A section of the political and cultural elite tries to bring about the radical reform of the Dutch political system by forming a single major progressive party based on Christian and socialist principles to replace the ëpillarisedí structure in which every section of the Protestant church has its own separate party. The attempt fails and ëpillarisationí survives. From 1946 to 1958 the Netherlands is ruled by coalitions dominated by Catholic and socialist parties. The modern welfare state starts to emerge.
