Democracy seems less and less self-evident. What role do political parties play in the future of democracy? We explore this in this first edition of The Future of Democracy.

Democracy is more than just free elections. It is also about the way people can freely and meaningfully participate in the society in which they live; it concerns the values that make a society democratic, such as freedom, equality, solidarity, open public debate, and freedom of speech.

Traditionally, political parties in the Netherlands play a leading role in the functioning of democracy. For decades, the playing field was dominated by a few large governing parties with loyal constituencies. Since the beginning of this century, however, this has changed at a rapid pace, and the party system has been in constant flux ever since. New parties are springing up like mushrooms, and the established parties of power must find ways to remain relevant. The 2023 general elections serve as the ultimate example of this transition: a party that is not open to members, the PVV, became the largest, and the Netherlands appointed a non-partisan Prime Minister.

How do Dutch political parties deal with a rapidly changing world? What role is traditionally assigned to political parties in the Dutch democratic system, and could this role also be filled by other organizations or groups? Should political parties be required to be democratically organized? Do new political parties fulfill a voter need, or is there such a thing as having too many political parties? In short: what role do political parties play in the future of democracy?

Host Tessa van Viegen discusses these and other questions with various guests, including professor and director of the Documentation Centre for Dutch Political Parties (DNPP) Carla Hoetink, and Coen van de Ven, political journalist at De Groene Amsterdammer and author of the book Een links verhaal (A Left-wing Story) about the upcoming party merger of PvdA and GroenLinks.

The Future of Democracy series is a collaboration between Forum Groningen and the DNPP.