The Rutte II cabinet had been installed in 2012, based on a coalition of the Liberal Party and the Labour Party, which between them had won a majority in the lower house of parliament (Tweede Kamer). Lacking the support of a majority in the upper house, the government effectively operated as a minority coalition, striking deals with opposition parties to ensure a majority in the Eerste Kamer. In 2014, the cabinet was tested a number of times: the cabinet lost two members; support for the government parties was tested in the European elections; the governing Labour Party lost two seats in the lower house due to an internal conflict; and finally, a major healthcare reform was vetoed in the Senate by dissenting members of government parties, bringing the cabinet to the brink of crisis.