International

The Dutch Socialist Party (SP) is a modern socialist party that seeks to build a society that is founded on the principles of human dignity, equality and solidarity. To achieve this, the party is active both inside and outside parliament, and does this by mobilising people around shared values and common interests. In this form of political activism, we combine our socialist ideals with the struggle for practical reforms.

Our socialism is framed in ‘The Whole of Humanity’ (‘Heel de Mens’) charter. This contains the core of the SP’s vision of society along with the alternatives that we propose. Our standpoints and activities are predicated on the concepts of human dignity, equality and solidarity. It is these values that have emerged over the course of many centuries as essential and indispensable facets of human civilisation and social progress. 

Together with our rational analysis of capitalism, human dignity, equality and solidarity form the yardstick against which we measure societal developments and judge political alternatives. From this perspective, what we regard as negative, we try to prevent or counteract; and what we regard as positive, we try to foster and put into practice.  
 

• Human dignity is defined as respect of one person for another, the freedom to decide which direction society should take, a safe existence for all, and fair opportunities for every person to live in freedom and pursue her or his own happiness.
• Equality is understood to mean that all people are considered equal. On that basis, we are committed to promoting tolerance throughout society and combating all forms of sexism, racism and discrimination. 
• Solidarity between people is necessary because some people have fewer opportunities than others. By helping and caring for each other, we can help give everyone a fair chance to lead a fulfilling life. 

An active party

Members of the SP come from all walks of life. Factory workers and students, nurses and maintenance engineers, accountants and civil servants, school students and pensioners who all work together. Each member is a member of a local branch and can take part in making decisions at branch meetings. Each branch elects its own board, nominates candidates for elected positions and sends delegates to the congress. The SP's national bodies - the party leadership, the party council and the congress - are also elected and overseen democratically.

The SP is represented at all levels in Dutch politics. We have nine Parliamentary Members in the 150-seat ‘Tweede Kamer’ (corresponding to the House of Commons or House of Representatives), four in the Eerste Kamer (the Senate) and many representatives on city and local councils and in provincial assemblies. The SP forms part of the local governing coalitions in a lot of municipalities.

The SP is an independent political party that is not sponsored by any companies or lobby groups. The elected representatives donate their allowance to the party, and only receive a stipend for certain out-of-pocket, receipted expenses. The balance of this is used to fund the activities of the Party. Representatives who work full-time for the party receive a modest professional wage. 

In our neoliberal and market-oriented society, human dignity, equality and solidarity are constantly under attack. It is not the free market nor government bureaucracy but rather people who need to organise themselves and decide on our common future. In our form of activism, a sense of community is created between people from diverse backgrounds and people are given the opportunity to emancipate themselves.
 
In government, in parliament and together with the people - locally, nationally and internationally - we are fighting for a society in which human dignity, equality and solidarity can be attained.