The General Elderly Alliance (, AOV) was a

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pensioners'

political party A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular area's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific political ideology, ...

. The AOV was very successful in the

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, but disappeared four years later.

History

The AOV was founded on 1 December 1993 by . The direct cause for the formation of the AOV were budget cuts on

retirement home A retirement home – sometimes called an old people's home, old folks' home, or old age home, although ''old people's home'' can also refer to a nursing home – or rest home, is a multi-residence housing facility intended for the elderly. Ty ...

s. During the 1994 election campaign one of the governing parties, the CDA, announced that it would cut government pensions. This made the AOV very attractive to the elderly. During the campaign, the party organized several successful mass protests against budget cuts. The party won six seats. The Union 55+, another party aiming to represent the elderly, also won one seat. In the autumn of 1994, a conflict developed in the party between Nijpels and the party's founder Batenburg. This results in a split within the parliamentary party and the party board. After the split there was no party in parliament which was allowed to call itself AOV by the presidium. In the 1995

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

election, the party won two seats, one of which was taken by Batenburg, who immediately became an independent. In 1998, the party's sole senator joined the CDA. In the elections of the same year, the AOV formed a new party, the Elderly Union (Ouderenunie), whilst Batenburg also participated in the election as the New Solidary Elderly Alliance. All were unable to win a seat.

Ideology

The party was a typical one issue party: it sought to better the position of the elderly, by increasing government pensions.

Election results

House of Representatives

Senate

Representation

Members of the House of Representatives

Electorate

The party was supported by elderly, especially by former CDA-voters from the Southern provinces,

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and

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References

Notes

{{Defunct political parties in the Netherlands Pensioners' parties Populism in the Netherlands Defunct political parties in the Netherlands Political parties established in 1993 Political parties disestablished in 1998 1993 establishments in the Netherlands