Editing Labour Party (Netherlands) (section)

=== 1989–2010 ===
After the [[1989 Dutch general election|1989 general election]], the PvdA returned to cabinet together with the CDA. Kok became Deputy Prime Minister to CDA leader [[Ruud Lubbers]]. The PvdA accepted the major economic reforms of the previous Lubbers cabinets, including [[privatisation]] of [[Government-owned corporation|public enterprise]]s and [[Welfare reform|reform of the welfare state]]. They continued these policies in this cabinet. The cabinet faced heavy protest from the unions and saw major political conflict within the PvdA itself.

In the [[1994 Dutch general election|1994 general election]], the PvdA–CDA coalition lost its majority in parliament; the PvdA, however, emerged as the biggest party. Kok formed a government together with the conservative liberal VVD and social liberal D66. This so-called [[Purple (government)|purple government]] was a political novelty, because it was the first since 1918 without any ministers from the CDA or its predecessors. The [[First Kok cabinet]] continued the Lubbers-era economic reforms, but combined this with a progressive outlook on ethical questions and promises of political reform. Kok became a very popular Prime Minister; he was not a partisan figure but combined successful [[Technocracy (bureaucratic)|technocratic]] policies with the charisma of a national leader. In the [[1998 Dutch general election|1998 general election]], the cabinet was rewarded for its stewardship of the economy. The PvdA and the VVD increased their seat counts, at the expense of D66; the [[Second Kok cabinet]] was formed.

Kok retired from politics, leaving the leadership of the party to his preferred successor [[Ad Melkert]]. The PvdA was expected to perform very well in the [[2002 Dutch general election|2002 general election]]; however, the political rise of [[Pim Fortuyn]] frustrated these hopes. The PvdA lost the 2002 election, and the party's parliamentary representation fell from 45 seats to 23. The loss was blamed on the uncharismatic new leader Melkert, the perceived arrogance of the PvdA and the inability to answer the [[right-wing populist]] issues Fortuyn raised, especially [[immigration]] and [[Social integration|integration]]. Melkert resigned as party leader and was replaced by [[Jeltje van Nieuwenhoven]]. The PvdA was kept out of cabinet. The government formed by CDA, VVD and the [[Pim Fortuyn List]] (LPF) fell after a very short period.

[[File:Bos Dutch politician kabinet Balkenende IV.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Wouter Bos]], party leader (2002–2010)]]

Meanwhile, [[Wouter Bos]], [[Undersecretary]] in the Second Kok cabinet, was elected leader of the PvdA in a ballot among PvdA members, being elected closely to [[Jouke de Vries]]. He started to democratise the party organisation and began an ideological reorientation. In the [[2003 Dutch general election|2003 general election]], Wouter Bos managed to regain almost all seats lost in the previous election, and the PvdA was once again the second largest party in the Netherlands, only slightly smaller than the CDA. Personal and ideological conflicts between Bos and the CDA leader [[Jan Peter Balkenende]] prevented the formation of a CDA–PvdA cabinet. Instead, the PvdA was kept out of government by the formation of cabinet of the CDA, the VVD, and D66, the latter being former allies of PvdA. In the [[2006 Dutch municipal elections|2006 municipal elections]], the renewed PvdA performed very well. The PvdA became by far the largest party nationally, while the three governing parties lost a considerable number of seats in municipal councils.

The PvdA lost the race for [[Prime Minister of the Netherlands|Prime Minister]] to the CDA after suffering a loss of nine seats in the [[2006 Dutch general election|2006 general election]]. The PvdA now held only 33 seats, losing many votes to the [[Socialist Party (Netherlands)|Socialist Party]] (SP). The PvdA had previously distanced themselves from the idea of a voting bloc on the left. It did, however, join the [[fourth Balkenende cabinet]] on 22 February 2007, in which Wouter Bos became [[Ministry of Finance (Netherlands)|minister of Finance]]. In the aftermath of the lost elections, the entire party executive stepped down on 26 April 2007. On Saturday 20 February 2010, the Labour Party withdrew from the government after arguments over the Dutch role in [[Afghanistan]].