The Breakthrough (Dutch: Doorbraak) was a short-lived political movement in the Netherlands after World War II, with the stated goal of renewing the politics of the Netherlands by coalescing progressive liberals, Christian democrats and social democrats in a single progressive political party.
[1] The breakthrough idea originated during World War II in Kamp Sint-Michielsgestel, where prominent members of the Dutch elite were interned and discussed political and social questions.
Many sought to break with the parochialism of pre-War politics, which was characterised by pillarisation and rigid voting behaviour largely determined by religious affiliation or socio-economic position, reinforced by the notion of antithesis.
The goal of this "breakthrough" was to unleash a spirit of national unity, spiritual renewal, and cooperation between labour, capital and the state, which was captured in the ambiguous term "personalist socialism".
[2] In order to force this breakthrough, the Social Democratic Workers' Party, the left-liberal Free-thinking Democratic League and the Christian socialist Christian Democratic Union united to form the Labour Party (PvdA) in May 1946, a progressive party open to all people.