Morality Issues in the Netherlands: Coalition Politics under Pressure

Abstract

A century ago a government composed of Christian parties successfully passed new legislation on contraception, abortion and prostitution (Outshoorn 2001: 205).¹ What came to be known as the restrictive ‘Morality Acts’ of 1911 remained in force for more than 60 years, until changes to Dutch society and party political landscape led to a new legislative agenda. However, calls for more permissive policies and actual legislative reform in the Dutch coalition system do not meet so easily, especially in matters of morality that involve religious principles. Such religious principles are institutionalized in the party system, where Christian parties compete with secular parties. They often conflict over issue definitions, but nearly always have to take office together to build a stable parliamentary majority. Thus, in the Dutch system of coalition governments, the religious versus secular conflict is almost constantly present.