LABOUR PARTY (NETHERLANDS)

(Redirected from PvdA)

The 'Labour Party' (Dutch: '''Partij van de Arbeid''' ('PvdA'), literally "Party of the Labour") is a social-democratic political party in the Netherlands. Since the general election in 2003, the PvdA is the second largest political party in the Netherlands. The PvdA is a coalition member in the fourth Balkenende cabinet since 2007.

Contents
Party history
1945-1965
1965-1989
1989-present
Ideology and issues
Representation
Ministers
Members of the Lower House of Parliament
Members of the Upper House of Parliament
Members of the European Parliament
Municipal and provincial government
Provincial government
Municipal government
Electorate
Organization
Organizational structure
Members
Linked organisations
International organisations
Pillarized organisations
Relationships to other parties
International comparison
External links

Party history


1945-1965

The PvdA was founded on February 9, 1946 through a merger of three parties: the socialist SDAP, the minor left-liberal VDB and the small social-protestant CDU. They were joined by individuals from catholic resistance group ''Christofor'' and the Protestant-Christian parties Christian Historical Union (CHU) and ARP.
The founders of the PvdA wanted to create a broad people's party, breaking with the historic tradition of pillarization. The party combined socialist ideals with liberal, religious and humanist ideas. However, the party was unable to break pillarization. Instead the new party renewed the close ties the SDAP had with other socialist organisations (see linked organisations). In 1948, some liberal members, led by former VDB leader Oud, left the PvdA because they were unhappy with the socialist course of the PvdA. Together with the liberal conservative Partij van de Vrijheid, they formed the right of center liberal People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD).
Between 1946 and 1958, the PvdA formed coalition governments with the Catholic Catholic People's Party (KVP), and combinations of VVD, ARP and CHU. The KVP and the PvdA together had a large majority in parliament. Since 1948, these cabinets were led by PvdA-prime minister Willem Drees. Under his leadership the Netherlands recovered from the war, began to build its welfare state, and Indonesia became independent.
After the cabinet crisis of 1958, the PvdA was replaced by the VVD. The PvdA was in opposition until 1965. The electoral support of PvdA voters began to decline.
1965-1989

Joop den Uyl, party leader between 1967 and 1986

In 1965 a conflict in the KVP-ARP-CHU-VVD made continuation of the government impossible. The three confessional parties turned towards the PvdA. Together they formed the Cabinet Cals. This cabinet was also short lived and conflictridden. The conflicts culminated in the fall of the cabinet Cals over financial policy.
Meanwhile, a younger generation was attempting to gain control of the PvdA. A group of young PvdA-members, calling themselves New Left, changed the party. The New Left wanted to reform the PvdA: the party should become oriented towards the new social movements, adopting their anti-parliamentary strategies and their issues, such as women's liberation, environmental conservation and Third World development. Prominent New Left members were Jan Nagel, Andre van der Louw and Bram Peper. One of their early victories followed the fall of the cabinet-Cals. The party congress adopted a motion that made it impossible for the PvdA to govern with the KVP and its Protestant allies. In response to the growing power of the New Left group, a group of older, centrist party members, led by Willem Drees' son, Willem Drees Junior founded the New Right. In 1970, it was clear that they lost the conflict within the party and they left, founding the Democratic Socialists '70 party.
Under the New Left, the PvdA started a strategy of polarization, striving for a cabinet based on a progressive majority in parliament. In order to form that cabinet the PvdA allied itself with the left-liberal D66 and the radical Christian PPR. The alliance was called the Progressive Accord (PAK). In the 1971 and 1972 elections, these three parties promised to form a cabinet with a radical common program after the elections. They were unable to gain a majority in both elections. In 1971, they were kept out of cabinet, and the party of former PvdA-members, DS70, became a partner of the Biesheuvel cabinet.
In the 1972 elections, neither the PvdA and its allies or the KVP and its allies were unable to gain a majority. The two sides were forced to work together. Joop den Uyl, leader of the PvdA, led the cabinet. The cabinet was an extra-parliamentair kabinet and it was composed of members of the three progressive parties and members of the KVP and the ARP. The cabinet attempted to radically reform government, society and the economy, but it faced economic decline and was riddled with personal and ideological conflicts. Especially, the relationship between prime-minister Den Uyl and the KVP vice-prime minister, Van Agt was very problematic. The conflict culminated just before the 1977 elections, the cabinet fell. The 1977 elections were won by the PvdA, but the ideological and personal conflict between Van Agt and Den Uyl prevented the formation of a new centre-left cabinet. After very long cabinet-formation talks, the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), a new Christian-democratic political formation composed of KVP, CHU and ARP, formed government with the VVD, based on a very narrow majority. The PvdA was left in opposition.
In the 1981 elections, the CDA-VVD lost their majority. The CDA remained the largest party but it was forced to cooperate with the PvdA and D66 (the PPR had left the alliance, after losing the 1977 elections). In the new cabinet led by Van Agt, Den Uyl returned to cabinet, now as vice-prime-minister. The personal and ideological conflict between Van Agt and Den Uyl culminated in the fall of the cabinet just months after it was formed. The VVD and the CDA regained their majority in the 1982 elections and retained it in the 1986 elections. The PvdA was left in opposition. During this period, the party began to reform. In 1986, Den Uyl left politics, appointing former union leader Wim Kok as his successor.
1989-present

After the 1989 elections, the PvdA returned to cabinet together with the CDA. Kok became vice-prime-minister to CDA-leader Lubbers. The PvdA accepted the major economic reforms the previous Lubbers cabinets made, including privatization of public enterprises and reform of the welfare state. They continued these policies in this cabinet. The cabinet faced heavy protest from the unions and saw major political conflict within the PvdA itself.
In the 1994 elections, the PvdA and CDA coalition lost its majority in parliament. The PvdA however emerged as the biggest party. Kok formed a government together with the right-liberal VVD and left-liberal D66. The so-called ''purple'' government was political novum, because the Christian-Democrats had been in government since 1918. The cabinet continued the economic reforms, but combined this with a progressive outlook on ethical questions and promises of political reform. Kok became very popular prime minister. Kok was not a partisan figure, but combined successful technocratic policy with the charisma of a national leader. In the 1998 elections, the cabinet was rewarded for its stewardship of the economy. The PvdA and the VVD increased their seats, at the cost of D66.
The PvdA excepted to perform very well in the 2002 elections. Kok left politics leaving the leadership of the party to his crown prince Ad Melkert. But political rise of Pim Fortuyn frustrated these hopes. The PvdA lost the 2002 elections, and fell from 45 seats to 23. The loss was blamed on the uncharismatic new leader Melkert, the perceived arrogance of the PvdA and the inability to answer to the new issues, especially immigration and integration, Fortuyn raised. Melkert resigned as party leader and was replaced by Jeltje van Nieuwenhoven. The PvdA was kept out of cabinet. The government formed by CDA, VVD and the List Pim Fortuyn (LPF) fell after a very short period.
Wouter Bos: currently PvdA leader, vice-prime minister and minister of finance

Meanwhile ,Wouter Bos, staatssecretaris in the second purple cabinet, was elected leader of the PvdA in a referendum among PvdA-members. He started to democratize the party organization and began an ideological reorientation. In the 2003 elections, Wouter Bos managed to regain almost all seats lost in the previous election, and the PvdA was once again the second-largest party of the Netherlands, only slightly smaller than the CDA. Personal and ideological conflicts between Bos and the CDA-leader Balkenende prevented the formation of a CDA-PvdA cabinet. Instead, the PvdA was kept out of government by the formation of cabinet of the CDA, the VVD and former PvdA-ally D66. In the 2006 municipal elections, the renewed PvdA performed exceptionally well. The PvdA became by far the largest party nationally, while the three governing parties lost a considerable number of seats in municipal councils.
It was expected that the PvdA would perform well in the upcoming 2006 elections, but the party lost the race for Prime Minister to the CDA after suffering a downswing of 9 seats. The PvdA now hold only 33 seats, losing many votes to the Socialist Party. The PvdA had previously distanced themselves from the idea of a voting bloc on the left. It did however join the Fourth Balkenende cabinet in which Wouter Bos became minister of Finance. In the aftermath of the lost elections the entire party executive stepped down on April 26, 2007.

Ideology and issues


The PvdA began as a traditional social-democratic party, committed to building a welfare state. During the 1970s, it radicalized its program and included new issues, such as women's liberation, environmental conservation and Third World development. During the 1990s, it moderated its program, including reform of the welfare state and privatization of public enterprise. In 2005, the party adopted a new program of principals, expressing a centre-left ideology. Its core issues are employment, social welfare, and investing in education, public safety and health care.

Representation


'Year' 'TK' 'EK' 'EP' 'PS' 'Fractievoorzitter' 'Lijsttrekker' 'Cabinet' 'Party chair' 'Members'
19462914n/a157Marinus van der Goes van NatersSeveral Willem Drees, Jaap Burger, Marinus van der Goes van Naters, Dolf Joekes, Piet Lieftinck, Sicco Mansholt, Willem Schermerhorn, Koos Vorrink and Hein VosWillem Schermerhorn (PM)Koos Vorrink114558
19472914n/a157Marinus van der Goes van Natersno electionWillem Schermerhorn (PM)Koos Vorrink108813
19482714n/a157Marinus van der Goes van NatersSeveral Willem Drees, Marinus van der Goes van Naters, Dolf Joekes, Piet Lieftinck, Sicco Mansholt, Willem Schermerhorn, Koos Vorrink and Hein VosWillem Drees (PM)Koos Vorrink117244
19492714n/a157Marinus van der Goes van NatersNo electionWillem Drees (PM)Koos Vorrink109608
19502714n/a156Marinus van der Goes van NatersNo electionWillem Drees (PM)Koos Vorrink105609
19512714n/a156Leendert DonkerNo electionWillem Drees (PM)Koos Vorrink111885
19523014n/a156Jaap BurgerWillem DreesWillem Drees (PM)Koos Vorrink111351
19533014n/a156Jaap Burgerno electionsWillem Drees (PM)Hein Vos (interim)112823
19543014n/a180Jaap Burgerno electionsWillem Drees (PM)Hein Vos (interim)119561
19553014n/a180Jaap Burgerno electionsWillem Drees (PM)Evert Vermeer124641
19563422n/a180Jaap BurgerWillem DreesWillem Drees (PM)Evert Vermeer142140
19573422n/a180Jaap Burgerno electionsWillem Drees (PM)Evert Vermeer142849
19583422n/a178Jaap Burgerno electionsWillem Drees (PM)Evert Vermeer137778
19594822n/a178Jaap Burgerseveral Jaap Burger, H.J. Hofstra, Ivo Samkalden, Ko Suurhoff, Anne Vondeling and Joan WillemsoppositionEvert Vermeer147047
19604823n/a178Jaap Burgerno electionsoppositionHein Vos (interim)142853
19614823n/a178Jaap Burgerno electionsoppositionKo Suurhoff138829
19624823n/a207Jaap Burgerno electionsoppositionKo Suurhoff139375
19634325n/a207Anne Vondelingseveral Ko Suurhoff, Anne Vondeling and Joan WillemsoppositionKo Suurhoff138567
19644325n/a207Anne VondelingNo electionsoppositionKo Suurhoff142426
19654325n/a207Gerard NederhorstNo electionsAnne Vondeling (VPM)Sjeng Tans140389
19664322n/a170Gerard NederhorstNo electionsOppositionSjeng Tans134476
19673722n/a170Joop den UylJoop den UylOppositionSjeng Tans130960
19683722n/a170Joop den UylNo electionsOppositionSjeng Tans116736
19693720n/a170Joop den UylNo electionsOppositionAnne Vondeling107005
19703720n/a172+711Joop den UylNo electionsOppositionAnne Vondeling98671
19713918n/a172+711Joop den UylJoop den UylOppositionAndré van der Louw96337
19724318n/a172+711Joop den UylJoop den UylOppositionAndré van der Louw94229
19734318n/a172+711Ed van ThijnNo electionsJoop den Uyl (PM)André van der Louw97787
19744321n/a217+181Ed van ThijnNo electionsJoop den Uyl (PM)Ien van den Heuvel-de Blank103140
19754321n/a217+181Ed van ThijnNo electionsJoop den Uyl (PM)Ien van den Heuvel-de Blank100524
19764321n/a217+181Ed van ThijnNo electionsJoop den Uyl (PM)Ien van den Heuvel-de Blank95548
19775325n/a217+181Ed van ThijnJoop den UylOppositionIen van den Heuvel-de Blank109659
19785325n/a254+161Joop den UylNo electionsOppositionIen van den Heuvel-de Blank121274
197953259254+161Joop den UylNo electionsOppositionMax van den Berg118522
198053269254+161Joop den UylNo electionsOppositionMax van den Berg112929
198144289254+161Wim MeijerJoop den UylJoop den Uyl (VPM)Max van den Berg109557
198247289177+111Joop den UylJoop den UylOppositionMax van den Berg105486
198347279177+111Joop den UylNo electionsOppositionMax van den Berg101724
198447279177+111Joop den UylNo electionsOppositionMax van den Berg99347
198547279177+111Joop den UylNo electionsOppositionMax van den Berg100979
198652279177Wim KokJoop den UylOppositionStan Poppe (interim)103760
198752269262Wim KokNo electionsOppositionMarjanne Sint101019
198852269262Wim KokNo electionsOppositionMarjanne Sint96722
198949268262Thijs WöltgensWim KokWim Kok (VPM)Marjanne Sint96600
199049268262Thijs WöltgensNo electionsWim Kok (VPM)Marjanne Sint91784
199149168166Thijs WöltgensNo electionsWim Kok (VPM)Frits Castricum (interim)79059
199249168166Thijs WöltgensNo electionsWim Kok (VPM)Felix Rottenberg73807
199349168166Thijs WöltgensNo electionsWim Kok (VPM)Felix Rottenberg69464
199437168166Jacques WallageWim KokWim Kok (PM)Felix Rottenberg68053
199537148142Jacques WallageNo electionsWim Kok (PM)Felix Rottenberg64523
199637148142Jacques WallageNo electionsWim Kok (PM)Ruud Vreeman (interim)60907
199737148142Jacques WallageNo electionsWim Kok (PM)Karin Adelmund61720
199845148142Ad MelkertWim KokWim Kok (PM)Ruud Vreeman (interim)61600
199945156154Ad MelkertNo electionsWim Kok (PM)Marijke van Hees60621
200045156154Ad MelkertNo electionsWim Kok (PM)Mariëtte Hamer (interim)57374
200145156154Ad MelkertNo electionsWim Kok (PM)Ruud Koole58426
200223156154Jeltje van Nieuwenhoven (interim)Ad MelkertOppositionRuud Koole57374
200342196197Wouter BosWouter BosOppositionRuud Koole60062
200442197197Wouter BosNo electionsOppositionRuud Koole61935
200542197197Wouter BosNo electionsOppositionMichiel van Hulten61111
200633197197Wouter BosNo electionsOppositionMichiel van Hulten61913
200733147114Jacques TichelaarWouter BosWouter Bos (VPM)Ruud Koole (interim)

1: In combined PvdA/PPR groups (estimate).
Ministers

The PvdA currently participates in a coalition cabinet with the Christian Democratic Appeal and the ChristianUnion. It supplies six ministers and state secretaries.

Minister of Finance: Wouter Bos

Minister of Spatial Planning and the Environment: Jacqueline Cramer

Minister of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations: Guusje ter Horst

Minister of Culture and Science: Ronald Plasterk

Minister without Portfolio for International Development: Bert Koenders

★ Minister without Portfolio for Housing and Integration: Ella Vogelaar

★ State Secretary for European Affairs: Frans Timmermans

★ State Secretary for International Trade: Frank Heemskerk

★ State Secretary for Social Affairs: Ahmed Aboutaleb

★ State Secretary for Migration: Nebahat Albayrak

★ State Secretary for Education: Sharon Dijksma

★ State Secretary for Health: Jet Bussemaker
Members of the Lower House of Parliament

After the 2006 elections, the party has 33 representatives in the lower house of parliament:
Members of the Upper House of Parliament

After the 2003 Lower House elections, the party has 19 representatives in the Upper House:

★ T.R. Doesburg

★ S.J. van Driel

★ J.H. Eigeman

★ J. Hamel

E.C.M. Jurgens

F. Leijnse

★ M.Y. Linthorst

★ T.A. Maas-de Brouwer

★ M.C. Meindertsma

★ L.P. Middel

★ H.C.P. Noten, fractievoorzitter

★ K. Putters

★ R. Rabbinge

★ J.J. Sylvester

I.Y. Tan

E. van Thijn

★ M. Westerveld

★ A.C.C. Witteman

★ W.J. Witteveen
Members of the European Parliament

PvdA MEPs are part of the faction Party of European Socialists.
After the 2004 European Parliament elections, the party has seven representatives in the European Parliament:

Max van den Berg, fractievoorzitter

Edith Mastenbroek

Jan Marinus Wiersma

Emine Bozkurt

Dorette Corbey

Thijs Berman

Ieke van den Burg
Municipal and provincial government

Provincial government

Two of the 12 Queen's commissioners are member of the PvdA. The party cooperates in all Gedeputeerde Staten except for North Holland.
Municipal government

122 of the 414 mayor of the Netherlands are member of the PvdA. Most famous of them is Job Cohen, mayor of Amsterdam. The party cooperates in many College van Burgemeester en Wethouders, and after the 2006 municipal elections it expected to cooperate in many more.

Electorate


Historically, the PvdA was supported by the working class. Currently the party is supported relatively well by civil servants, migrants, and the working class. The party has historically been very strong in the major cities, such as Amsterdam, and Rotterdam and in the northern provinces of Groningen, Friesland and Drenthe

Organization


Organizational structure

The highest organ of the PvdA is the congress, it is formed by delegates from the municipal branches. It convenes once every year. It appoints the party board and decides the order of the First Chamber, Second Chamber, European Parliament candidates list and has the last say over the party program. Since 2002, a referendum under all members has partially replaced the Congres. Both the lijsttrekker of the Second Chamber candidate list, who is the political leader of the party, and the party chairman, who leads the party organization, are selected by such a referendum. In 2002, Wouter Bos won the PvdA leadership election.
Members

The PvdA currently has 62.000 members. They are organized in over 500 municipal branches.
Linked organisations

The Young Socialists (Jonge Socialisten, JS) is the youth organisation of the PvdA. It is a member of the European Community of Socialist Youth (ECOSY), and the International Union of Socialist Youth (IUSY). They publish the periodical ''Lava''.
''Rood'' is the party periodical. It appears eight times a year.
The scientific institute of the PvdA is the Wiardi Beckman Foundation. It publishes the periodical ''Socialisme & Democratie''.
International organisations

The PvdA is a member of the Party of European Socialists and the Socialist International.
Pillarized organisations

During the period of strong pillarization the PvdA had strong links with the social-democratic broadcasting organization VARA, the trade union NVV, and the paper Het Vrije Volk. Although pillarization has weakened, the PvdA still has friendly relations with the largest trade union FNV and the leftwing broadsheet ''De Volkskrant''.
Relationships to other parties

PvdA activists in a demonstration (October 2004)

Historically, the PvdA has cooperated in cabinets with the Christian-democratic Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), PPR, Catholic People's Party (KVP), Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP), Christian Historical Union (CHU) and ChristenUnie (CU) parties and the liberal Democrats 66 (D66) and People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD).
Between 1971 and 1977, it was allied with D66 and the PPR. After 1977 until 1989, it was closely allied to D66. Since 2003, the relationship between the PvdA and D66 has considerably worsened, because the PvdA is in opposition to the cabinet D66 cooperates in.
During the governance of cabinet Balkenende II and Balkenende III, the Socialist Party and the GreenLeft were calling for closer cooperation with the PvdA, calling to form a shadow government against the Balkenende cabinet, PvdA-leader Bos has held this off.

International comparison


Internationally, the PvdA is comparable to other European social-democratic parties that have adopted Third Way policies, like the German SPD but most of all the British Labour Party. The party is comparable to the liberals within the U.S. Democratic Party.

External links



Official Website

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