INTERNATIONAL POLICY ANALYSIS Social Democracy in the Netherlands Three Future Options FRANS BECKER AND RENÉ CUPERUS March 2011 nn Since 1990(locally) and 1994(nationally), Dutch politics has experienced extreme voter volatility. The decline of core electorates and the polarisation and fragmenta­tion of voters has led to an erosion of the two traditional mainstream Volksparteien, the Christian democrats and the social democrats. nn Cultural and economic cleavages and new political issues such as immigration and European integration are dividing social democratic constituencies and leading to an erosion of the»leftist working class«. While the Left as a whole remains fairly stable, the PvdA has become a minority within the progressive camp. The fragmentation of the Left is both a cause and consequence of the erosion and fragmentation of the post-war Volksparteien. nn Both in terms of ideology and in terms of constituency, Dutch social democracy faces tough challenges and inevitable choices. Will it remain a Volkspartei, bridging the gap between the modernising and conservative parties on the left and bringing together different segments and moods in society – in other words, restoring the post-war grand coalition between the working and middle classes? This article uses the experiences of the Dutch PvdA to sketch out a concept of neo-idealism founded on a»people-based economy« and a»return of positive freedom«.