Netherlands and the fiasco of liberalism of the 21st century

On October 29, 2025, erstwhile Rob Jetten proved to be the leader of the exit polls group, many Dutch breathed relief. After 12 months of chaos, incompetent management and unstable regulation of right-wing and liberal parties there was a real chance for a more pro-social government.

A good Bad Beginning

The center progressive organization D66 (Democrats 66), headed by Jetten, became a symbol of the desire to change among a large part of the mediate class. However, D66's obtaining 26 parliamentary seats in the 150-person Lower home (Tweede Kamer) did not mean an immediate left turn. The right-wing PVV (Party for Freedom), which was the largest organization in the parliament and was the leader of the coalition of the erstwhile term, received the same number of seats. On top of that, Jetten faced a hard task of forming a majority coalition, while not allowing it to run extremes from both sides of the political spectrum.

In the debate on political sentiments, it can be heard that the full political scene of the Netherlands is shifted to the left compared to another Western countries. In view of this, it may be amazing that D66 is thrown into a bag of signed “levic”. Compared to the Green Left – Labour organization (GL-PvdA) or the Socialist organization (SP), the economical demands of Democrats 66 seem closer to liberalism – that is, the classics of liberalism, not to the acolytes of its version with the prefix "neo-".

They set up cooperation with entrepreneurs to advance innovation, including on the issue of energy transition, and average citizens were to warrant more cash in the portfolio, which would stimulate the economy. On economical issues, there were besides points with which parties would agree to the left of Jettena. The aim was to increase the payments to nurseries, reduce the Own hazard (the amount that the insured pays out of his own pocket before insurance covers the cost of treatment) for chronically sick people, as well as promises that defence spending would not affect another aspects of the economy.

The patch of left-wingness was certifiable by the worldview issues of the parties. Jetten himself will shortly become the first openly homosexual Prime Minister of the country. Their emphasis on freedom of choice in abortion and euthanasia or focusing on the essence of respecting global law, powerfully ranks the organization left of the center on worldview issues. At a immense protest, Rode Lijn (Red Line), who gathered about a 4th of a million people, Jetten proudly stressed his commitment to opposition to Israel's actions in Gaza.

Government Mathematics

The Dutch governments have never in the past of universal electoral law consisted of a single party, even in the case of number governments. The deficiency of an electoral threshold and the designation of the full country as 1 constituency make it virtually impossible for 1 organization to get 50% of its support. D66, through its combination of liberalism and progressiveism, had a hard task ahead of it in the Polarized Lower House. The fact that many parties categorically excluded cooperation with another groups did not help.

This happened, for example, with the liberal right-wing VVD (People's organization for Freedom and Democracy), which in the 21st century was not part of the coalitions ruling for only 3 years. VVD leader Dilan Yesilgoz categorically refused to enter the coalition with the Green Left – Labour Party. There was an impasse, and Jetten, after rapidly uncovering 1 coalitionist, a Christian-Democratic Appeal (CDA), was placed in a situation where the majority government ceased to be possible.

D66 and the CDA, together with 44 tickets, had to look for the largest group of coalitions. The populist right-wing PVV was excluded from talks before they even started. The rhetoric of her leader, Geert Wilders, struck the D66 consecutive and discredited all decision they made. Liberals from the VVD obtained 22 mandates in the home of Lower, but their ultimatum regarding the GL-PvdA (20 mandates) blocked a broad centre coalition despite the fact that the parties were part of 1 government a decade earlier.

The decisions and attitudes of the remaining parties were frequently contrary to those that profess D66, and those that ideologically fit all coalitions would not form the majority. Jetten chose to form a number government with chadeks and liberals.

Let's go to the wall.

On 30 January 2026, D66, CDA and VVD presented a coalition agreement entitled “Let’s Do It” ("Aan de slag", read “We Move). Reactions began to flow to the media quickly, but 1 thing was certain: liberalism, paraphrasing the words of Marcin Gielzak, like royal water, melted all pro-social D66 plans.

Contrary to its election programme, D66 stepped down to liberals and agreed to limit state spending in order to avoid expanding public debt. In addition, the coalition is to follow the deficit procedures set at European level. This means that public spending will should be cut in many sectors.

The state safety net will besides be reduced. The maximum unemployment benefit will be reduced from 2 years to 1 year. Pensions will be decoupled from the minimum rate, insurers will be able to compensate for little in their packages, and Own hazard is expected to increase to EUR 460 per year from the existing EUR 385. A "freedom contribution" will besides be introduced to cover rising defence spending, which, despite announcements, is simply a regressive contribution on which the poorest and lower mediate class will lose. The coalition besides presented plans to increase the retirement age and combine it with life expectancy. This means that people born in the 1990s will work up to 71 years old and longer. For comparison, the current retirement age for these years is 67 years and 9 months.

The same Dutch, who in October breathed relief, again began to uncertainty their choice. The progressive, "left" world-view image of D66 before the elections suggested an chance to improve the situation in many aspects of the state's operation. Education, wellness and housing have been underfunded for many years and have been suffering from shortages of staff, equipment and real estate. Instead, the Liberals were again able to press the coalitions with a boot with the word "public debt" and further disassemble the welfare state and transfer more costs to average people, expanding inequality. Trade unions are compatible, and the largest head office in the country, FNV, comments: "In specified uncertain times we should invest in the stableness of people's lives, not in burying them."

In this case, the fact that we are talking about a number government is not a affirmative one. In the second half of the 3rd decade of the 21st century, erstwhile liberalism prevails over all group from right to center, this can lead to an even more efficient dismantling of the state, while blocking progressive ideas, environmental or fewer pro-social plans. In a situation where the 3 parties traditionally pro-social have a full of 26 seats, it will be much easier to play smaller right-wing parties who would gladly support liberal laws for even the smallest concessions.

The final aspect of this pact with the Liberals is that the fresh coalition agreement shows not only a change in attitudes towards the economy, but besides a worldview. The coalition proposes, for example, a strong simplification in asylum procedures, and Jetten himself, who protested against Israel's actions in Gaza in October, voted against the Netherlands' designation of Palestine as a state in early February. According to line VVD and against election program D66.

Liberals don't change

What lessons does this reorientation teach and what lessons can be drawn from it for the benefit of Poland?

The proposals of the Left Seym or left wing of Poland 2050 are rapidly annihilated in the current ruling coalition or are converted in a way that more cynical commentators specify castration of ideas. Liberals criticize or facilitate opposition criticism of prosocial or pro-ecological laws and benefit from the support of the right to make liberal changes. Like D66, who from the simplification of own hazard went to its increase under the influence of VVD, the Polish coalition Left humbled itself before the Liberal Prime Minister and struck teeth signed with its own sign of improvement of the State Labour Inspection.

Liberal parties in both Poland and the Netherlands will do everything to push their economical and deregulation intentions, regardless of what worldly attitudes they effort to advance before the elections. So as Poles, we can look at the situation in The Hague as a mirror of Polish politics, and then ask ourselves: is what candidates pose for truly advancement and socialism, or a cover or a tool for further promotion of neoliberalism in our country? The authentic, pro-working and liberal influence-resistant left is 1 that puts workers and the problem of economical inequality first and only later speaks of solidarity with the residents of regions thousands of kilometres away. Without a sense of equality within the strategy on the ground, workers in Europe will not be afraid with the welfare of people in another parts of the world.

Filip Kalinowski

Photo in text heading: Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay