Innovating Social Democracy – Houdini-style A Perspective from the Dutch Labor Party(PvdA) * FRANS BECKER/ RENÉ CUPERUS DUTCH LABOR PARTY(PARTIJ VAN DE ARBEID, PVDA) Official website: www.pvda.nl Party leader: Job Cohen History at a glance: Founded in 1946, it was the successor of the pre-war Social Democratic Labour Party(SDAP), originally formed in 1894. SI and PES membership: SI member; PES: since 1992 Party membership: 2000: 58,426 2005: 61,111 2010: 54,504 Electoral resonance parliamentary elections: 2010: 19.6% of the votes(30/150 seats) 2006: 21.2% of the votes(33/150 seats) 2003: 28.0% of the votes(42/150 seats) Electoral resonance European elections: 2009: 12.5% of the votes(3/25 seats) 2004: 23.6% of the votes(7/25 seats) Government participation: 2006–2010: in government 1994–2002: in government; head of government: Wim Kok * Parts of this article were written as input for the so-called Amsterdam Process, a joint initiative of the London-based Policy Network and the Wiardi Beckman Stichting to renew and refresh social democracy and progressive politics. See www. policynetwork.com and www.wbs.nl. 100 Becker/Cuperus, Netherlands ipg 4/2010