Democraten 66

The Democraten 1966 (generally shortened in 66) is a Political party Dutch, liberal of left, founded in 1966 as its name indicates it, member of the party ELDR, at the European level, founded by Hans van Mierlo.

A short history

Founded the October 14th 1966 by 44 founders, 25 of them came from other political parties. The two principal leaders were Hans van Mierlo, a journalist of Algemeen Handelsblad which became the chief about it and Hans Gruijters.

With the elections of the 2nd Room of 1967, it obtained 7 seats and 11 with the following elections of 1971, then only 6 deputies with the elections of 1972 obtained. It reaches the government in 1973 in a coalition with five.

After the provincial elections of 1974 carried out by Jan Terlouw and which were even more disastrous and a period under the direction of Maarten Engwirda, success was again with go in 1990 when Hans van Mierlo became again the principal candidate with the elections (" lijsttrekker" or chief candidate). D66 became the partner of two coalitions " mauves" , and sent ministers to the two cabinets of Wim Kok.

With the elections of 2002, Thom de Graaf was chief candidate. The number of seats passed from 14 to 7 and the party turned over in the opposition. In 2003, the party fell to 6 seats. Thom de Graaf decided not to remain more with the head of the party but remained member of the Parliament. Boris Dittrich succeeded to him.

After the formation of a democratic and social cabinet Christian democratic had failed, D66 joined a formed coalition of the HALF-VALUE LAYER and VVD. Thom de Graaf became Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for the administrative reforms. It paid its attention on the direct election of the burgomasters and the transformation of the electoral system. After the rejection of the governmental proposal which aimed at removing the nomination of the burgomasters by the crown, he resigned. D66 then started negotiations with the HALF-VALUE LAYER and VVD for a possible prolongation of the coalition. That leads to an agreement, called agreement of Easter. Consequently of what, a congress special of the party gathering 2600 members (20% of the members) and diffused on line on television public Dutchwoman agreed in vast majority to remain with the government. Alexander Pechtold succeeded Graaf as minister. Laurens-Jan Brinkhorst, Minister for the economy, became Deputy Prime Minister. In June 2006, the party disunites government and votes the motion of censure deposited by PvdA, the SP and the GL in reaction to the business Ayaa Hirsi Ali

Direction

The party has a strong internal separation of the capacities. The political leader is the team leader at the Parliament, Lousewies van der Laan, which succeeded Boris Dittrich with the February 3rd 2006, parliamentary remaining Dittrich. The other members of Parliament are Bert Bakker, Boris van der Ham, Ursie Lambrechts and Fatma Koşer Kaya. The chief of the party in the government was Thom de Graaf, which resigned with the March 31st 2006. Its successor is the Minister for the economy Laurens-Jan Brinkhorst. Alexander Pechtold, former mayor of Wageningen, was president of the party, person in charge of the internal businesses of the party, but he resigned when he became minister. The president of the party is now Frank Dales, which is also the mayor of Breukelen. The functions of member of Parliament and member of the council of the party are incompatible.

Identity: democratic radical and social liberal

One of the questions most frequently discussed inside the party is that of its principles founders, of the reason even of its existence. The first war-horse, as set up at the time of the first congress of party, was the radical democratization of the company in general and the political system in particular. The stress was laid a long time on the second component, the party pleading for the use of the Référendum, the abolition of the Eerste Kamer, the direct election of the Prime Minister and the Bourgmestre S and the introduction of a moderate system of districts. The cofounder Van Mierlo was also representing democratic radicalism, a movement which, at the 19th century, was shared between Socialisme and Libéralisme. He showed little interest to give other visions on the direction and the industrial relations policy of the party. Terlouw tried to give to the party another direction like " alternative raisonnable" , with an attention paid to the Environment, the social questions and technology. Van Mierlo returns in the middle of the years 1980, developing its speech on " a reason of exister". This reason was, for him, the political revival.

At the end of the 20th century, a new positioning appeared, under the impulse of the " group; opschudding" (effervescence), which qualified D66 in 1998 of Social liberal. " Opschudding" described as follows: " D66 exists like liberal social party in order to build a durable, democratic and opened company, in which the individual develops in solidarity with the autres". The party thus placed itself like a Liberal party progressist. National reasons explain the use of the liberal social label, because VVD, located on the right, describes itself as liberal party. The liberal social identity is confirmed by the charter of the party and its statement of principles ( Uitgangspunten ).

By this anchoring in the liberalism of left, D66 found one second reason to exist. This reason does not replace however the first, since they are intermingled. Liberalism développemental place the individual " free but responsable" in the center. He wants to give to the individuals an equal influence to make them contribute themselves to the life and the company. That requires opening and democracy and thus the two reasons to exist meet.

By its policies and its ideas, D66 is a continuation of Vrijzinnig Democratische Bond (the liberal democratic league). Certain members of D66 prefer to qualify liberal democrats.

Associated organizations

There exists also the autonomous movement of young people of D66: Young Democrats.

with the international one

D66 are members of the liberal Internationale and the European Party of the liberals, democrats and reformers. Wilfried Derksen, member of D66, is one of the vice-presidents of the PELDR. Representing of D66 to the the European Parliament, Sophie in 'T Veld seat in the group ADLE (Alliance of the democrats and the liberals for Europe).

Ministers for 66 since 1994

Hans van Mierlo - 1994-1998: Foreign Minister and vice Prime Minister for the first cabinet of Wim Kok.
Hans Weijers - 1994-1998: Minister for the economy of the first cabinet of Wim Kok.
Winnie Sorgdrager - 1994-1998: Minister for the justice of the first cabinet of Wim Kok.
Els Borst - 1994-2002: Minister for health and vice Prime Minister for the first and second cabinet of Wim Kok.
Rogier van Boxtel - 1998-2002: Minister for the policy of the big cities and the policy of integration in the second cabinet of Wim Kok.
Laurens-Jan Brinkhorst - 1998-2002 and 2003 -: Minister for agriculture, the environment and the fishing of the 2nd cabinet of Wim Kok, minister for the economy and since 2005 vice Prime Minister for the second cabinet of Jan Peter Balkenende.
Thom de Graaf - 2003-2005: Minister for the governmental revival and the relations of the kingdom in the second cabinet of Jan Peter Balkenende
Alexander Pechtold - 2005-: Minister for the governmental revival and the relations of the kingdom in the second cabinet of Jan Peter Balkenende

See too

Official site of 66
Official web site (English)

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