party in France which advocates the principles of communism.Although its electoral support has declined in recent decades, the PCF retains a large membership, behind only that of the Union for a Popular Movement , and considerable influence in French...
is also similar in its opposition to both social democracy and communism. The Australian Nuclear Disarmament Party
Nuclear Disarmament Party
The Nuclear Disarmament Party was a political party in Australia. The party was formed in 1984 and enjoyed considerable initial success.-Foundation, the 1984 election, and the split:...
shared its priority of nuclear disarmament.