34 Facts About VVD

The VVD, whose forerunner was the Freedom Party, is a party of the centre-right, which promotes private enterprise and economic liberalism.

From November 2012 until March 2017, the VVD was the senior partner in the Second Rutte cabinet, a "purple" coalition government with the Labour Party.

VVD remained the largest party in the March 2017 election ; therefore, Rutte was expected to remain as Prime Minister.

VVD was founded in 1948 as a continuation of the Freedom Party, which was a continuation of the interbellum Liberal State Party, which in turn was a continuation of Liberal Union.

Between 1948 and 1952 the VVD took part in the broad cabinets led by the Labour Party Prime Minister Willem Drees.

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In 1962, a substantial group of disillusioned VVD members founded the Liberal Democratic Centre which was intended to introduce a more twentieth-century liberal direction pointing to the classical liberal VVD.

VVD became the new leader of the VVD: in 1971 he became the new parliamentary leader, and in 1972 he was appointed lijsttrekker.

The VVD was kept out of government by the social democratic and Christian democratic cabinet led by Joop den Uyl.

In 1977 the VVD again won six seats, bringing its total to twenty-eight seats.

When lengthy formation talks between the social democrats and Christian democrats eventually led to a final break between the two parties, the VVD formed cabinet with the Christian Democratic Appeal, with a majority of only two seats.

The VVD lost nine seats in the 1986 election but the cabinet nonetheless retained its majority.

In 1989 the CDA–VVD cabinet fell over a minor issue, and the VVD lost five seats in the subsequent election, leaving only twenty-two.

The VVD was kept out of government, and Voorhoeve stood down and was succeeded by the charismatic intellectual Frits Bolkestein.

Bolkestein's VVD was one of the winners of the Dutch general election of 1994: the party gained nine seats.

The VVD formed a second Purple cabinet with the Labour Party and D66.

VVD was replaced by the more technocratic and social liberal Hans Dijkstal.

The VVD nonetheless entered a cabinet with the Christian Democratic Appeal and the Pim Fortuyn List .

The VVD unwillingly entered the Second Balkenende cabinet with Zalm returning as Minister of Finance and as Deputy Prime Minister.

VVD chose to continue as an Independent in the House of Representatives.

In opinion polls held after Verdonk's exit, the VVD was set to lose close to ten parliamentary seats in the next election.

Wiegel opined that the VVD should become part of a larger liberal movement, that would encompass the social liberal Democrats 66, the Party for Freedom of Geert Wilders and Rita Verdonk's Proud of the Netherlands movement, although he found little resonance for this ideas from others.

In 2008, the VVD chose a new party chairman, Ivo Opstelten, the outgoing mayor of Rotterdam.

Not only was it the first time that the VVD had led a government, but it was the first liberal-led government in 92 years.

On election day, 12 September 2012, the VVD remained the largest party in Parliament, winning 41 seats, a gain of 10 seats.

In March 2021, VVD was the winner of the general election, securing 34 out of 150 seats.

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VVD was originally a merger of the Party of Freedom and Freethinking Democratic dissenters within the Labour Party.

VVD describes itself as a party founded on a liberal philosophy, traditionally being the most ardent supporter of 'free markets' of all Dutch political parties, promoting political, economic liberalism, classical liberalism, cultural liberalism, but committed to the idea of the welfare state.

The VVD is part of every college of the Provincial-Executives Gedeputeerde Staten except for Utrecht.

Under the leadership of Wiegel, the VVD started to expand its appeal to working class voters.

Highest organ of the VVD is the General Assembly, in which all members present have a single vote.

Independent youth organisation that has a partnership agreement with the VVD is the Youth Organisation Freedom and Democracy, which is a member of the Liberal Youth Movement of the European Union and the International Federation of Liberal and Radical Youth.

VVD is a member of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party and Liberal International.

The VVD cooperates on the European and the international level with the social liberal Democraten 66.

VVD participates in the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy, a democracy assistance organisation of seven Dutch political parties.