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Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie

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).


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