About us   Get involved   Subscribe   Latest print issue

The Dutch elections: From euphoria to red neoliberalism?

Hilde van der Pas describes how high hopes for a strong Socialist Party vote and a Labour majority gave way to a right dominated coalition with Labour, and draws out the options for the future

Photo: harry_nl/Flickr

For a few months, it genuinely looked like the first left-wing government in over forty years would succeed the most right-wing government the Netherlands has had since the Second World War. The Socialist Party was historically high in the polls; expected to reach up to 20 per cent of total votes, and many left-leaning voters were said to be willing to strategically vote for the Socialist Party just to make sure that we could counter the neoliberal austerity policies implemented by the Rutte government.

The euphoria lasted until the campaigns officially started. Roemer, the leader of the Socialist Party, didn’t seem to be the dream candidate many of us had hoped for. He was unable to hold the floor, even though what he was saying was obviously right most of the time and people would consider him to be the most honest politician of all. Samsom, the leader of the Social Democrats (PvdA) did much better, coming across as a strong and charismatic debater who had no problems countering Rutte, especially with Roemer being much weaker and softer.

In the run up to the elections there was a clear scare-campaign being conducted by the biggest Dutch newspaper, De Telegraaf, as well as VNO-NCW, the biggest employers' organisation in the Netherlands. Their chairman, Wientjes, called the Socialist Party a disaster for the economy and employment, and stated that they have destroyed the so-called ‘poldermodel'. On 28 August, De Telegraaf headlined in the days leading up to the elections: ‘SOCIALIST PARTY COSTS JOBS’, on 29 August ‘ROEMER LIES’, and ‘THE LEFT KILLS SME’S’ on 11 September.

In the end it seemed like left-leaning voters played it safe and voted for Samsom. The Social Democrats gained 10 seats and is now at 39, and the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) also gained 10 seats putting them at an historic 41 seats in parliament. This means that the most likely outcome will be a coalition between the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy and the Social Democrats. On the other hand, the Socialist Party stayed at 15 seats and for the first time since entering the political arena, the Party For Freedom (a right-wing political party) lost seats, going from 24 to 15.

This outcome has led many to conclude that ‘the centre’ is back. But what they seem to forget is that the Social Democrats won with a clear left-wing message, with strong leanings toward the Socialist Party. At the same time, the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy has adopted much of the language and ideas from the Party for Freedom.

The rise of populist right-wing parties in the Netherlands (first Pim Fortuyn and after that Wilders and his Freedom Party), like in other European countries, has partly been the effect of the ‘Purple’ cabinets from 1994 to 2002; which led people to believe that there really was no choice: voting for the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy or the Social Democrats (the main parties in the purple coalition) would result in the same neoliberal policies. Now that both of them have been elected with clearly opposite messages and will have to form a coalition together, it seems like we're going back to the nineties. The outcome of this ‘red neoliberalism’ will go one of two ways: a growing Socialist Party or a revival of right-wing extremism.

share


1 comment

Anonymous says:

Bet on growing right-wing extremism

leave a comment

September 2012



Spain: We don’t owe, we won’t pay Iolanda Fresnillo reports from Spain on the myriad ways Spanish people are facing down austerity

How Beppe Grillo stole the left’s clothes Lorenzo Fe argues that Italy's Five Star Movement owes a big debt to the left – but won votes by rejecting it

Italian elections: choosing our ground As Italy prepares for elections, Elena Iannuzzi of the Leoncavallo social centre writes on how the movement has related to electoral politics

latest from red pepper


The Brighton pay dispute: the union view GMB union organiser Rob Macey puts the workers' side of the argument

The pay dispute at Brighton council: a Green view Davy Jones, Green Party parliamentary candidate for Brighton Kemptown, gives his view of a dispute that has caused huge debate among Green Party members in the city and across the country

Jeremy Hardy thinks… about the right to exist 'We’d all say a person has a right to a home, but we wouldn’t say their home has rights.'

Back to the fragments Lynne Segal, one of the authors of the seminal 1979 socialist-feminist text Beyond the Fragments, reflects on its lessons for today

Turkey: A people imprisoned Once seen as a moderate party, the AKP government in Turkey is using anti-terrorism legislation to unleash a wave of repression against the left and the Kurdish movement. Tim Baster and Isabelle Merminod spoke to activists in the country




Red Pepper is a magazine of political rebellion and dissent, influenced by socialism, feminism and green politics. more »

Get a free sample copy of Red Pepper

ads




The UK's leading supplier of Fair Trade products

get updates


Get our email newsletter, with news, offers, updates and competitions.
help red pepper

Become a Friend of Red Pepper
Help keep Red Pepper afloat with a regular donation

Watch films online
See free trailers and support Red Pepper by streaming the full films:
Cocaine Unwrapped
The War You Don't See