1 Posted by Nic on 1 June 2010 | Permalink

Piraten

2 Posted by Christopher on 1 June 2010 | Permalink

GroenLinks

3 Posted by Raphael on 1 June 2010 | Permalink

SP. While I don't agree with their apparently pacifist view of foreign politics, I agree with their opposition to most of the individual wars that are actually waged by various NATO countries right now. Like them, I'm critical of the EU from a left-wing perspective. I'm strongly against laissez-faire economic policies. And I like it that they apparently either are, or at least used to be, one of the few major socialist organisations that made some serious attempts to fight academic elitism in their own ranks.

4 Posted by Patrick Nielsen Hayden on 1 June 2010 | Permalink

GL, probably, although for the reasons given by Raphael above, I'd give SP a serious look before finally deciding.

Every time I take one of those online surveys designed to twill you what European party best matches your views, I wind up being told I'm some kind of Green, which is amusing since while I think environmental issues are important, I don't identify at all strongly as an "environmentalist."

5 Posted by Frans on 1 June 2010 | Permalink

@Patrick Nielsen Hayden: Stemwijzer aligns me with Partij voor de Dieren. If I were as disillusioned with D66 as my mother is, I guess I might've voted for PvdD or Piratenpartij instead. Or perhaps SP or someone on the VVD list who isn't Mark Rutte. As I said before, I may be the rare breed to whom the mix of "left" and "right" ideas of PVV attracts, but I'm quite pro-foreigners. For the record, PvdA is not the inclusionist contra-Wilders party it claims to be [1]. I find Cohen's anti-Wilders rhetoric hypocritical at best, though this is really no different for quite a few other parties [2] (like SP).

[1] http://www.trouw.nl/nieuws/politiek/article3079227.ecel
[2] http://www.nrc.nl/binnenland/article2552439.ece/Immigratieplannen_in_strijd_met_EU

6 Posted by Bryan on 1 June 2010 | Permalink

(Pretend Vote) VVD (with hopes that a VVD+CDA+D66+CU coalition can be formed.)

Economic reality is setting in across the globe, until the next game changing innovations are found and occur, like the Tech boom of the 90’s, “financial responsibility” will become the watch word or phrase for the coming decade.

Fortunately for the Dutch, all the major parties provided decent manifestos on this point.

As for the smaller parties, voting for a smaller party, with an insufficient base to really ever play a dominant role either in policy or legislation had no appeal, especially with the Prime Minister Position at stake and very much up for grabs.

Consistent competent leadership at the National level is not going to come from these small narrower parties. Examples: PVV isn’t a party, -- primarily Wilders ego, and GL, look at the city coalition negotiations --- currently alot of amateurs.

7 Posted by Alejandro Moreno on 1 June 2010 | Permalink

D66. I think their platform is the one I would prefer.

Also, I don't like strategic voting. I'd rather have my vote go to a strong opposition party than a weak government party.

8 Posted by David on 1 June 2010 | Permalink

D66 or GL, leaning towards D66.

9 Posted by Michael Kozakewich on 1 June 2010 | Permalink

I'm thinking D66. I would want to vote more left than PvdA, and I'm leaning toward Purple, so it seems like a competitive choice.

10 Posted by Joost Diepenmaat on 2 June 2010 | Permalink

Probably D66, with some lingering tendencies towards GL or SP. I would like to see the Pirates get a seat, too, but I'm not going to vote for them at this stage in the economic and social climate.

Also: I would really like a new purple government. The only important party right now that I can stand less than the CDA is Wilders' PVV.

11 Posted by Malcolm on 2 June 2010 | Permalink

SP. They seem to be the only genuinely left-wing party, given that GL are oh-so wishy-washy.

That said, I do have reservations because of SP's flirtation with xenophobia.

Anyway, it's all academic, however you slice it it looks like NL is due for another serve of VVD.

12 Posted by Rob on 2 June 2010 | Permalink

GroenLinks. I have talked to the parties' candidates in multiple cities, looked at their manifestos, and followed the news closely. GroenLinks has the most comprehensive and appropriate plan for The Netherlands, by far. Further, they field really saavy, dedicated candidates on every level: EU, national, local. And, unlike lots of politicians (Balkenende, SGP, half the VVD, PVV), they play well with others and have a basic sense of decency, respect, and common sense that is lacking at the moment in Dutch politics.

13 Posted by Tatu Ahponen on 2 June 2010 | Permalink

SP or GL.

14 Posted by Frans on 2 June 2010 | Permalink

@12, Rob: Take a look at http://www.buitenlandsepartner.nl/forum/viewtopic.php?t=54014 For those who claim to be defending minorities, they're awfully biased about immigrants. Most are just ignorant about the situation, like most Dutch people [1], but some (Halsema and especially Dibi) really aren't as far removed from PVV as they claim. Frankly, most of the parties screaming so loudly that they're not PVV merely represent a slightly down toned version of the exact same ideas.

Disclaimer: I've never liked GL much, even four years ago when immigrant-wise they were closer to the image they're still projecting.

[1] http://frans.lowter.us/2010/03/17/a-morass-of-rules-and-regulations-dutch-immigration-policy/

15 Posted by Frans on 2 June 2010 | Permalink

"Most are just ignorant about the situation, like most Dutch people"

That should be, "Most in the party are just ignorant about the situation, like most Dutch people"

16 Posted by Dido on 2 June 2010 | Permalink

I'd go for SP as I'm not sure GL really has a cogent national platform that could work in coalition with the other parties. However I agree with Malcolm that it looks like VVD once more.

17 Posted by lexi on 2 June 2010 | Permalink

D66. It seems to be a reasonably sane party, and Purple is an intriguing idea.

18 Posted by Q. Pheevr on 3 June 2010 | Permalink

If I could vote in the Netherlands, I would most likely vote for GroenLinks. For me, the choice is mostly between GL and SP, with PvdA also a possibility worth considering. All of this is based primarily on platforms and ideologies, since I know very little about the character and competence of the individual politicians involved.

Among the feasible coalitions, I guess I'd prefer something along the lines of Purple or Amsterdam or Purple-Green. I don't like the VVD platform, but I think CDA really needs to be turfed out of government for a while, and there doesn't seem to be any way of doing that without bringing VVD in.

19 Posted by Barrett on 3 June 2010 | Permalink

D66 or VVD. Probably the former in the hope of a Purple coalition.

20 Posted by IM on 6 June 2010 | Permalink

PvdA then D66 then groenlinks.

21 Posted by Mantini on 7 June 2010 | Permalink

If PvdA wouldn't be hopeless as the largest party, I would vote that way. As it is, I'd probably go GL.

22 Posted by Richard Gadsden on 9 June 2010 | Permalink

As a Liberal Democrat candidate in our recent UK election, and a former associate member of JD (until I was too old), I'm sure it won't surprise anyone to know that I would vote D66.

It's the party that fits best with my own political philosophy, and I do hope to see another Purple government.

23 Posted by CTerry on 11 June 2010 | Permalink

As a left-of-centre political science masters student doing my dissertation on the left in the Netherlands and Denmark my vote would probably go to either the PvdA, GL or D66 depending on what side of the bed I woke up on that morning.