The Socialist Workers' Party ( nl, Socialistische Werkers Partij, abbreviated SWP) was a

communist party A communist party is a political party that seeks to realize the socio-economic goals of communism. The term ''communist party'' was popularized by the title of ''The Manifesto of the Communist Party'' (1848) by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. ...

in the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

. SWP was founded in 1959, after a split within the leadership of the

Communist Party of the Netherlands The Communist Party of the Netherlands ( nl, Communistische Partij Nederland, , CPN) was a Dutch communist party. The party was founded in 1909 as the Social-Democratic Party (SDP) and merged with the Pacifist Socialist Party, the Political Part ...

. The founders of CPN opposed the CPN party secretary Paul de Groot. They had formed the ''Brug''-group, and launched the new party in July 1959. The party held its first congress in

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population of 907,976 within the city proper, 1,558,755 in the urban ar ...

, January 23–24, 1960.
Archief H.H. Drenth
' Ideologically SWP adhered to Marxism-Leninism, and the party was organized along the lines of democratic centralism. The party had a membership of around 500.Backes, Uwe.
Communist and Post-Communist Parties in Europe
'. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2008. p. 17 The party proclaimed its solidarity with the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

, but the Soviets paid little interest in the Dutch splinter group. In 1965 the majority of SWP members joined the

Pacifist Socialist Party The Pacifist Socialist Party ( nl, Pacifistisch Socialistische Partij, PSP) was a democratic socialist Dutch socialist political party. The PSP played a small role in Dutch politics. It is one of the predecessors of the GreenLeft. Party histor ...

References

{{Authority control 1959 establishments in the Netherlands 1965 disestablishments in the Netherlands Defunct communist parties in the Netherlands Political parties disestablished in 1965 Political parties established in 1959