Reconstructing Dutch social democracy

Programmatic and organisational reviews are an effort to distance the Dutch Labour Party (PvdA) from styles and postures assumed in the 1970s. Current efforts were stimulated by the economic situation, the failure of the polarisation strategy and exclusion from power. Reports generated after the 1986 elections resulted in changes in strategy and the style and content of the 1989 election manifesto. A report published in 1991 urged changes in party organisation and the ways in which programmatic issues were considered. A central thrust has been to reestablish the PvdA as a moderate but influential force.