People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie |
|
---|---|
Abbreviation | VVD |
Leader | Mark Rutte |
Chairman | Henry Keizer |
Leader in the Senate | Annemarie Jorritsma |
Leader in the House of Representatives | Halbe Zijlstra |
Leader in the European Parliament | Hans van Baalen |
President of the Senate | Ankie Broekers-Knol |
Founded | 24 January 1948 |
Merger of | Freedom Party and Committee-Oud |
Headquarters | Thorbeckehuis Laan Copes van Cattenburch 52 The Hague |
Youth wing | Youth Organisation Freedom and Democracy |
Thinktank | Telders Foundation |
Membership (2017) | 26,497 |
Ideology | Conservative liberalism |
Political position | Centre-right |
European affiliation | Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe |
International affiliation | Liberal International |
European Parliament group | Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe |
Colours | Blue and Orange |
Senate |
13 / 75
|
House of Representatives |
41 / 150
|
King's Commissioners |
4 / 12
|
States-Provincial |
89 / 570
|
European Parliament |
3 / 26
|
Website | |
www.vvd.nl | |
The People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (Dutch: Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie, VVD) (Dutch pronunciation: [vɔl(ə)kspɑrtɛi voːr vrɛiɦɛit ɛn deːmoːˈkraːtsi] is a conservative-liberalpolitical party in the Netherlands.
The VVD supports private enterprise in the Netherlands and is an economically liberal party. After the fourth Balkenende cabinet was formed (22 February 2007), the VVD was the second-largest opposition party in the House of Representatives. During the Dutch general-election of 2010 the VVD obtained the highest number of votes cast and came to occupy 31 of the 150 seats in the House of Representatives. The VVD was the senior party in a centre-right minority government coalition together with the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) under the leadership of VVD party leader Mark Rutte. Rutte has been the leader of the VVD since 31 May 2006.
The First Rutte cabinet's parliamentary majority was provided by Geert Wilders' anti-Islam, anti-immigration, and anti-EU Party for Freedom (PVV), but this majority became unstable when Wilders' party refused to support austerity measures in connection with the Euro crisis. Therefore, elections for the House of Representatives were held on 12 September 2012. The VVD remained the largest party, with 41 seats. Since 5 November 2012, the VVD has been the senior partner in the second Rutte cabinet, a "purple" coalition with the Labour Party (PvdA).