Radical League


The Radical League was a progressive liberal political party in the Netherlands. The league is historically linked with the Labour Party.

Party history

In November 1892 one of the Amsterdam caucuses of the Liberal Union seceded from the party and formed the Radical League. The caucus was called "Amsterdam". The debate in the Liberal Union about the extension of suffrage was not moving in the direction of the Radicals. They were led by the charismatic, solistic politician Willem Treub. He set up a national organisation.
In 1893 the party won the Leeuwarden seat in a by-election. The newly elected MP was former Amsterdam alderman Carel Victor Gerritsen, who was also the husband of feminist Aletta Jacobs. In 1894 the party won two additional seats. They played a minor role in parliament. In 1897 they won an additional seat. The Radicals supported the progressive liberal cabinet led by Pierson, although they were not necessary for its majority. In 1901 the League merged with another group of progressive former Liberal Union members to form the Free-thinking Democratic League.

Ideology & issues

The League was a progressive liberal and radical democratic party, committed to implementation of universal suffrage and social laws. The party was inspired by kathedersocialisme, the progressive politics professed by latitudinarian preachers. It championed democratisation of the political system by abolishing the Senate and the implementation of a referendum. It favoured the nationalisation of crucial industries like the railways.

Representation

This table shows the League's results in elections to the House of Representatives and Senate, as well as the party's political leadership the fractievoorzitter, the chair of the parliamentary party.

Local government

The party was particularly strong in Amsterdam. Treub was alderman there.

Electorate

The League's electorate centered on Amsterdam, where intellectuals, journalists, teachers and educated workers supported the party.

Pillarisation

The small and localised Radical League lacked a system of pillarised organisations around it. The weekly magazine De Amsterdammer sympathised with the party however.