Public perception of D66 as “too woke” and “too pedantic” and six years as coalition partners in right-wing cabinets contributed to the party’s tumble from 24 to nine seats in the last elections, according to an internal evaluation cited by Dutch media.

“New ideas about important issues such as housing, care and the economy disappeared into the background,” the report is quoted as saying.

The report does not specify which D66 politicians were seen as pedantic but that “when dealing with populist politicians, D66 often countered with “the truth” instead of ideological values.”

That could result in frustration and pedantic comments such as “I’ll explain it to you again – slowly”, which voters found annoying, the report said.

D66 voters also lost confidence in former leader Sigrid Kaag who had initially criticised prime minister Mark Rutte for wanting to sideline then CDA MP Pieter Omtzigt but then failed to support a vote of no confidence against him in 2021.

“A large group of voters lost faith in D66 at that time and the promise of a “new leadership”, the party’s election slogan, the report said. Kaag also disappointed voters by abandoning her party’s wish to be part of a progressive coalition by again forming a cabinet with VVD, CDA and ChristenUnie.

Both party leaders Kaag and Rob Jetten also chose to be ministers which “blurred the visibility of D66 between the leading members of the government, the parliamentary party and the party itself”.

Internal affairs such as the lack of transparency about the “me too” accusation made against party strategist Frans van Drimmelen and the departure of MP candidate Yesim Candan, who had criticised Sigrid Kaag in a column, were also a distraction, the report said.

The report will be discussed at the D66 party conference on Saturday.