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Democrats 66

Democrats 66 (Dutch: Democraten 66;[a] abbreviated D66, Dutch pronunciation: [ˌdeː zɛsə(n)ˈzɛstəx]) is a social liberal political party in the Netherlands, which positions itself in the centre of the political spectrum.[6][12][13][14][15] It is a member of the Liberal International (LI) and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE).

Democrats 66
Democraten 66
AbbreviationD66
LeaderRob Jetten
ChairpersonVictor Everhardt
Leader in the CabinetSigrid Kaag (DPM)
Leader in the SenatePaul van Meenen
Leader in the House
of Representatives
Jan Paternotte
Leader in the EPSamira Rafaela
FoundersHans van Mierlo
Hans Gruijters
Founded14 October 1966 (1966-10-14)
HeadquartersLange Houtstraat 11,
The Hague
Youth wingYoung Democrats
Policy instituteHans van Mierlo Foundation
Membership (2023) 30,022[1]
Ideology
Political positionCentre[6][7][8][9][10]
Regional affiliationLiberal Group[11]
European affiliationAlliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
International affiliationLiberal International
European Parliament groupRenew Europe
Colours  Green
  White
Senate
5 / 75
House of Representatives
9 / 150
King's commissioners
1 / 12
Provincial councils
33 / 570
European Parliament
1 / 29
Benelux Parliament
3 / 21
Website
www.d66.nl

The name of the party refers to its year of foundation, 1966. Initially, its main objective had been to democratise the Dutch political system, but it developed a broader social liberal ideology over time. In the 1967 general election, the party won 7 out of 150 seats in the House of Representatives. No new party had ever gained that many seats before. The party was in government from 1973 to 1977, 1981 to 1982, 1994 to 2002, 2003 to 2006 and 2017 to present. It currently holds 24 seats in the House of Representatives, seven seats in the Senate and two seats in the European Parliament.

D66 is especially popular among people who hold a university degree, and its voters are mostly concentrated in larger cities and in municipalities with an above-average number of wealthy residents. The party supplies a relatively large proportion of mayors, who are appointed rather than elected.

Currently, the party is led by Rob Jetten, who was elected party leader on 12 August 2023.[16] Annelien Bredenoord, Jan Paternotte and Samira Rafaela are serving as the party's parliamentary leaders in the Senate, the House of Representatives and the European Parliament respectively.

edit

At its foundation, the party was called Democrats '66 (Dutch: Democraten '66, abbreviated D'66). The name referred to the party's goal of radical democratisation and to the year of foundation, which was supposed to convey a modern image. In 1981, the apostrophe was dropped: the name had become a successful political brand, but the year no longer conveyed a modern image.

Logo history
1966–1984 1985–2001 2002–2006 2006–2008 2008–2019 2019–present
           

History edit

1966–1986: early years edit

Democrats 66 was founded on 14 October 1966 by a group of 44 people. Its founders were described as homines novi, although 25 of the 44 had previously been members of another political party. The initiators were Hans van Mierlo, a journalist for the Algemeen Handelsblad, and Hans Gruijters, a municipal councillor in Amsterdam for the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD). Van Mierlo became the party's political leader. The foundation of the party was preceded by the "Appeal 1966" on October 10, in which the founders appealed to the people of the Netherlands to re-take their democratic institutions. The party renounced the 19th-century political ideologies, which dominated the political system and sought to end pillarisation. It called for radical democratisation of the Dutch political system, and for pragmatic and scientific policy-making.

 
Hans van Mierlo, co-founder and leader between 1966–1973 and 1986–1998

The party participated in the 1967 general election, with Hans van Mierlo as its lead candidate. The party won an unprecedented seven seats in the House of Representatives. In the 1971 general election, the party won an additional four seats and it formed a shadow cabinet with the Labour Party (PvdA) and the Political Party of Radicals (PPR). In the 1972 general election, the three parties formed a political alliance called the "Progressive Agreement" (Dutch: Progressief Akkoord; PAK) and presented the common electoral program "Turning Point '72" (Keerpunt '72).

In the election, D66 lost nearly half its seats, leaving only six. The alliance became the largest political force in the country, but it did not gain a majority. After long cabinet formation talks, the three PAK-parties formed an extra-parliamentary cabinet joined by progressive members of the Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP) and the Catholic People's Party (KVP). The cabinet was led by Labour politician Joop den Uyl. Co-founder Hans Gruijters became Minister of Housing and Spatial Planning. After the formation talks, Van Mierlo left politics, feeling that his political position within the parliamentary party was untenable. Van Mierlo was replaced by Jan Terlouw, who became the new parliamentary leader.

 
Jan Terlouw, leader from 1973 to 1982

In the period 1972–1974, the party lost a dramatic number of members (from 6,000 to 300) and polled very poorly in the 1974 provincial elections. The party also lost half of its senators in the 1974 Senate election. At one of the party congresses, a motion was put forth to abolish the party. A majority of the members voted in favour, but the two-thirds majority was not reached. In reaction, Terlouw started a campaign to revitalise the party, involving a membership drive and a petition to the electorate. He emphasised issues other than democratic reform and gave the party a more liberal orientation. The party doubled its membership in 1975 and won two additional seats in the 1977 general election, despite losing all its seats in the Senate in the same year.

In the 1981 general election, D66 gained 17 seats. The party formed a government with the Labour Party and the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), with Terlouw as Minister of Economic Affairs. The cabinet was characterised by the personal and ideological conflicts between Prime Minister Dries van Agt (CDA) and Minister of Social Affairs Joop den Uyl (PvdA). The cabinet fell nine months after it was formed, when the Labour Party left the cabinet. D66 and the CDA continued to govern in a caretaker government. In the subsequent 1982 general election, D66 lost two-thirds of its support, and was left with only 6 seats. After the election, Terlouw left politics and was replaced by Maarten Engwirda. The party was confined to opposition.

1986–2006: purple cabinets and demise edit

In 1986, Van Mierlo returned to politics. He emphasised democratic reform as the core issue of the party and wanted to end the polarisation between the Labour Party and VVD, so that it would be possible to form a government without the CDA. He led the party in the 1986 general election and won 9 seats. In the 1989 election, the party won 12 seats and was asked to join the formation talks of a CDA–PvdA–D66 coalition. While the PvdA preferred to form a government with D66, the CDA did not. Ultimately, D66 was excluded from the coalition, because it was not necessary to include them to reach a majority in parliament.

Despite being in opposition, D66 adopted a constructive approach towards the government. They were rewarded for this in the 1994 general election, in which the party doubled its number of seats to 24. D66 was able to form its preferred coalition: the "purple government", which included both the social democratic PvdA and the conservative liberal VVD. Van Mierlo was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs. As advocated by D66, the first Kok cabinet initiated progressive legislation, such as the introduction of same-sex marriage and the legalisation of euthanasia. The moderately liberal economic policies of the cabinet were also seen as a great success.

 
Els Borst, top candidate in the 1998 general election

Shortly before the 1998 general election, Van Mierlo stepped back and Minister of Health Els Borst became the new top candidate. D66 lost ten seats in the election, while its coalition partners gained ground at the cost of D66. The second Kok cabinet continued. Although D66 was technically not needed for a majority in parliament, it was seen as the glue that kept the PvdA and the VVD together. Borst stepped down as party leader and became Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health. Thom de Graaf led the party in the House of Representatives. From within the party, there were calls for a more explicit progressive liberal course. In 1999, a constitutional reform that would allow for referendums to be held was rejected by the Senate, because a group of VVD dissidents had voted against it. In response, D66 left the cabinet. After the subsequent formation talks, D66 returned to the cabinet in return for a temporary referendum law and directly elected mayors.

In the 2002 general election, the tide had turned against the purple government, and the right-wing populist Pim Fortuyn List (LPF) gained considerable ground. The three purple parties lost an unprecedented 43 seats. D66 was left with only 7 seats. The first Balkenende cabinet, consisting of CDA, LPF and VVD, lasted only three months. In the 2003 general election, D66 lost another seat, leaving only 6. De Graaf stepped down and was succeeded by Boris Dittrich. After long formation talks between the CDA and the PvdA failed, a second Balkenende cabinet was formed, which included the CDA, the VVD and D66.

In return for investments in environment and education, and a special Minister for Governmental Reform, D66 supported the centre-right reform cabinet and some of its more controversial legislation. In May 2005, the Senate rejected a constitutional reform that would allow a directly elected mayor. The legislation had been introduced by the second Kok cabinet, but it was unable to get a two-thirds majority because the Labour Party was opposed the electoral system proposed by Minister for Governmental Reform Thom de Graaf. De Graaf resigned, but the rest of the ministers retained their positions as D66 was promised more investment in public education and the environment. A special party congress was called to ratify this so-called "Easter Agreement" (Paasakkoord). 2,600 members (20 per cent of total membership) were present and the congress was broadcast live on television. The congress agreed to remain in cabinet by a large majority. Alexander Pechtold replaced De Graaf as Minister for Governmental Reform. Laurens Jan Brinkhorst, the Minister of Economic Affairs, became Deputy Prime Minister.

 
Alexander Pechtold, leader from 2006 to 2018

2006–2016: Pechtold leadership edit

In February 2006, Dittrich stepped down as parliamentary leader, because he did not agree with the government's decision to send the Dutch armed forces to the southern province of Uruzgan in Afghanistan. D66 voted against the government's proposal together with the Socialist Party and GroenLinks. Dittrich stated that the mission to send troops was not a reconstruction mission (as the government and the majority of the Dutch parliament claimed), but a military operation. Lousewies van der Laan replaced Dittrich. In May 2006, D66 polled particularly badly in the 2006 municipal elections. D66 began to lose a considerable number of members, some of whom founded deZES, another radical democratic, progressive liberal party. During a special party congress on 13 May 2006, a motion was put forth demanding the withdrawal of D66 from the cabinet, but it was rejected. In June 2006, an internal election was held in order to choose the new party leader. The election was won by Alexander Pechtold.

During the special parliamentary debate on the naturalisation process of Ayaan Hirsi Ali, D66 supported a motion of no confidence against Minister for Integration Rita Verdonk. As D66 was a junior coalition partner, this caused a crisis in the second Balkenende cabinet. The cabinet refused to remove Verdonk from her position. Lousewies van der Laan, parliamentary leader of D66, felt that the D66 faction could no longer support the cabinet and stated that the cabinet had to resign. On 3 July 2006, the two D66 ministers Alexander Pechtold and Laurens Jan Brinkhorst resigned, causing the second Balkenende cabinet to fall.

In October 2006, just before the D66 party congress and its 40th anniversary as a party, D66 founder Hans van Mierlo asked the question whether D66 still had political legitimacy. He believed that many errors were made in recent history and that only the acceptance of these errors could provide for any credibility for D66. Van Mierlo declared his support for party leader Pechtold, who in his view could provide for such credibility.[17]

 
Sigrid Kaag, leader from 2020–2023

Since 2008, the party has performed quite well in the opinion polls, ranging from 10 to 26 seats, compared to only 3 seats in the House of Representatives.[18][19][20] In the 2009 European Parliament election, the party won 11% of the votes and 3 seats, two more than in the previous election. The news programme Nova attributed this increase to the leadership of Alexander Pechtold, who was considered "the leader of the opposition" at the time.[21] Under the leadership of Pechtold, the party has taken strong stances against the Party for Freedom (PVV) of Geert Wilders.[22] In the 2010 general election, D66 increased its representation to 10 seats. In the 2012 general election, the party further increased its number of seats to 12. Since 2008, the party has experienced a significant increase in party membership, from 10,000 to 25,000 in 2015.

In the 2017 general election, D66 won 19 seats in the House of Representatives and formed a centre-right coalition government with the VVD, CDA and Christian Union (CU). Kajsa Ollongren was appointed second Deputy Prime Minister in the third Rutte cabinet.

2018–present: Kaag and Jetten leadership edit

In October 2018, Alexander Pechtold announced his retirement from politics.[23] He was replaced by Rob Jetten as parliamentary leader, but the position of party leader remained vacant.[24] In September 2020, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Sigrid Kaag was elected the new party leader and top candidate for the 2021 general election.[16] Despite the fact that the opinion polls had predicted D66 to lose seats, the party won 24 seats in the 2021 election, becoming the second largest party in the House of Representatives.[25] On 12 August 2023 Rob Jetten became the leader of the party.[26] Following the 2023 Dutch general election D66 lost more seats than any party, being reduced from 24 to 9, their worst result in 17 years.

Ideology edit

Campaign for the 2021 Dutch general election

The ideology of D66 is a highly contested subject within the party and the question is tied to the reason for its existence. There are two currents within the party, namely the radical democrats and the progressive liberals. Although sometimes antagonistic, these two currents currently complement each other as both emphasise the self-realisation of the individual. The Radical League and the Free-thinking Democratic League, two early 20th century parties are historic exponents of these two traditions.

Factions edit

Radical democrats edit

The first party congress emphasised radical democratisation of Dutch society and the political system. Its ideal was a two-party system. To obtain this, it wanted to reform the electoral system after the American first past the post model. The electoral reform was gradually moderated as the party now favours German-style mixed member proportional representation. In this system, a national party-list election is used to make a first-past-the-post election representative to the nationwide vote. This radical democratisation was combined with a pragmatic and anti-dogmatic attitude towards politics. Hans van Mierlo, the party's leader between 1966 and 1972 and between 1986 and 1998 and the party's figurehead, was an important exponent of this tendency within the party.[citation needed]

Progressive liberals edit

D66's progressive liberal section has historically been much weaker than its radical democratic wing. Under Jan Terlouw between 1972 and 1982, D66 began to emphasise new issues like the environment, public education and innovation. He called D66 a fourth current, next to social democracy, Christian democracy and the conservative liberalism of the VVD. In 1998, the group Opschudding called for a progressive liberal course for the party. In the party's manifesto adopted in 2000, the party explicitly adopted a progressive liberal image. National political reasons explain the usage of the label "social-liberal" since the more right-leaning VVD describes itself as the liberal party.[citation needed]

Positions edit

Some of the party's most important positions include:

Electorate edit

Although supporters of political parties are no longer fixed and election results fluctuate, D66 is overall strong and concentrated in the Randstad conurbation, while also getting its votes in and around university towns. In the 2014 municipal elections, D66 became the largest party in many major cities including Amsterdam, The Hague, Utrecht, Tilburg, Groningen, Enschede, Apeldoorn, Haarlem, Amersfoort and Arnhem.[31][32]

Electoral results edit

 
Jan Paternotte, leader in the House of Representatives since 2022
 
Annelien Bredenoord, leader in the Senate since 2019
 
Samira Rafaela, leader in the European Parliament since 2023

House of Representatives edit

Election Lead candidate Votes % Seats +/– Government
1967 Hans van Mierlo 307,810 4.4 (#7)
7 / 150
New Opposition
1971 427,720 6.7 (#5)
11 / 150
  4 Opposition
1972 307,048 4.1 (#8)
6 / 150
  5 Coalition
1977 Jan Terlouw 452,423 5.4 (#4)
8 / 150
  2 Opposition
1981 961,121 11.0 (#4)
17 / 150
  9 Coalition
1982 351,278 4.3 (#4)
6 / 150
  11 Opposition
1986 Hans van Mierlo 562,466 6.1 (#4)
9 / 150
  3 Opposition
1989 701,934 7.9 (#4)
12 / 150
  3 Opposition
1994 1,391,202 15.5 (#4)
24 / 150
  12 Coalition
1998 Els Borst 773,497 9.0 (#4)
14 / 150
  10 Coalition
2002 Thom de Graaf 484,317 5.1 (#7)
7 / 150
  7 Opposition
2003 393,333 4.0 (#7)
6 / 150
  1 Coalition
2006 Alexander Pechtold 193,232 2.0 (#8)
3 / 150
  3 Opposition
2010 654,167 6.9 (#6)
10 / 150
  7 Opposition
2012 757,091 8.0 (#6)
12 / 150
  2 Opposition
2017 1,285,819 12.2 (#4)
19 / 150
  7 Coalition
2021 Sigrid Kaag 1,565,861 15.0 (#2)
24 / 150
  5 Coalition
2023 Rob Jetten 656,292 6.29 (#5)
9 / 150
  15

Senate edit

Election Votes % Seats +/– Government
1971 (#6)
6 / 75
New Opposition
1974 (#8)
3 / 75
  3 Coalition
1977 (#10)
0 / 75
  3 No seats
1980 (#5)
2 / 75
  2 Opposition
1981 (#4)
4 / 75
  2 Coalition
1983 (#4)
6 / 75
  2 Opposition
1986 (#4)
6 / 75
Opposition
1987 (#4)
5 / 75
  1 Opposition
1991 (#4)
12 / 75
  7 Opposition
1995 (#4)
7 / 75
  5 Coalition
1999 8,542 5.4 (#5)
4 / 75
  3 Coalition
2003 7,087 4.4 (#6)
3 / 75
  1 Coalition
2007 3,270 2.0 (#8)
2 / 75
  1 Opposition
2011 12,651 7.62 (#6)
5 / 75
  3 Opposition
2015 21,997 13.01 (#3)
10 / 75
  5 Opposition
2019 15,154 8.75 (#5)
7 / 75
  3 Coalition
2023 11,144 6.23 (#6)
5 / 75
  2 Coalition

European Parliament edit

Election List Votes % Seats +/– Notes
1979 List 511,967 9.03 (#4)
2 / 25
New [33]
1984 List 120,826 2.28 (#7)
0 / 25
  2 [34]
1989 List 311,990 5.95 (#5)
1 / 25
  1 [35]
1994 List 481,826 11.66 (#4)
4 / 31
  3 [36]
1999 List 205,623 5.80 (#6)
2 / 31
  2 [37]
2004 List 202,502 4.25 (#8)
1 / 27
  1 [38]
2009 List 515,422 11.32 (#5)
3 / 25
  2
3 / 26
  [39]
2014 List 735,825 15.48 (#1)
4 / 26
  1 [40]
2019 List 389,692 7.09 (#6)
2 / 26
  2
2 / 29
  [41]

Representation edit

Members of the fourth Rutte cabinet edit

Ministers Title/ministry/portfolio(s) Assumed office
  Steven van Weyenberg
(born 1973)
Minister Finance 12 January 2024
  Jonkvrouw
Kajsa Ollongren
(born 1967)
Minister Defence 10 January 2022
  Dr.
Robbert
Dijkgraaf

(born 1960)
Minister Education, culture
and science
10 January 2022
Ministers without portfolio Title/ministry/portfolio(s) Assumed office
  Franc Weerwind
(born 1964)
Minister Justice and
security
Public
Prosecution

Victims' rights
Judicial reform
• Youth justice
Penitentiaries
Gambling
10 January 2022
  Rob Jetten
(born 1987)
Minister Economic affairs
and climate policy
Climate policy
Environment
Energy
Nuclear
Renewable energy
10 January 2022
First Deputy
Prime Minister
8 January 2024
State secretaries Title/ministry/portfolio(s) Assumed office
  Alexandra
van Huffelen

(born 1968)
State secretary Interior and
kingdom relations
Kingdom
Relations

Municipalities
Provinces
Digital government
10 January 2022
  Dr.
Hans Vijlbrief
(born 1963)
State secretary Economic affairs
and climate policy
Mining 10 January 2022
  Fleur Gräper
(born 1974)
State Secretary Education, culture
and science
Culture
Media
Art
12 January 2024

Members of the States General edit

Members of the House of Representatives edit

Members of the Senate edit

Representation in EU institutions edit

Members of the European Parliament edit

The D66 delegation is part of the Renew Europe group in the European Parliament. Prior to the first European elections in 1979, D66's appointed MEPs were part of the Socialist Group, before switching to Non-Inscrits from 1979 to 1984,[42] and the LDR/ELDR/ALDE group since 1989.[43]

Current members of the European Parliament since the 2019 European Parliament election:

Members of the Committee of the Regions edit

In the European Committee of the Regions, the Democrats 66 party sits in the Renew Europe CoR group, with one full and one alternate member for the 2020–2025 mandate:[44]

  • Robert van Asten (alternate)
  • Ellen van Selm (member)

King's commissioners edit

King's commissioner Province Term of office
  Han Polman
(born 1963)
 
Zeeland
1 March 2013

Provincial councillors edit

Since the 2019 provincial elections, D66 has 41 representatives in the provincial councils:

Province Seats
  Drenthe
2 / 41
  Flevoland
2 / 41
  Friesland
2 / 43
  Gelderland
4 / 55
  Groningen
3 / 43
  Limburg
3 / 47
  North Brabant
5 / 55
  North Holland
6 / 55
  Overijssel
3 / 47
  South Holland
5 / 55
  Utrecht
5 / 49
  Zeeland
1 / 39
Total
41

Organisation edit

The highest organ of the D66 is the General Assembly, in which every member can participate. It convenes multiple times per year. It appoints the party board and has the last say over the party program. The party list, including the party's parliamentary leader, for the Senate, House of Representatives, European Parliament candidates are elected directly by the members. The party has between 250 and 300 branches all over the Netherlands.

Leadership edit

Party leaders edit

Chairpersons edit

Parliamentary leaders edit

Lead candidates edit

Party board edit

  • Victor Everhardt, chair
  • Nadia Arsieni, secretary
  • Rob Meijer, treasurer
  • Maartje Jansen, board member (international relations)
  • Hester Duursema, board member (communications and recruitment)
  • Wietske Veltman, board member (association and education)

Linked organisations edit

The youth wing of D66 is called the Young Democrats (Dutch: Jonge Democraten, abbreviated JD). It has produced several prominent active members of D66, such as former MP Boris van der Ham. The JD is a member of European Liberal Youth and the International Federation of Liberal Youth.

D66 is a co-founder of the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy, a democracy assistance organisation of seven Dutch political parties. The Hans van Mierlo Foundation is the party's policy institute.

International affiliation edit

D66 is a member of the Liberal International and of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE). D66 joined the Liberal and Democratic Reformists (LDR) group in 1989.[43] It became a full member of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party (ELDR) in 1994 and a full member of the Liberal International in 1986.[45]

Relationships to other parties edit

In recent elections, political commentators have positioned D66 at the centre of the political spectrum. This offers the party a lot of possibilities for co-operation with other parties in the Dutch political landscape. Historically, D66 has often co-operated in cabinets with the Labour Party (PvdA). They were in four cabinets together (Den Uyl, Van Agt II, Kok I and Kok II), and formed a shadow cabinet in the early seventies. However, there have been heavy tensions between D66 and the PvdA on three occasions: in 1981, when D66 decided to continue to govern with the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) after the PvdA had left the first Van Agt cabinet; in 1989, when the PvdA formed the third Lubbers cabinet without D66; and in 2003, when D66 joined the second Balkenende cabinet.

Ideologically, the social liberal D66 is linked to People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), although VVD is considered a party of conservative liberalism. This resulted in five coalition governments (Kok I, Kok II, Balkenende II, Rutte III and Rutte IV). Both D66 and the VVD are members of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) and their respective members in the European Parliament are part of the Renew Europe group.

See also edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ Officially: Politieke Partij Democraten 66, lit.'Political Party Democrats 66'. Dutch pronunciation: [poːliˈtikə pɑrtɛi deːmoːˈkraːtə(n) zɛsə(n)ˈzɛstəx].

References edit

  1. ^ "Democraten 66 (D66)". Het Documentatiecentrum Nederlandse Politieke Partijen (in Dutch). 27 July 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  2. ^ Séveno, Victoria (18 March 2021). "VVD holds onto majority but D66 are the big winners in Dutch election". I Am Expat.
  3. ^ Nordsieck, Wolfram (2021). "Netherlands". Parties and Elections in Europe. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  4. ^ CNAAN LIPHSHIZ (21 March 2021). "27-year-old Israeli-Dutch Jew leads new progressive party into Dutch parliament". The Times of Israel. Finishing second was the left-wing progressive D66 party, which is close ideologically to Volt.
  5. ^ Henley, Jon (18 March 2021). "Dutch election: progressive party surges as PM begins coalition talks". The Guardian.
  6. ^ a b c Terry, Chris (11 May 2014). . The Democratic Society. Archived from the original on 10 April 2020.
  7. ^ Coalition Politics and Cabinet Decision Making. p.90. Author - Juliet Kaarbo. Published by the University of Michigan. First published in 2012. Accessed via Google Books.
  8. ^ Can a pro-EU party thrive in Dutch elections? Financial Times. Author - Duncan Robinson. Published 27 February 2017. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  9. ^ Negotiations to form new Dutch government to resume 100 days after vote. Reuters. Author - Bart H. Meijer. Published 23 June 2017. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  10. ^ "Tweede Kamer Verkiezingen: Achter de schermen bij het Kieskompas". 5 March 2021.
  11. ^ "Politieke fracties". Benelux Parliament (in Dutch). Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  12. ^ Vít Hloušek; Lubomír Kopeček (2010). Origin, Ideology and Transformation of Political Parties: East-Central and Western Europe Compared. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. pp. 108–109. ISBN 978-0-7546-9661-2. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  13. ^ Dimitri Almeida (2012). The Impact of European Integration on Political Parties: Beyond the Permissive Consensus. Routledge. p. 98. ISBN 978-0-415-69374-5.
  14. ^ Stefaan Fiers; André Krouwel (2007). "The Low Countries: From Prime Minister to President-Minister". In Thomas Poguntke; Paul Webb (eds.). The Presidentialization of Politics: A Comparative Study of Modern Democracies. Oxford University Press. p. 158. ISBN 978-0-19-921849-3. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
  15. ^ Simon Lightfoot (2005). Europeanizing Social Democracy?: The Rise of the Party of European Socialists. Routledge. p. 74. ISBN 978-0-415-34803-4. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  16. ^ a b "Rob Jetten nieuwe lijsttrekker D66" (in Dutch). D66. 4 September 2020. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
  17. ^ "Oprichter van Mierlo: heeft D66 nog zin?". Het Parool. 6 October 2006.
  18. ^ Politieke Voorkeur sinds augustus 2008 24 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine on peil.nl
  19. ^ Trends sinds de laatste tweede kamer verkiezing 14 July 2009 at the Wayback Machine on politieke barometer.nl
  20. ^ (in Dutch) "Politieke Voorkeur sinds Januari 2009," Peil.nl (24 January 2010) 2011-07-24 at the Wayback Machine
  21. ^ (in Dutch) "Alexander Pechtold is dé oppositieleider van dit moment," Hanneke van der Werf and Nynke de Zoeten, Nova: Den Haag Vandaag (19 April 2008)
  22. ^ (in Dutch) Hugo Logtenberg, "Alexander Pechtold: Ik heb meer dan ooit criticasters nodig" 23 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine on intermediair.nl (2 April 2008)
  23. ^ "Alexander Pechtold weg als partijleider, vertrekt dinsdag uit Kamer". NOS (in Dutch). 6 October 2018. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  24. ^ "Rob Jetten nieuwe fractievoorzitter D66". NOS (in Dutch). 9 October 2018. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  25. ^ "Zo dichtbij zaten de peilingen bij de werkelijke uitslag van de verkiezingen". RTL Nieuws (in Dutch). 18 March 2021. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  26. ^ "Nieuwe D66-leider Jetten wil 'de mensen opzoeken'". nos.nl (in Dutch). 12 August 2023. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  27. ^ "D66 wil ambitieuze afspraken over beleid voor klimaat in Europa". D66. Voor de toekomst. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  28. ^ Giesen, Peter (27 March 2013). "Jacht en plezier". de Volkskrant (in Dutch). Retrieved 19 July 2019. In hun plan Mooi Nederland willen PvdA, D66 en GroenLinks de 'plezierjacht' verbieden. Jagen is slechts geoorloofd als het een nuttig doel dient, zoals gewasbescherming of faunabeheer. Daarom willen ze de wildlijst van vrij bejaagbare dieren (onder meer haas, fazant en konijn) afschaffen.
  29. ^ (PDF). GroenLinks. 2013. pp. 4, 9, 40–41. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 July 2019.
  30. ^ "D66 werkt aan echte stilte in stiltegebieden". D66 Noord-Holland. 6 March 2015. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  31. ^ "Winners & Losers: Dutch Municipal Elections 2014". from the original on 25 March 2014. Retrieved 12 October 2015., I Am Expat, 21 March 2014
  32. ^ "D66 verovert grote steden". 20 March 2014. from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 12 October 2015. NOS.nl, 20 March 2014
  33. ^ "Kiesraad: Europees Parlement 7 juni 1979" (in Dutch). Kiesraad. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
  34. ^ "Kiesraad: Europees Parlement 14 juni 1984" (in Dutch). Kiesraad. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
  35. ^ "Kiesraad: Europees Parlement 15 juni 1989" (in Dutch). Kiesraad. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
  36. ^ "Kiesraad: Europees Parlement 9 juni 1994" (in Dutch). Kiesraad. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
  37. ^ "Kiesraad: Europees Parlement 10 juni 1999" (in Dutch). Kiesraad. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
  38. ^ "Kiesraad: Europees Parlement 10 juni 2004" (in Dutch). Kiesraad. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
  39. ^ "Kiesraad: Europees Parlement 4 juni 2009" (in Dutch). Kiesraad. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
  40. ^ "Kiesraad: Europees Parlement 22 mei 2014" (in Dutch). Kiesraad. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
  41. ^ "Kiesraad: Europees Parlement 23 mei 2019" (in Dutch). Kiesraad. 4 June 2019. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
  42. ^ Emil J. Kirchner (3 November 1988). Liberal Parties in Western Europe. Cambridge University Press. p. 412. ISBN 978-0-521-32394-9. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
  43. ^ a b William Heller; Carol Mershon (23 June 2009). Political Parties and Legislative Party Switching. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 153. ISBN 978-0-230-62255-5.
  44. ^ "Members". European Committee of the Regions. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
  45. ^ Democrats 66 6 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine on liberal-international.org

External links edit

  • Official website (in Dutch)
  • International website (in English)
  • Profile at DNPP (in Dutch)

democrats, dutch, democraten, abbreviated, dutch, pronunciation, ˌdeː, zɛsə, ˈzɛstəx, social, liberal, political, party, netherlands, which, positions, itself, centre, political, spectrum, member, liberal, international, alliance, liberals, democrats, europe, . Democrats 66 Dutch Democraten 66 a abbreviated D66 Dutch pronunciation ˌdeː zɛse n ˈzɛstex is a social liberal political party in the Netherlands which positions itself in the centre of the political spectrum 6 12 13 14 15 It is a member of the Liberal International LI and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe ALDE Democrats 66 Democraten 66AbbreviationD66LeaderRob JettenChairpersonVictor EverhardtLeader in the CabinetSigrid Kaag DPM Leader in the SenatePaul van MeenenLeader in the House of RepresentativesJan PaternotteLeader in the EPSamira RafaelaFoundersHans van Mierlo Hans GruijtersFounded14 October 1966 1966 10 14 HeadquartersLange Houtstraat 11 The HagueYouth wingYoung DemocratsPolicy instituteHans van Mierlo FoundationMembership 2023 30 022 1 IdeologySocial liberalism 2 3 Progressivism 4 5 European federalism 6 Political positionCentre 6 7 8 9 10 Regional affiliationLiberal Group 11 European affiliationAlliance of Liberals and Democrats for EuropeInternational affiliationLiberal InternationalEuropean Parliament groupRenew EuropeColours Green WhiteSenate5 75House of Representatives9 150King s commissioners1 12Provincial councils33 570European Parliament1 29Benelux Parliament3 21Websitewww wbr d66 wbr nlPolitics of the NetherlandsPolitical partiesElectionsThe name of the party refers to its year of foundation 1966 Initially its main objective had been to democratise the Dutch political system but it developed a broader social liberal ideology over time In the 1967 general election the party won 7 out of 150 seats in the House of Representatives No new party had ever gained that many seats before The party was in government from 1973 to 1977 1981 to 1982 1994 to 2002 2003 to 2006 and 2017 to present It currently holds 24 seats in the House of Representatives seven seats in the Senate and two seats in the European Parliament D66 is especially popular among people who hold a university degree and its voters are mostly concentrated in larger cities and in municipalities with an above average number of wealthy residents The party supplies a relatively large proportion of mayors who are appointed rather than elected Currently the party is led by Rob Jetten who was elected party leader on 12 August 2023 16 Annelien Bredenoord Jan Paternotte and Samira Rafaela are serving as the party s parliamentary leaders in the Senate the House of Representatives and the European Parliament respectively Contents 1 Name and logo 2 History 2 1 1966 1986 early years 2 2 1986 2006 purple cabinets and demise 2 3 2006 2016 Pechtold leadership 2 4 2018 present Kaag and Jetten leadership 3 Ideology 3 1 Factions 3 1 1 Radical democrats 3 1 2 Progressive liberals 3 2 Positions 4 Electorate 5 Electoral results 5 1 House of Representatives 5 2 Senate 5 3 European Parliament 6 Representation 6 1 Members of the fourth Rutte cabinet 6 2 Members of the States General 6 2 1 Members of the House of Representatives 6 2 2 Members of the Senate 6 3 Representation in EU institutions 6 3 1 Members of the European Parliament 6 3 2 Members of the Committee of the Regions 6 4 King s commissioners 6 5 Provincial councillors 7 Organisation 7 1 Leadership 7 1 1 Party leaders 7 1 2 Chairpersons 7 1 3 Parliamentary leaders 7 1 4 Lead candidates 7 2 Party board 7 3 Linked organisations 7 4 International affiliation 8 Relationships to other parties 9 See also 10 Notes 11 References 12 External linksName and logo editAt its foundation the party was called Democrats 66 Dutch Democraten 66 abbreviated D 66 The name referred to the party s goal of radical democratisation and to the year of foundation which was supposed to convey a modern image In 1981 the apostrophe was dropped the name had become a successful political brand but the year no longer conveyed a modern image Logo history 1966 1984 1985 2001 2002 2006 2006 2008 2008 2019 2019 present nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp History edit nbsp nbsp Founders Hans van Mierlo and Hans Gruijters 1966 1986 early years edit Democrats 66 was founded on 14 October 1966 by a group of 44 people Its founders were described as homines novi although 25 of the 44 had previously been members of another political party The initiators were Hans van Mierlo a journalist for the Algemeen Handelsblad and Hans Gruijters a municipal councillor in Amsterdam for the People s Party for Freedom and Democracy VVD Van Mierlo became the party s political leader The foundation of the party was preceded by the Appeal 1966 on October 10 in which the founders appealed to the people of the Netherlands to re take their democratic institutions The party renounced the 19th century political ideologies which dominated the political system and sought to end pillarisation It called for radical democratisation of the Dutch political system and for pragmatic and scientific policy making nbsp Hans van Mierlo co founder and leader between 1966 1973 and 1986 1998The party participated in the 1967 general election with Hans van Mierlo as its lead candidate The party won an unprecedented seven seats in the House of Representatives In the 1971 general election the party won an additional four seats and it formed a shadow cabinet with the Labour Party PvdA and the Political Party of Radicals PPR In the 1972 general election the three parties formed a political alliance called the Progressive Agreement Dutch Progressief Akkoord PAK and presented the common electoral program Turning Point 72 Keerpunt 72 In the election D66 lost nearly half its seats leaving only six The alliance became the largest political force in the country but it did not gain a majority After long cabinet formation talks the three PAK parties formed an extra parliamentary cabinet joined by progressive members of the Anti Revolutionary Party ARP and the Catholic People s Party KVP The cabinet was led by Labour politician Joop den Uyl Co founder Hans Gruijters became Minister of Housing and Spatial Planning After the formation talks Van Mierlo left politics feeling that his political position within the parliamentary party was untenable Van Mierlo was replaced by Jan Terlouw who became the new parliamentary leader nbsp Jan Terlouw leader from 1973 to 1982In the period 1972 1974 the party lost a dramatic number of members from 6 000 to 300 and polled very poorly in the 1974 provincial elections The party also lost half of its senators in the 1974 Senate election At one of the party congresses a motion was put forth to abolish the party A majority of the members voted in favour but the two thirds majority was not reached In reaction Terlouw started a campaign to revitalise the party involving a membership drive and a petition to the electorate He emphasised issues other than democratic reform and gave the party a more liberal orientation The party doubled its membership in 1975 and won two additional seats in the 1977 general election despite losing all its seats in the Senate in the same year In the 1981 general election D66 gained 17 seats The party formed a government with the Labour Party and the Christian Democratic Appeal CDA with Terlouw as Minister of Economic Affairs The cabinet was characterised by the personal and ideological conflicts between Prime Minister Dries van Agt CDA and Minister of Social Affairs Joop den Uyl PvdA The cabinet fell nine months after it was formed when the Labour Party left the cabinet D66 and the CDA continued to govern in a caretaker government In the subsequent 1982 general election D66 lost two thirds of its support and was left with only 6 seats After the election Terlouw left politics and was replaced by Maarten Engwirda The party was confined to opposition 1986 2006 purple cabinets and demise edit In 1986 Van Mierlo returned to politics He emphasised democratic reform as the core issue of the party and wanted to end the polarisation between the Labour Party and VVD so that it would be possible to form a government without the CDA He led the party in the 1986 general election and won 9 seats In the 1989 election the party won 12 seats and was asked to join the formation talks of a CDA PvdA D66 coalition While the PvdA preferred to form a government with D66 the CDA did not Ultimately D66 was excluded from the coalition because it was not necessary to include them to reach a majority in parliament Despite being in opposition D66 adopted a constructive approach towards the government They were rewarded for this in the 1994 general election in which the party doubled its number of seats to 24 D66 was able to form its preferred coalition the purple government which included both the social democratic PvdA and the conservative liberal VVD Van Mierlo was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs As advocated by D66 the first Kok cabinet initiated progressive legislation such as the introduction of same sex marriage and the legalisation of euthanasia The moderately liberal economic policies of the cabinet were also seen as a great success nbsp Els Borst top candidate in the 1998 general electionShortly before the 1998 general election Van Mierlo stepped back and Minister of Health Els Borst became the new top candidate D66 lost ten seats in the election while its coalition partners gained ground at the cost of D66 The second Kok cabinet continued Although D66 was technically not needed for a majority in parliament it was seen as the glue that kept the PvdA and the VVD together Borst stepped down as party leader and became Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health Thom de Graaf led the party in the House of Representatives From within the party there were calls for a more explicit progressive liberal course In 1999 a constitutional reform that would allow for referendums to be held was rejected by the Senate because a group of VVD dissidents had voted against it In response D66 left the cabinet After the subsequent formation talks D66 returned to the cabinet in return for a temporary referendum law and directly elected mayors In the 2002 general election the tide had turned against the purple government and the right wing populist Pim Fortuyn List LPF gained considerable ground The three purple parties lost an unprecedented 43 seats D66 was left with only 7 seats The first Balkenende cabinet consisting of CDA LPF and VVD lasted only three months In the 2003 general election D66 lost another seat leaving only 6 De Graaf stepped down and was succeeded by Boris Dittrich After long formation talks between the CDA and the PvdA failed a second Balkenende cabinet was formed which included the CDA the VVD and D66 In return for investments in environment and education and a special Minister for Governmental Reform D66 supported the centre right reform cabinet and some of its more controversial legislation In May 2005 the Senate rejected a constitutional reform that would allow a directly elected mayor The legislation had been introduced by the second Kok cabinet but it was unable to get a two thirds majority because the Labour Party was opposed the electoral system proposed by Minister for Governmental Reform Thom de Graaf De Graaf resigned but the rest of the ministers retained their positions as D66 was promised more investment in public education and the environment A special party congress was called to ratify this so called Easter Agreement Paasakkoord 2 600 members 20 per cent of total membership were present and the congress was broadcast live on television The congress agreed to remain in cabinet by a large majority Alexander Pechtold replaced De Graaf as Minister for Governmental Reform Laurens Jan Brinkhorst the Minister of Economic Affairs became Deputy Prime Minister nbsp Alexander Pechtold leader from 2006 to 20182006 2016 Pechtold leadership edit In February 2006 Dittrich stepped down as parliamentary leader because he did not agree with the government s decision to send the Dutch armed forces to the southern province of Uruzgan in Afghanistan D66 voted against the government s proposal together with the Socialist Party and GroenLinks Dittrich stated that the mission to send troops was not a reconstruction mission as the government and the majority of the Dutch parliament claimed but a military operation Lousewies van der Laan replaced Dittrich In May 2006 D66 polled particularly badly in the 2006 municipal elections D66 began to lose a considerable number of members some of whom founded deZES another radical democratic progressive liberal party During a special party congress on 13 May 2006 a motion was put forth demanding the withdrawal of D66 from the cabinet but it was rejected In June 2006 an internal election was held in order to choose the new party leader The election was won by Alexander Pechtold During the special parliamentary debate on the naturalisation process of Ayaan Hirsi Ali D66 supported a motion of no confidence against Minister for Integration Rita Verdonk As D66 was a junior coalition partner this caused a crisis in the second Balkenende cabinet The cabinet refused to remove Verdonk from her position Lousewies van der Laan parliamentary leader of D66 felt that the D66 faction could no longer support the cabinet and stated that the cabinet had to resign On 3 July 2006 the two D66 ministers Alexander Pechtold and Laurens Jan Brinkhorst resigned causing the second Balkenende cabinet to fall In October 2006 just before the D66 party congress and its 40th anniversary as a party D66 founder Hans van Mierlo asked the question whether D66 still had political legitimacy He believed that many errors were made in recent history and that only the acceptance of these errors could provide for any credibility for D66 Van Mierlo declared his support for party leader Pechtold who in his view could provide for such credibility 17 nbsp Sigrid Kaag leader from 2020 2023Since 2008 the party has performed quite well in the opinion polls ranging from 10 to 26 seats compared to only 3 seats in the House of Representatives 18 19 20 In the 2009 European Parliament election the party won 11 of the votes and 3 seats two more than in the previous election The news programme Nova attributed this increase to the leadership of Alexander Pechtold who was considered the leader of the opposition at the time 21 Under the leadership of Pechtold the party has taken strong stances against the Party for Freedom PVV of Geert Wilders 22 In the 2010 general election D66 increased its representation to 10 seats In the 2012 general election the party further increased its number of seats to 12 Since 2008 the party has experienced a significant increase in party membership from 10 000 to 25 000 in 2015 In the 2017 general election D66 won 19 seats in the House of Representatives and formed a centre right coalition government with the VVD CDA and Christian Union CU Kajsa Ollongren was appointed second Deputy Prime Minister in the third Rutte cabinet 2018 present Kaag and Jetten leadership edit In October 2018 Alexander Pechtold announced his retirement from politics 23 He was replaced by Rob Jetten as parliamentary leader but the position of party leader remained vacant 24 In September 2020 Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Sigrid Kaag was elected the new party leader and top candidate for the 2021 general election 16 Despite the fact that the opinion polls had predicted D66 to lose seats the party won 24 seats in the 2021 election becoming the second largest party in the House of Representatives 25 On 12 August 2023 Rob Jetten became the leader of the party 26 Following the 2023 Dutch general election D66 lost more seats than any party being reduced from 24 to 9 their worst result in 17 years Ideology edit source source source source source source source track track Campaign for the 2021 Dutch general electionParts of this article those related to this section need to be updated Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information July 2023 The ideology of D66 is a highly contested subject within the party and the question is tied to the reason for its existence There are two currents within the party namely the radical democrats and the progressive liberals Although sometimes antagonistic these two currents currently complement each other as both emphasise the self realisation of the individual The Radical League and the Free thinking Democratic League two early 20th century parties are historic exponents of these two traditions Factions edit Radical democrats edit The first party congress emphasised radical democratisation of Dutch society and the political system Its ideal was a two party system To obtain this it wanted to reform the electoral system after the American first past the post model The electoral reform was gradually moderated as the party now favours German style mixed member proportional representation In this system a national party list election is used to make a first past the post election representative to the nationwide vote This radical democratisation was combined with a pragmatic and anti dogmatic attitude towards politics Hans van Mierlo the party s leader between 1966 and 1972 and between 1986 and 1998 and the party s figurehead was an important exponent of this tendency within the party citation needed Progressive liberals edit D66 s progressive liberal section has historically been much weaker than its radical democratic wing Under Jan Terlouw between 1972 and 1982 D66 began to emphasise new issues like the environment public education and innovation He called D66 a fourth current next to social democracy Christian democracy and the conservative liberalism of the VVD In 1998 the group Opschudding called for a progressive liberal course for the party In the party s manifesto adopted in 2000 the party explicitly adopted a progressive liberal image National political reasons explain the usage of the label social liberal since the more right leaning VVD describes itself as the liberal party citation needed Positions edit Some of the party s most important positions include D66 is in favour of a mixed economy combining market economics and government intervention D66 is also a proponent of increased flexibility in the labour market and tax cuts for the lower and middle classes D66 proposes to increase government spending on education and innovation for instance increases in teachers salaries D66 wants the education sector to be deregulated and introduce more competition in the sector The environment is an important issue for the party D66 favours a carbon price and more investment in sustainable energy to combat global warming 27 It opposes the right to hunt and sees hunting only as last resort for wildlife damage control 28 29 30 D66 is a socially liberal party The first Kok cabinet in which it participated introduced several liberal reforms in the past such as the legalisation of euthanasia same sex marriage and prostitution D66 is a proponent of democratic reform It favours electoral reforms such as a binding referendum abolition of the Senate and direct election of prime ministers and mayors D66 favours a Federal Europe and more European cooperation on issues such as the environment immigration policy and foreign policy Electorate editAlthough supporters of political parties are no longer fixed and election results fluctuate D66 is overall strong and concentrated in the Randstad conurbation while also getting its votes in and around university towns In the 2014 municipal elections D66 became the largest party in many major cities including Amsterdam The Hague Utrecht Tilburg Groningen Enschede Apeldoorn Haarlem Amersfoort and Arnhem 31 32 Electoral results edit nbsp Jan Paternotte leader in the House of Representatives since 2022 nbsp Annelien Bredenoord leader in the Senate since 2019 nbsp Samira Rafaela leader in the European Parliament since 2023House of Representatives edit Election Lead candidate Votes Seats Government1967 Hans van Mierlo 307 810 4 4 7 7 150 New Opposition1971 427 720 6 7 5 11 150 nbsp 4 Opposition1972 307 048 4 1 8 6 150 nbsp 5 Coalition1977 Jan Terlouw 452 423 5 4 4 8 150 nbsp 2 Opposition1981 961 121 11 0 4 17 150 nbsp 9 Coalition1982 351 278 4 3 4 6 150 nbsp 11 Opposition1986 Hans van Mierlo 562 466 6 1 4 9 150 nbsp 3 Opposition1989 701 934 7 9 4 12 150 nbsp 3 Opposition1994 1 391 202 15 5 4 24 150 nbsp 12 Coalition1998 Els Borst 773 497 9 0 4 14 150 nbsp 10 Coalition2002 Thom de Graaf 484 317 5 1 7 7 150 nbsp 7 Opposition2003 393 333 4 0 7 6 150 nbsp 1 Coalition2006 Alexander Pechtold 193 232 2 0 8 3 150 nbsp 3 Opposition2010 654 167 6 9 6 10 150 nbsp 7 Opposition2012 757 091 8 0 6 12 150 nbsp 2 Opposition2017 1 285 819 12 2 4 19 150 nbsp 7 Coalition2021 Sigrid Kaag 1 565 861 15 0 2 24 150 nbsp 5 Coalition2023 Rob Jetten 656 292 6 29 5 9 150 nbsp 15Senate edit Election Votes Seats Government1971 6 6 75 New Opposition1974 8 3 75 nbsp 3 Coalition1977 10 0 75 nbsp 3 No seats1980 5 2 75 nbsp 2 Opposition1981 4 4 75 nbsp 2 Coalition1983 4 6 75 nbsp 2 Opposition1986 4 6 75 Opposition1987 4 5 75 nbsp 1 Opposition1991 4 12 75 nbsp 7 Opposition1995 4 7 75 nbsp 5 Coalition1999 8 542 5 4 5 4 75 nbsp 3 Coalition2003 7 087 4 4 6 3 75 nbsp 1 Coalition2007 3 270 2 0 8 2 75 nbsp 1 Opposition2011 12 651 7 62 6 5 75 nbsp 3 Opposition2015 21 997 13 01 3 10 75 nbsp 5 Opposition2019 15 154 8 75 5 7 75 nbsp 3 Coalition2023 11 144 6 23 6 5 75 nbsp 2 CoalitionEuropean Parliament edit Election List Votes Seats Notes1979 List 511 967 9 03 4 2 25 New 33 1984 List 120 826 2 28 7 0 25 nbsp 2 34 1989 List 311 990 5 95 5 1 25 nbsp 1 35 1994 List 481 826 11 66 4 4 31 nbsp 3 36 1999 List 205 623 5 80 6 2 31 nbsp 2 37 2004 List 202 502 4 25 8 1 27 nbsp 1 38 2009 List 515 422 11 32 5 3 25 nbsp 23 26 nbsp 39 2014 List 735 825 15 48 1 4 26 nbsp 1 40 2019 List 389 692 7 09 6 2 26 nbsp 22 29 nbsp 41 Representation editMembers of the fourth Rutte cabinet edit Ministers Title ministry portfolio s Assumed office nbsp Steven van Weyenberg born 1973 Minister Finance 12 January 2024 nbsp Jonkvrouw Kajsa Ollongren born 1967 Minister Defence 10 January 2022 nbsp Dr Robbert Dijkgraaf born 1960 Minister Education culture and science 10 January 2022Ministers without portfolio Title ministry portfolio s Assumed office nbsp Franc Weerwind born 1964 Minister Justice and security Public Prosecution Victims rights Judicial reform Youth justice Penitentiaries Gambling 10 January 2022 nbsp Rob Jetten born 1987 Minister Economic affairs and climate policy Climate policy Environment Energy Nuclear Renewable energy 10 January 2022First Deputy Prime Minister 8 January 2024State secretaries Title ministry portfolio s Assumed office nbsp Alexandra van Huffelen born 1968 State secretary Interior and kingdom relations Kingdom Relations Municipalities Provinces Digital government 10 January 2022 nbsp Dr Hans Vijlbrief born 1963 State secretary Economic affairs and climate policy Mining 10 January 2022 nbsp Fleur Graper born 1974 State Secretary Education culture and science Culture Media Art 12 January 2024Members of the States General edit Members of the House of Representatives edit Main article List of members of the House of Representatives of the Netherlands 2021 2023 Members of the Senate edit Main article List of members of the Senate of the Netherlands 2023 2027 Representation in EU institutions edit Members of the European Parliament edit The D66 delegation is part of the Renew Europe group in the European Parliament Prior to the first European elections in 1979 D66 s appointed MEPs were part of the Socialist Group before switching to Non Inscrits from 1979 to 1984 42 and the LDR ELDR ALDE group since 1989 43 Current members of the European Parliament since the 2019 European Parliament election Samira Rafaela delegation leaderMembers of the Committee of the Regions edit In the European Committee of the Regions the Democrats 66 party sits in the Renew Europe CoR group with one full and one alternate member for the 2020 2025 mandate 44 Robert van Asten alternate Ellen van Selm member King s commissioners edit King s commissioner Province Term of office nbsp Han Polman born 1963 nbsp Zeeland 1 March 2013Provincial councillors edit Since the 2019 provincial elections D66 has 41 representatives in the provincial councils Province Seats nbsp Drenthe 2 41 nbsp Flevoland 2 41 nbsp Friesland 2 43 nbsp Gelderland 4 55 nbsp Groningen 3 43 nbsp Limburg 3 47 nbsp North Brabant 5 55 nbsp North Holland 6 55 nbsp Overijssel 3 47 nbsp South Holland 5 55 nbsp Utrecht 5 49 nbsp Zeeland 1 39Total 41Organisation editThe highest organ of the D66 is the General Assembly in which every member can participate It convenes multiple times per year It appoints the party board and has the last say over the party program The party list including the party s parliamentary leader for the Senate House of Representatives European Parliament candidates are elected directly by the members The party has between 250 and 300 branches all over the Netherlands Leadership edit Party leaders edit Hans van Mierlo 14 September 1966 1 September 1973 Jan Terlouw 1 September 1973 8 September 1982 Laurens Jan Brinkhorst 8 September 1982 10 November 1982 Maarten Engwirda 10 November 1982 25 January 1986 Hans van Mierlo 25 January 1986 15 February 1998 Els Borst 15 February 1998 30 May 1998 Thom de Graaf 30 May 1998 22 January 2003 Boris Dittrich 22 January 2003 3 February 2006 Alexander Pechtold 24 June 2006 6 October 2018 Sigrid Kaag 4 September 2020 present Chairpersons edit Hans van Mierlo 14 September 1966 16 February 1967 Gerben Ringnalda 16 February 1967 18 November 1967 Hans van Lookeren Campagne 18 November 1967 14 December 1968 Jan Beekmans 14 December 1968 7 November 1971 Ruby van der Scheer 7 November 1971 11 March 1973 Jan ten Brink 11 March 1973 6 November 1976 Jan Glastra van Loon 6 November 1976 27 October 1979 Henk Zeevalking 27 October 1979 11 September 1981 Cees Spigt Ad interim 11 September 1981 14 November 1981 Jan van Berkom 14 November 1981 30 October 1982 Jacob Kohnstamm 30 October 1982 20 May 1986 Olga Scheltema Ad interim 20 May 1986 1 November 1986 Saskia van der Loo 1 November 1986 29 October 1988 Michel Jager 29 October 1988 3 November 1990 Ries Jansen 3 November 1990 28 November 1992 Wim Vrijhoef 28 November 1992 23 November 1996 Tom Kok 23 November 1996 20 November 1999 Gerard Schouw 20 November 1999 16 November 2002 Alexander Pechtold 16 November 2002 31 March 2005 Jan Hoekema Ad interim 31 March 2005 21 May 2005 Frank Dales 21 May 2005 2 March 2007 Gerard Schouw Ad interim 2 March 2007 12 May 2007 Ingrid van Engelshoven 12 May 2007 9 March 2013 Fleur Graper 9 March 2013 13 September 2015 Letty Demmers 13 September 2015 6 October 2018 Anne Marie Spierings 6 October 2018 13 November 2021 Victor Everhardt 13 November 2021 present Parliamentary leaders edit Parliamentary leaders in the House of Representatives Hans van Mierlo 23 February 1967 1 September 1973 Jan Terlouw 1 September 1973 11 September 1981 Laurens Jan Brinkhorst 11 September 1981 10 November 1982 Maarten Engwirda 10 November 1982 3 June 1986 Hans van Mierlo 3 June 1986 22 August 1994 Gerrit Jan Wolffensperger 22 August 1994 21 November 1997 Thom de Graaf 21 November 1997 19 May 1998 Els Borst 19 May 1998 30 May 1998 Thom de Graaf 30 May 1998 22 January 2003 Boris Dittrich 22 January 2003 3 February 2006 Lousewies van der Laan 3 February 2006 30 November 2006 Alexander Pechtold 30 November 2006 9 October 2018 Rob Jetten 9 October 2018 18 March 2021 Sigrid Kaag 18 March 2021 25 May 2021 Rob Jetten 25 May 2021 28 September 2021 Sigrid Kaag 28 September 2021 10 January 2022 Jan Paternotte 11 January 2022 present Parliamentary leaders in the Senate Bert Schwarz 11 May 1971 17 September 1973 Paula Wassen van Schaveren 17 September 1973 17 September 1974 Doeke Eisma 17 September 1974 20 September 1977 No representation 20 September 1977 16 September 1980 Jan Glastra van Loon 16 September 1980 3 December 1985 Jan Vis 3 December 1985 1 March 1995 Eddy Schuyer 1 March 1995 12 June 2007 Gerard Schouw 12 June 2007 17 June 2010 Hans Engels 22 June 2010 7 June 2011 Roger van Boxtel 7 June 2011 9 June 2015 Thom de Graaf 9 June 2015 26 June 2018 Hans Engels 26 June 2018 11 June 2019 Annelien Bredenoord 11 June 2019 present Lead candidates edit Lead candidate General election Hans van Mierlo 1967 1971 1972 Jan Terlouw 1977 1981 1982 Hans van Mierlo 1986 1989 1994 Els Borst 1998 Thom de Graaf 2002 2003 Alexander Pechtold 2006 2010 2012 2017 Sigrid Kaag 2021 Lead candidate Senate election Jan Glastra van Loon 1980 1981 1983 Jan Vis 1986 1987 1991 Eddy Schuyer 1995 1999 2003 Gerard Schouw 2007 Roger van Boxtel 2011 Thom de Graaf 2015 Annelien Bredenoord 2019 Paul van Meenen 2023 Lead candidate European Parliament election Aar de Goede 1979 Doeke Eisma 1984 Jan Willem Bertens 1989 1994 Lousewies van der Laan 1999 Sophie in t Veld 2004 2009 2014 2019Party board edit Victor Everhardt chair Nadia Arsieni secretary Rob Meijer treasurer Maartje Jansen board member international relations Hester Duursema board member communications and recruitment Wietske Veltman board member association and education Linked organisations edit The youth wing of D66 is called the Young Democrats Dutch Jonge Democraten abbreviated JD It has produced several prominent active members of D66 such as former MP Boris van der Ham The JD is a member of European Liberal Youth and the International Federation of Liberal Youth D66 is a co founder of the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy a democracy assistance organisation of seven Dutch political parties The Hans van Mierlo Foundation is the party s policy institute International affiliation edit D66 is a member of the Liberal International and of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe ALDE D66 joined the Liberal and Democratic Reformists LDR group in 1989 43 It became a full member of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party ELDR in 1994 and a full member of the Liberal International in 1986 45 Relationships to other parties editIn recent elections political commentators have positioned D66 at the centre of the political spectrum This offers the party a lot of possibilities for co operation with other parties in the Dutch political landscape Historically D66 has often co operated in cabinets with the Labour Party PvdA They were in four cabinets together Den Uyl Van Agt II Kok I and Kok II and formed a shadow cabinet in the early seventies However there have been heavy tensions between D66 and the PvdA on three occasions in 1981 when D66 decided to continue to govern with the Christian Democratic Appeal CDA after the PvdA had left the first Van Agt cabinet in 1989 when the PvdA formed the third Lubbers cabinet without D66 and in 2003 when D66 joined the second Balkenende cabinet Ideologically the social liberal D66 is linked to People s Party for Freedom and Democracy VVD although VVD is considered a party of conservative liberalism This resulted in five coalition governments Kok I Kok II Balkenende II Rutte III and Rutte IV Both D66 and the VVD are members of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe ALDE and their respective members in the European Parliament are part of the Renew Europe group See also editLiberal democracy Liberalism in the Netherlands Water NatuurlijkNotes edit Officially Politieke Partij Democraten 66 lit Political Party Democrats 66 Dutch pronunciation poːliˈtike pɑrtɛi deːmoːˈkraːte n zɛse n ˈzɛstex References edit Democraten 66 D66 Het Documentatiecentrum Nederlandse Politieke Partijen in Dutch 27 July 2021 Retrieved 24 February 2023 Seveno Victoria 18 March 2021 VVD holds onto majority but D66 are the big winners in Dutch election I Am Expat Nordsieck Wolfram 2021 Netherlands Parties and Elections in Europe Retrieved 21 March 2021 CNAAN LIPHSHIZ 21 March 2021 27 year old Israeli Dutch Jew leads new progressive party into Dutch parliament The Times of Israel Finishing second was the left wing progressive D66 party which is close ideologically to Volt Henley Jon 18 March 2021 Dutch election progressive party surges as PM begins coalition talks The Guardian a b c Terry Chris 11 May 2014 Democrats 66 D66 The Democratic Society Archived from the original on 10 April 2020 Coalition Politics and Cabinet Decision Making p 90 Author Juliet Kaarbo Published by the University of Michigan First published in 2012 Accessed via Google Books Can a pro EU party thrive in Dutch elections Financial Times Author Duncan Robinson Published 27 February 2017 Retrieved 2 April 2018 Negotiations to form new Dutch government to resume 100 days after vote Reuters Author Bart H Meijer Published 23 June 2017 Retrieved 2 April 2018 Tweede Kamer Verkiezingen Achter de schermen bij het Kieskompas 5 March 2021 Politieke fracties Benelux Parliament in Dutch Retrieved 8 August 2023 Vit Hlousek Lubomir Kopecek 2010 Origin Ideology and Transformation of Political Parties East Central and Western Europe Compared Ashgate Publishing Ltd pp 108 109 ISBN 978 0 7546 9661 2 Retrieved 14 July 2013 Dimitri Almeida 2012 The Impact of European Integration on Political Parties Beyond the Permissive Consensus Routledge p 98 ISBN 978 0 415 69374 5 Stefaan Fiers Andre Krouwel 2007 The Low Countries From Prime Minister to President Minister In Thomas Poguntke Paul Webb eds The Presidentialization of Politics A Comparative Study of Modern Democracies Oxford University Press p 158 ISBN 978 0 19 921849 3 Retrieved 24 August 2012 Simon Lightfoot 2005 Europeanizing Social Democracy The Rise of the Party of European Socialists Routledge p 74 ISBN 978 0 415 34803 4 Retrieved 14 July 2013 a b Rob Jetten nieuwe lijsttrekker D66 in Dutch D66 4 September 2020 Retrieved 5 September 2023 Oprichter van Mierlo heeft D66 nog zin Het Parool 6 October 2006 Politieke Voorkeur sinds augustus 2008 Archived 24 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine on peil nl Trends sinds de laatste tweede kamer verkiezing Archived 14 July 2009 at the Wayback Machine on politieke barometer nl in Dutch Politieke Voorkeur sinds Januari 2009 Peil nl 24 January 2010 Archived 2011 07 24 at the Wayback Machine in Dutch Alexander Pechtold is de oppositieleider van dit moment Hanneke van der Werf and Nynke de Zoeten Nova Den Haag Vandaag 19 April 2008 in Dutch Hugo Logtenberg Alexander Pechtold Ik heb meer dan ooit criticasters nodig Archived 23 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine on intermediair nl 2 April 2008 Alexander Pechtold weg als partijleider vertrekt dinsdag uit Kamer NOS in Dutch 6 October 2018 Retrieved 3 April 2021 Rob Jetten nieuwe fractievoorzitter D66 NOS in Dutch 9 October 2018 Retrieved 3 April 2021 Zo dichtbij zaten de peilingen bij de werkelijke uitslag van de verkiezingen RTL Nieuws in Dutch 18 March 2021 Retrieved 3 April 2021 Nieuwe D66 leider Jetten wil de mensen opzoeken nos nl in Dutch 12 August 2023 Retrieved 2 December 2023 D66 wil ambitieuze afspraken over beleid voor klimaat in Europa D66 Voor de toekomst Retrieved 19 July 2019 Giesen Peter 27 March 2013 Jacht en plezier de Volkskrant in Dutch Retrieved 19 July 2019 In hun plan Mooi Nederland willen PvdA D66 en GroenLinks de plezierjacht verbieden Jagen is slechts geoorloofd als het een nuttig doel dient zoals gewasbescherming of faunabeheer Daarom willen ze de wildlijst van vrij bejaagbare dieren onder meer haas fazant en konijn afschaffen Initiatiefnota Mooi Nederland PDF GroenLinks 2013 pp 4 9 40 41 Archived from the original PDF on 19 July 2019 D66 werkt aan echte stilte in stiltegebieden D66 Noord Holland 6 March 2015 Retrieved 19 July 2019 Winners amp Losers Dutch Municipal Elections 2014 Archived from the original on 25 March 2014 Retrieved 12 October 2015 I Am Expat 21 March 2014 D66 verovert grote steden 20 March 2014 Archived from the original on 4 March 2016 Retrieved 12 October 2015 NOS nl 20 March 2014 Kiesraad Europees Parlement 7 juni 1979 in Dutch Kiesraad Retrieved 19 June 2019 Kiesraad Europees Parlement 14 juni 1984 in Dutch Kiesraad Retrieved 19 June 2019 Kiesraad Europees Parlement 15 juni 1989 in Dutch Kiesraad Retrieved 19 June 2019 Kiesraad Europees Parlement 9 juni 1994 in Dutch Kiesraad Retrieved 19 June 2019 Kiesraad Europees Parlement 10 juni 1999 in Dutch Kiesraad Retrieved 19 June 2019 Kiesraad Europees Parlement 10 juni 2004 in Dutch Kiesraad Retrieved 19 June 2019 Kiesraad Europees Parlement 4 juni 2009 in Dutch Kiesraad Retrieved 19 June 2019 Kiesraad Europees Parlement 22 mei 2014 in Dutch Kiesraad Retrieved 19 June 2019 Kiesraad Europees Parlement 23 mei 2019 in Dutch Kiesraad 4 June 2019 Retrieved 19 June 2019 Emil J Kirchner 3 November 1988 Liberal Parties in Western Europe Cambridge University Press p 412 ISBN 978 0 521 32394 9 Retrieved 21 August 2012 a b William Heller Carol Mershon 23 June 2009 Political Parties and Legislative Party Switching Palgrave Macmillan p 153 ISBN 978 0 230 62255 5 Members European Committee of the Regions Retrieved 6 April 2021 Democrats 66 Archived 6 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine on liberal international orgExternal links editOfficial website in Dutch International website in English Profile at DNPP in Dutch Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Democrats 66 amp oldid 1195364936, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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