A question: in what state is D66 now? Was it abadoned by its voters for joining an anti-progressive coalition?
Also, could you clarify what you meant with this: "sobered the disabled laws"? *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
Problem is that most of the 'principled' voters have bailed ship, making the case for the realpolitikers much easier. If D66 doesn't find a new face, the party is gone as a national political party of consequence- 3 seats is just too little.
The charm of D66 used to be that is was a true moderate party- progressive on social issues, more conservative on fiscal issues. They also have a certain air, a sense of reason in their candidates- call it intellectualism- that made it appealing for the better educated. This is the reason that they won 17 seats in 1994- the year the Christians were decapitized. They've lost that appeal now they have helped Balkenende II (his second government) in power.
All kind of old celebrity politicians from the past, from old leaders to founders, have argued that D66 really doesn't have any reason for being anymore. It was never intented as a regular political party- they wanted to shake up politics, make it more transparant- better. But try tell that to people who spent their life working themselves up the ranks :)
Under the 'Purple'-coalition, employers are responsible for their own WAO cases (and have to insure themselves to pay their benefits, so they supposedly take better care of their personel) and it's harder to enter the WAO. These reforms reduced the numbers of people under the WAO greatly- and the urgency for reform was gone, really.
Then, the government brought new plans. Making it harder to enter and harder to stay in the WAO (people who were disallowed to work for twenty years were suddenly forced to seek work, and for example MS(multiple sclerosis) is no longer a reason to enter/stay in the WAO) . As stated above, the urgency was gone (or reducing rapidly) but they defended it as necessary nonetheless.
It was not necessary, but choice, just one not very popular- i guess the liberals demanded it (in their quest to tone down the welfare-state) and the leadership of the Christians caved in to their demands (they've gotten used to doing that now).
