First of all, on behalf of the tens of thousands D66 party members (over 25.000; and we’re gaining members every week for the past year, our heartfelt congratulations to the Lib Dems on passing the 100.000 members threshold. And you’re not done yet, I know.
If we look to our Spanish and French social-liberal, pro-EU sister parties, Ciudadános and Macrons movement “En Marche”, they too are booking spectacular results in gaining members, and getting members active on the street. According to the French Wikipedia and the Economist, En Marche (EM) claimed 88.000 members in October 2016, and 250.000 now. The Economist reports about EM-activists canvassing the British way in Strassbourg streets (and elsewhere).
That is the big difference I noticed in the Dutch European elections (2014) and our recent General Elections (March 2017):
- whereas D66 activists were visible on the (high) streets and at train station entrances handing out leaflets months before (and until) election day,
- other progressive parties (PvdA/Labour, GreenLeft, and old-style Socialists\SP) were strangely absent, where they dominated the scene until about ten years ago,
- the center-right parties (VVD/NatLibs and CDA/Christian Democrats) and PVV never were very active in that way.
D66 has also started canvassing the British way in “friendly” neighbourhoods, talking to people on the doorstep; but we seldom hear that from other Dutch parties. Only PvdA/Labour appears to do that, and the Socialists/SP say they do it.
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