Due to the lack of absolute majority in the government, from 1994 until 2008 there have formed coalition cabinets due to the multi-party system.
In the Dutch political system there are three dominated political parties: the Christian Democratic Appeal( Christian Democrats), the Labour Party (Social democrats) and People´s Party for Freedom and Democracy (Liberals) .
A general overview of these parties:
-The People´s Party for Freedom and Democracy is a conservative-liberal party and centre-right in orientation.
-The Labour Party is a social democratic party,and centre-left in orientation.
-The Christian Democratic Appeal is a Christian Democratic party on the centre to the centre-right.
Between these political parties there are differences in relation to the European Union, some agree on the economic integration, other disagree on the political integration.
In 1994 was the first time the coalition government was formed without the Christian Democrats.This new coalition was called the Purple Coalition, the name of purple came from the mix of socialist(red) and liberal (blue). This Purple coalition last until 2002 and the government introduce measures as the euthanasia,abortion and gay marriage, this period was a period of economic properity.
The Purple coalition lost in 2002 elections due to the rise of Pim Fortuyn List,this party had ideals anti-inmigration and was against The Purple coalition . But his lider was murdered just before the elections.After that, a new coalition was formed,between the socialist party,the conservative liberal and the progressive liberal.Its progam was related with welfare state reforms,health care privatisation and stricter immigration policies.