Politics of the Netherlands
Encyclopedia
The politics of the Netherlands take place within the framework of a parliamentary
representative democracy
, a constitutional monarchy
and a decentralised
unitary state
. The Netherlands
is described as a consociational state. Dutch politics and governance are characterised by a common striving for broad consensus on important issues, within both the political community and society as a whole.
and social rights
of the Dutch citizens and it describes the position and function of the institutions that have executive, legislative and judiciary power.
It should be noted that the constitution of the Netherlands is only applicable in the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
. The Kingdom as a whole has its own Statute, describing its federate
political system which also includes the Caribbean islands of Aruba
, Curaçao
and Sint Maarten and Caribisch Nederland, the islands Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba.
The Netherlands do not have a Constitutional Court and judges do not have the authority to review
laws on their constitutionality. International treaties
and the Statute of the Kingdom, however, overrule Dutch law and the constitution and judges are allowed to review laws against these in a particular court case. Furthermore all legislation that is not a law in the strict sense of the word (such as policy guidelines or laws proposed by provincial or municipal government) can be tested on their constitutionality.
Amendments to the constitution must be approved by both Houses of the States-General
(Staten Generaal) twice. The first time around, this requires a simple majority of fifty percent plus one vote. After parliament has been dissolved and general elections
are held, both Houses must approve the proposed amendments with a two thirds majority.
(parliament) and the judicial system. There are three other High Colleges of state, which stand on equal foot with parliament but have a less political role, of which the Council of State is the most important. Other levels of government are the municipalities, the waterboards and the provinces. Although not mentioned in the constitution, political parties and the social partners organised in the Social Economic Council are important political institutions as well.
It is important to realise that the Netherlands does not have a traditional separation of powers
: according to the constitution the States-General and the government (the Queen and cabinet) share the legislative power. All legislation has to pass through the Council of State (Dutch: Raad van State) for advice and the social-economic council advises the government on most social-economic legislation. The executive power
is reserved for government. Note however that the Social-Economic Council has the special right to make and enforce legislation on several sectors, mostly in agriculture. The judicial power is divided into two separate systems of courts. For civil and criminal law
the independent Hoge Raad is the highest court. For administrative law
the Raad van State is the highest court, which is ex officio chaired by the Queen.
since March 16, 1815, and has been governed by members of the House of Orange-Nassau
ever since.
The present monarchy was originally founded in 1813. After the expulsion of the French, the Prince of Orange
was proclaimed Sovereign Prince of The Netherlands. The new monarchy was confirmed in 1815 at the Congress of Vienna
as part of the re-arrangement of Europe
after the fall of Napoleon Bonaparte. The House of Orange-Nassau were given the present day Netherlands and Belgium
to govern as the United Kingdom of the Netherlands
. Between 1815 and 1890, the King of the Netherlands was also Grand Duke of Luxembourg
.
The current monarch is Beatrix of the Netherlands
. The heir apparent
is Willem-Alexander
, her son.
Constitutionally, the Queen is head of state
and has a role in the formation of government and in the legislative process. She has to co-sign every law to make it valid. The monarch is also ex officio chair of the Council of State
, which advises the cabinet on every piece of legislation and is the final court for administrative law
. Although the Queen takes these functions seriously, she refrains from exerting her power in these positions. The Queen also plays a central role in the formation of a cabinet
after general elections
or a cabinet crisis. Since coalition cabinets of two or more parties are the rule, this process has influence on government policy for years to come. She appoints the (in)formateur
, who chairs the formation talks, after consulting the leaders of all parties represented in parliament. When the formation talks have been concluded the Queen appoints the cabinet. Because this advice is a matter of public record, the Queen can not easily take a direction which is contrary to the advice of a majority in parliament. On the other hand, what is actually talked about behind the closed doors of the palace is not known. When a cabinet falls, the prime minister has to request the Queen to dismiss the cabinet.
. While most of the ministers head government ministries, since 1939 it has been permissible to appoint ministers without portfolio
.
The following table details the party representation in the Dutch parliament. The political leaders mentioned are not necessarily also leader of the parliamentary parties in the House of Representatives.
.
The Council is ex officio chaired by the Monarch. The probable heir to the throne becomes a member of the Council when reaching legal adulthood. The Monarch leaves daily affairs to the vice-chair of the Council, Herman Tjeenk Willink
and the other councillors, who are mainly legal specialists, former ministers, members of parliament and judges or professors of law.
, which are explicitly regarded as independent by the Constitution. Apart from the two Houses of Parliament and the Council of State, these are the Netherlands Court of Audit and the Nationale Ombudsman (National Ombudsman
).
The Court of Audit investigates whether public funds are collected and spent legitimately and effectively. The National Ombudsman investigates complaints about the functioning and practices of government. As with the advice of the Council of State, the reports from these organizations are not easily put aside and often play a role in public and political debate.
functions as the highest court in most administrative cases.
The most prominent advisory council is the Social-Economic Council
(Sociaal Economische Raad, SER). It is composed of trade union
s, employers' organization
s and government-appointed specialists. It is consulted at an early stage in financial, economic and social policymaking. It advises government and its advice, just like the advice of the High Colleges of State
, cannot easily be set aside. The SER heads a system of PBO
s, self-regulating organizations that can make laws for specific economic sectors.
The following organizations are represented in the Social-Economic Council: the leftwing trade union
FNV
, the Christian trade union CNV
and the trade union for managerial staff MHP
, the employers' organization
VNO-NCW
, the employers' organization for small and mediumsized enterprises MKB-Nederland, and the employers' organization for farmers LTO Nederland. One third of the members of the council are appointed by the government. These include professors of Economics and related fields as well as representatives of the Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis and De Nederlandsche Bank
. In addition, representatives of environmental and consumers' organizations are represented in SER working groups.
Other prominent advisory councils are the Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis, which forecasts economic development; the Statistics Netherlands
which studies social and economic developments; the Social and Cultural Planning Office, which studies long term social and cultural trends; the Netherlands National Institute for Public Health and the Environment
which advises the government on environmental and health issues; and the Scientific Council for Government Policy
, which advises the government on long term social, political and economic trends.
, health
policy and recreation
, within the bounds prescribed by the national government. Furthermore they oversee the policy and finances of municipalities and waterboards. The executive power is in hands of the Queen's Commissioner
and the College of the Gedeputeerde Staten
. The Queen's Commissioner is appointed by the national Cabinet and responsible to the Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations. Members of the Gedeputeerde Staten are appointed by, and responsible to the provincial legislature, the States Provincial, which is elected by direct suffrage.
Local government in the Netherlands is formed by 418 municipalities. Municipalities are responsible for education
, spatial planning
and social security
, within the bounds prescribed by the national and provincial government. They are governed by the College of Mayor and Aldermen
. The Mayor is appointed by the national Cabinet and responsible to the Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations. The Aldermen are appointed by, and responsible to the Municipal Council, which is elected by direct suffrage. Local government on the Caribbean Netherlands is formed by three public bodies sometimes called special municipalities who do not fall within a province. They are governed by a Lieutenant-general and "eilandgedeputeerden" which are responsible to the island council
, which is elected by direct suffrage. Their activities are similar but wider than to municipalities.
The major cities of Amsterdam
and Rotterdam
are subdivided into administrative areas (stadsdelen
), which have their own (limited) responsibilities.
Furthermore there are waterboard
s which are responsible for the country's polders, dikes and other waterwork
s. These bodies are elected in non-partisan elections and have the power to tax their residents.
of the Netherlands
is based on four basic commitments: to Transatlantic relations
, European integration
, international development
and international law
. While historically the Netherlands used to be a neutral state, it has joined many international organisations since the Second World War
. Most prominently the UN
, NATO and the EU
. The Dutch economy is very open and relies on international trade. One of the more controversial international issues surrounding the Netherlands is its liberal policy towards soft drugs
and its position as one of the major exporters of hard drugs.
, prostitution
, same-sex marriage
, abortion
and euthanasia
are among the most liberal in the world.
since 1815 and a parliamentary democracy
since 1848; before that it had been a republic
from 1581 to 1806 and a kingdom between 1806 and 1810 (it was part of France
between 1810 and 1813).
Before 1917, the Netherlands had a first past the post
single seat system with census suffrage (per the constitution of 1814), in which only property-owning adult males had the right to vote. Under influence of the rising socialist
movement the requirements were gradually reduced until in 1917 the present voting system of a representative democracy
with male universal suffrage
was instituted, expanded in 1919 to include women.
Until 1966, Dutch politics were characterised by pillarisation
: society was separated in several segments (pillars) which lived separate from each other and there was only contact at the top levels, in government. These pillars had their own organisations, most importantly the political parties. There were four pillars, which provided the five most important parties, the socialist Labour Party
(Partij van de Arbeid; PvdA), the conservative-liberal People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie; VVD), the Catholic Catholic People's Party
(Katholieke Volkspartij; KVP) and the two conservative-Protestant parties, the Christian Historical Union (Chirstelijk Historische Unie; CHU) and the Anti Revolutionary Party (Anti-Revolutionaire Party; ARP). Since no party ever gained an absolute majority, these political parties had to work together in coalition governments. These alternated between a centre left, Rooms Rood
, coalition of PvdA, KVP, ARP and CHU and a centre right coalition of VVD, KVP, ARP and CHU.
D66
, which proposed democratisation to break down pillarisation. Pillarisation indeed declined, with the three Christian-democratic parties losing almost half of their votes. In 1977 they formed the Christian-democratic CDA
, which became a major force in Dutch politics, participating in governments from 1977 until 1994. Meanwhile the conservative-liberal VVD and progressive-liberal
D66
made large electoral gains.
The Dutch welfare state
had become the most extensive social security
system in the world by the early eighties. But the welfare state came into crisis when spending rose due to dramatic high unemployment
rates and poor economic growth. The early eighties saw unemployment rise to over 11% and the budget deficit rose to 10.7% of the National Income. The centre-right and centre-left coalitions of CDA-VVD and CDA-PvdA reformed the Dutch welfare state to bring the budget deficit under control and to create jobs. Social benefits were reduced, taxes lowered and businesses deregulated. Gradually the economy recovered and the budget deficit and unemployment were reduced considerably.
When the far-left parties lost much electoral support in the 1986 elections, they decided to merge into the new GreenLeft
(GroenLinks) in 1989, with considerable success.
the Christian-democratic CDA lost nearly half its seats. The social-liberal
D66, on the other hand, doubled their size. For the first time in eighty years a coalition was formed without the Christian-democrats. The Purple
Coalition was formed between PvdA, D66 and VVD. The colour purple symbolised the mixing of socialist red with liberal blue. During the Purple years, which lasted until 2002, the government introduced legislation on abortion
, euthanasia
and gay marriage. The Purple coalition also marked a period of remarkable economic prosperity.
The Purple coalition parties together lost their majority in the 2002 elections
due to the rise of Pim Fortuyn List, the new political party led by the flamboyant populist Pim Fortuyn
. He campaigned on an anti-immigration programme and spoke of the "Purple Chaos" (Dutch: "Puinhopen van Paars"). Fortuyn was shot dead a week before the elections took place. In the elections the LPF entered parliament with one sixth of the seats, while the PvdA (Labour) lost half its seats. A cabinet
was formed by CDA, VVD and LPF, led by Prime Minister
Jan Peter Balkenende
. It proved short-lived: after only 87 days in power, the coalition fell apart as a result of consecutive conflicts within the LPF and between LPF ministers.
In the ensuing elections
in January 2003, the LPF dropped to only five percent of the seats in the House of Representatives. The left-wing Socialist Party
(Socialistische Partij; SP) led by Jan Marijnissen
became the fourth party of the Netherlands. The centre-right Balkenende II cabinet was formed by the Christian-democratic CDA, the conservative-liberal
VVD and the progressive-liberal
D66. Against popular sentiment, the right-wing coalition initiated an ambitious programme of welfare state
reforms, health care
privatisation and stricter immigration
policies. On June 1, 2005, the Dutch electorate voted in a referendum
against the proposed European Constitution
by a majority of 62%, three days after the French had also rejected the treaty.
In June 2006, D66 withdrew its support for the coalition in the aftermath of the upheaval about the asylum procedure of Ayaan Hirsi Ali
instigated by the Dutch immigration minister Verdonk. The coalition collapsed as a result and the Balkenende III caretaker cabinet was formed by CDA and VVD. The ensuing general elections
that were held on 22 November 2006 saw a major advance for the Socialist Party, which almost tripled in size and became the third largest party with 17% of the seats, while the moderate PvdA (Labour Party) lost a quarter of its seats. At the other end of the spectrum LPF lost all its seats, while the new anti-immigrant PVV
went from nothing to 6% of the seats, becoming the fifth biggest party. This polarisation of the House of Representatives, with an even distribution between left and right made the formation negotiations very difficult. The talks resulted in the formation of the social-Christian fourth cabinet Balkenende by the PvdA, the CDA and the ChristianUnion
, this cabinet is oriented at solidarity, durability and normen
en waarden
.
In February 2010, the PvdA withdrew its support for the fourth cabinet Balkenende, due to the party disagreeing with the CDA and the ChristianUnion about whether to prolong the Dutch military involvement in the War in Afghanistan
. In the following 2010 general election
, the conservative-liberal VVD became the biggest party with 31 seats, followed closely by the PvdA with 30 seats. The right-wing PVV went from 9 to 24 seats, while the CDA lost half of their support and won 21 seats. The Socialist Party lost 10 of its 25 seats, and both D66 and GL won 10 seats. The ChristianUnion, the smallest coalition party, lost 1 of their 6 seats. Both the SGP and the PvdD kept their 2 seats. The following cabinet formation
eventually resulted in the Rutte cabinet, a minority government
formed by VVD and CDA, supported in parliament by the PVV to gain a majority.
Parliamentary system
A parliamentary system is a system of government in which the ministers of the executive branch get their democratic legitimacy from the legislature and are accountable to that body, such that the executive and legislative branches are intertwined....
representative democracy
Representative democracy
Representative democracy is a form of government founded on the principle of elected individuals representing the people, as opposed to autocracy and direct democracy...
, a constitutional monarchy
Constitutional monarchy
Constitutional monarchy is a form of government in which a monarch acts as head of state within the parameters of a constitution, whether it be a written, uncodified or blended constitution...
and a decentralised
Decentralization
__FORCETOC__Decentralization or decentralisation is the process of dispersing decision-making governance closer to the people and/or citizens. It includes the dispersal of administration or governance in sectors or areas like engineering, management science, political science, political economy,...
unitary state
Unitary state
A unitary state is a state governed as one single unit in which the central government is supreme and any administrative divisions exercise only powers that their central government chooses to delegate...
. The Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
is described as a consociational state. Dutch politics and governance are characterised by a common striving for broad consensus on important issues, within both the political community and society as a whole.
Constitution
The constitution lists the basic civilCivil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
and social rights
Social rights
Economic, social and cultural rights are socio-economic human rights, such as the right to education, right to housing, right to adequate standard of living and the right to health. Economic, social and cultural rights are recognised and protected in international and regional human rights...
of the Dutch citizens and it describes the position and function of the institutions that have executive, legislative and judiciary power.
It should be noted that the constitution of the Netherlands is only applicable in the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Kingdom of the Netherlands
The Kingdom of the Netherlands is a sovereign state and constitutional monarchy with territory in Western Europe and in the Caribbean. The four parts of the Kingdom—Aruba, Curaçao, the Netherlands, and Sint Maarten—are referred to as "countries", and participate on a basis of equality...
. The Kingdom as a whole has its own Statute, describing its federate
Federacy
A federacy is a form of government where one or several substate units enjoy considerably more independence than the majority of the substate units. To some extent, such an arrangement can be considered as similar to asymmetric federalism.-Description:...
political system which also includes the Caribbean islands of Aruba
Aruba
Aruba is a 33 km-long island of the Lesser Antilles in the southern Caribbean Sea, located 27 km north of the coast of Venezuela and 130 km east of Guajira Peninsula...
, Curaçao
Curaçao
Curaçao is an island in the southern Caribbean Sea, off the Venezuelan coast. The Country of Curaçao , which includes the main island plus the small, uninhabited island of Klein Curaçao , is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
and Sint Maarten and Caribisch Nederland, the islands Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba.
The Netherlands do not have a Constitutional Court and judges do not have the authority to review
Judicial review
Judicial review is the doctrine under which legislative and executive actions are subject to review by the judiciary. Specific courts with judicial review power must annul the acts of the state when it finds them incompatible with a higher authority...
laws on their constitutionality. International treaties
Treaty
A treaty is an express agreement under international law entered into by actors in international law, namely sovereign states and international organizations. A treaty may also be known as an agreement, protocol, covenant, convention or exchange of letters, among other terms...
and the Statute of the Kingdom, however, overrule Dutch law and the constitution and judges are allowed to review laws against these in a particular court case. Furthermore all legislation that is not a law in the strict sense of the word (such as policy guidelines or laws proposed by provincial or municipal government) can be tested on their constitutionality.
Amendments to the constitution must be approved by both Houses of the States-General
States-General of the Netherlands
The States-General of the Netherlands is the bicameral legislature of the Netherlands, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The parliament meets in at the Binnenhof in The Hague. The archaic Dutch word "staten" originally related to the feudal classes in which medieval...
(Staten Generaal) twice. The first time around, this requires a simple majority of fifty percent plus one vote. After parliament has been dissolved and general elections
Elections in the Netherlands
Elections in the Netherlands are held for six territorial levels of government: the European Union, the state, the twelve Provinces of the Netherlands, the 25 water boards, the 418 municipalities and in two cities for neighbourhood councils...
are held, both Houses must approve the proposed amendments with a two thirds majority.
Political institutions
Major political institutions are the monarchy, the cabinet, the States GeneralStates-General of the Netherlands
The States-General of the Netherlands is the bicameral legislature of the Netherlands, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The parliament meets in at the Binnenhof in The Hague. The archaic Dutch word "staten" originally related to the feudal classes in which medieval...
(parliament) and the judicial system. There are three other High Colleges of state, which stand on equal foot with parliament but have a less political role, of which the Council of State is the most important. Other levels of government are the municipalities, the waterboards and the provinces. Although not mentioned in the constitution, political parties and the social partners organised in the Social Economic Council are important political institutions as well.
It is important to realise that the Netherlands does not have a traditional separation of powers
Separation of powers
The separation of powers, often imprecisely used interchangeably with the trias politica principle, is a model for the governance of a state. The model was first developed in ancient Greece and came into widespread use by the Roman Republic as part of the unmodified Constitution of the Roman Republic...
: according to the constitution the States-General and the government (the Queen and cabinet) share the legislative power. All legislation has to pass through the Council of State (Dutch: Raad van State) for advice and the social-economic council advises the government on most social-economic legislation. The executive power
Executive Power
Executive Power is Vince Flynn's fifth novel, and the fourth to feature Mitch Rapp, an American agent that works for the CIA as an operative for a covert counter terrorism unit called the "Orion Team."-Plot summary:...
is reserved for government. Note however that the Social-Economic Council has the special right to make and enforce legislation on several sectors, mostly in agriculture. The judicial power is divided into two separate systems of courts. For civil and criminal law
Criminal law
Criminal law, is the body of law that relates to crime. It might be defined as the body of rules that defines conduct that is not allowed because it is held to threaten, harm or endanger the safety and welfare of people, and that sets out the punishment to be imposed on people who do not obey...
the independent Hoge Raad is the highest court. For administrative law
Administrative law
Administrative law is the body of law that governs the activities of administrative agencies of government. Government agency action can include rulemaking, adjudication, or the enforcement of a specific regulatory agenda. Administrative law is considered a branch of public law...
the Raad van State is the highest court, which is ex officio chaired by the Queen.
Monarchy
The Netherlands has been a monarchyMonarchy
A monarchy is a form of government in which the office of head of state is usually held until death or abdication and is often hereditary and includes a royal house. In some cases, the monarch is elected...
since March 16, 1815, and has been governed by members of the House of Orange-Nassau
House of Orange-Nassau
The House of Orange-Nassau , a branch of the European House of Nassau, has played a central role in the political life of the Netherlands — and at times in Europe — since William I of Orange organized the Dutch revolt against Spanish rule, which after the Eighty Years' War...
ever since.
The present monarchy was originally founded in 1813. After the expulsion of the French, the Prince of Orange
Prince of Orange
Prince of Orange is a title of nobility, originally associated with the Principality of Orange, in what is now southern France. In French it is la Principauté d'Orange....
was proclaimed Sovereign Prince of The Netherlands. The new monarchy was confirmed in 1815 at the Congress of Vienna
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of European states chaired by Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, and held in Vienna from September, 1814 to June, 1815. The objective of the Congress was to settle the many issues arising from the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars,...
as part of the re-arrangement of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
after the fall of Napoleon Bonaparte. The House of Orange-Nassau were given the present day Netherlands and Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
to govern as the United Kingdom of the Netherlands
United Kingdom of the Netherlands
United Kingdom of the Netherlands is the unofficial name used to refer to Kingdom of the Netherlands during the period after it was first created from part of the First French Empire and before the new kingdom of Belgium split out in 1830...
. Between 1815 and 1890, the King of the Netherlands was also Grand Duke of Luxembourg
Grand Duke of Luxembourg
The Grand Duke of Luxembourg is the sovereign monarch and head of state of Luxembourg. Luxembourg has been a grand duchy since 15 March 1815, when it was elevated from a duchy when placed in personal union with the United Kingdom of the Netherlands...
.
The current monarch is Beatrix of the Netherlands
Beatrix of the Netherlands
Beatrix is the Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands comprising the Netherlands, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, and Aruba. She is the first daughter of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands and Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld. She studied law at Leiden University...
. The heir apparent
Line of succession to the Dutch Throne
The 1814 constitution stated that the oldest son of the monarch would succeed him , followed by the monarch's brother or his son. Only when there would be a complete lack of males in his near family, would the oldest daughter of the monarch succeed him...
is Willem-Alexander
Willem-Alexander, Prince of Orange
Willem-Alexander, Prince of Orange is the eldest child of Queen Beatrix and Prince Claus. Since 1980 he is the heir apparent to the throne of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. He is also the head of the House of Amsberg since the death of his father in 2002. He was in military service and he studied...
, her son.
Head of State
A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
and has a role in the formation of government and in the legislative process. She has to co-sign every law to make it valid. The monarch is also ex officio chair of the Council of State
Dutch Council of State
In the Netherlands, the Council of State is a constitutionally established advisory body to the government which consists of members of the royal family and Crown-appointed members generally having political, commercial, diplomatic, or military experience...
, which advises the cabinet on every piece of legislation and is the final court for administrative law
Administrative law
Administrative law is the body of law that governs the activities of administrative agencies of government. Government agency action can include rulemaking, adjudication, or the enforcement of a specific regulatory agenda. Administrative law is considered a branch of public law...
. Although the Queen takes these functions seriously, she refrains from exerting her power in these positions. The Queen also plays a central role in the formation of a cabinet
Dutch cabinet formation
The formation of a Dutch cabinet is a time consuming process, which is for the most part not codified in the constitution.- Formation process :After the elections or the fall of a cabinet, a process of cabinet formation starts...
after general elections
Elections in the Netherlands
Elections in the Netherlands are held for six territorial levels of government: the European Union, the state, the twelve Provinces of the Netherlands, the 25 water boards, the 418 municipalities and in two cities for neighbourhood councils...
or a cabinet crisis. Since coalition cabinets of two or more parties are the rule, this process has influence on government policy for years to come. She appoints the (in)formateur
Formateur
A formateur is a politician who is appointed by the head of state to lead the formation of a coalition government, after either a general election or the collapse of a previous government. The role of the formateur is especially important in the politics of Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg,...
, who chairs the formation talks, after consulting the leaders of all parties represented in parliament. When the formation talks have been concluded the Queen appoints the cabinet. Because this advice is a matter of public record, the Queen can not easily take a direction which is contrary to the advice of a majority in parliament. On the other hand, what is actually talked about behind the closed doors of the palace is not known. When a cabinet falls, the prime minister has to request the Queen to dismiss the cabinet.
Cabinet
The government of the Netherlands constitutionally consists of the queen and the cabinet ministers. The Queen's role is limited to the formation of government and she does not actively interfere in daily decision-making. The ministers together form the Council of Ministers. This executive council initiates laws and policy. It meets every Friday in the Trêveszaal at the BinnenhofBinnenhof
The Binnenhof , is a complex of buildings in The Hague. It has been the location of meetings of the Staten-Generaal, the Dutch parliament, since 1446, and has been the centre of Dutch politics for many centuries....
. While most of the ministers head government ministries, since 1939 it has been permissible to appoint ministers without portfolio
Minister without Portfolio
A minister without portfolio is either a government minister with no specific responsibilities or a minister that does not head a particular ministry...
.
Political parties
The system of proportional representation, combined with the historical social division between Catholics, Protestants, Socialists and Liberals has resulted in a multiparty system. The major political parties are CDA, PvdA, SP and VVD. The parties currently represented in the Dutch House of Representatives are:- Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), a centre-rightCentre-rightThe centre-right or center-right is a political term commonly used to describe or denote individuals, political parties, or organizations whose views stretch from the centre to the right on the left-right spectrum, excluding far right stances. Centre-right can also describe a coalition of centrist...
Christian DemocraticChristian DemocracyChristian democracy is a political ideology that seeks to apply Christian principles to public policy. It emerged in nineteenth-century Europe under the influence of conservatism and Catholic social teaching...
party. It holds to the principle that government activity should supplement but not supplant communal action by citizens. The CDA puts its philosophy between the "individualismIndividualismIndividualism is the moral stance, political philosophy, ideology, or social outlook that stresses "the moral worth of the individual". Individualists promote the exercise of one's goals and desires and so value independence and self-reliance while opposing most external interference upon one's own...
" of the VVD and the "statismStatismStatism is a term usually describing a political philosophy, whether of the right or the left, that emphasises the role of the state in politics or supports the use of the state to achieve economic, military or social goals...
" of the PvdA. - The Labour Party (PvdA), a social democratic, centre-leftCentre-leftCentre-left is a political term that describes individuals, political parties or organisations such as think tanks whose ideology lies between the centre and the left on the left-right spectrum...
Labour party. Its programme is based on greater social, political, and economic equality for all citizens. - The Party for FreedomParty for FreedomThe Party for Freedom is a Dutch right-wing political party. Founded in 2005 as the successor to Geert Wilders' one-man party in the House of Representatives, it won nine seats in the 2006 general election, making it the fifth largest party in parliament, and third largest opposition party. It...
(PVV), an anti-Islam conservative-liberal party founded and dominated by Geert WildersGeert WildersGeert Wilders is a Dutch right-wing politician and leader of the Party for Freedom , the third-largest political party in the Netherlands. He is the Parliamentary group leader of his party in the Dutch House of Representatives...
, formerly of the VVD. Its philosophy is based on free market economics and opposition to immigration and European integration. - The Socialist PartySocialist Party (Netherlands)The Socialist Party is a democratic socialist political party in the Netherlands. After the 2006 general election, the Socialist Party became one of the major parties of the Netherlands with 25 seats of 150, an increase of 16 seats. The party was in opposition against the fourth Balkenende cabinet...
(SP), in its first years a radical socialist/communist party, a MaoistMaoismMaoism, also known as the Mao Zedong Thought , is claimed by Maoists as an anti-Revisionist form of Marxist communist theory, derived from the teachings of the Chinese political leader Mao Zedong . Developed during the 1950s and 1960s, it was widely applied as the political and military guiding...
split from the Communist Party Netherlands, is now a more mainstream socialist party, left from the PvdA on economic issues but at the same time taking more conservative positions on issues like integration and national identity than the PvdA. - The People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), a conservative liberal party. It attaches great importance to private enterprise and the freedom of the individual in political, social, and economic affairs.
- Democrats 66Democrats 66Democrats 66 is a progressive and social-liberal political party in the Netherlands. D66 was formed in 1966 by a group of politically unaligned, young intellectuals, led by journalist Hans van Mierlo. The party's main objective was to democratise the political system; it proposed to create an...
(D66), a Social-LiberalSocial liberalismSocial liberalism is the belief that liberalism should include social justice. It differs from classical liberalism in that it believes the legitimate role of the state includes addressing economic and social issues such as unemployment, health care, and education while simultaneously expanding...
party. The party supports liberal policies on abortion and euthanasia and reform of the welfare state. The party is left-wing on immigration and foreign policy. And Right-wing on economics and environment - Green Left (GroenLinks) combines, as its name implies greenGreen politicsGreen politics is a political ideology that aims for the creation of an ecologically sustainable society rooted in environmentalism, social liberalism, and grassroots democracy...
environmentalistEnvironmentalismEnvironmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
ideals with left-wing ideals. The party is also strongly in favour of the multicultural societyMulticulturalismMulticulturalism is the appreciation, acceptance or promotion of multiple cultures, applied to the demographic make-up of a specific place, usually at the organizational level, e.g...
. - Christian Union (ChristenUnie), a Christian-democratic party made up by mostly orthodox Protestant Christians, with conservative stances on abortionAbortionAbortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
, euthanasiaEuthanasiaEuthanasia refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering....
and gay marriage. In other areas the party is considered centre-left, for instance on immigration, welfare stateWelfare stateA welfare state is a "concept of government in which the state plays a key role in the protection and promotion of the economic and social well-being of its citizens. It is based on the principles of equality of opportunity, equitable distribution of wealth, and public responsibility for those...
and environment. - The Party for the AnimalsParty for the AnimalsThe Party for the Animals is a political party in the Netherlands.Among its main goals are animal rights and animal welfare, though it claims not to be a single-issue party...
is a single-issue animal rightsAnimal rightsAnimal rights, also known as animal liberation, is the idea that the most basic interests of non-human animals should be afforded the same consideration as the similar interests of human beings...
party with natural affinity for environmental issues. In general, the party is considered left of the centre. - The Political Reformed Party (SGP), the most orthodox Protestant party with conservative policies: government is only to serve God. It is a testimonial partyTestimonial partyTestimonial party is a political party that focuses on its principles, instead of adapting them to local or temporal issues in the pursuit of coalition government participation...
. Only in 2006 and after heavy political pressure were women allowed to be members of this party.
The following table details the party representation in the Dutch parliament. The political leaders mentioned are not necessarily also leader of the parliamentary parties in the House of Representatives.
| Parties | Political Leader | Votes (2010 Dutch general election, 2010 The 2010 Dutch general election was held on Wednesday, 9 June 2010. After the fall of the cabinet Balkenende IV on 20 February, Queen Beatrix accepted the resignation of the Labour Party ministers on 23 February... ) |
HoR seats | Senate seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| People's Party for Freedom and Democracy People's Party for Freedom and Democracy The People's Party for Freedom and Democracy is a conservative-liberal political party located in the Netherlands. The VVD supports private enterprise in the Netherlands and is often perceived as an economic liberal party in contrast to the social-liberal Democrats 66 alongside which it sits in... (VVD) |
Mark Rutte Mark Rutte Mark Rutte is a Dutch politician who has been Prime Minister of the Netherlands since 14 October 2010, as well as Minister of General Affairs in the Rutte cabinet... |
1,929,575 | 31 | 16 |
| Labour Party Labour Party (Netherlands) The Labour Party , is a social-democratic political party in the Netherlands. Since the 2003 Dutch General Election, the PvdA has been the second largest political party in the Netherlands. The PvdA was a coalition member in the fourth Balkenende cabinet following 22 February 2007... (PvdA) |
Job Cohen Job Cohen Marius Job Cohen is a Dutch social democratic politician and former legal scholar of Jewish background. Since 2010 he has been the leader of the Labour Party and since June 17, 2010 he has been a member of the House of Representatives, where he also is the Parliamentary group leader of the Labour... |
1,848,805 | 30 | 14 |
| Party for Freedom Party for Freedom The Party for Freedom is a Dutch right-wing political party. Founded in 2005 as the successor to Geert Wilders' one-man party in the House of Representatives, it won nine seats in the 2006 general election, making it the fifth largest party in parliament, and third largest opposition party. It... (PVV) |
Geert Wilders Geert Wilders Geert Wilders is a Dutch right-wing politician and leader of the Party for Freedom , the third-largest political party in the Netherlands. He is the Parliamentary group leader of his party in the Dutch House of Representatives... |
1,454,493 | 24 | 10 |
| Christian Democratic Appeal Christian Democratic Appeal The Christian Democratic Appeal is a centre-right Dutch Christian democratic political party. It suffered severe losses in the 2010 elections and fell from the first to the fourth place... (CDA) |
Maxime Verhagen Maxime Verhagen Maxime Jacques Marcel Verhagen is a Dutch politician in the Christian Democratic Appeal party. He is the Minister of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation and Deputy Prime Minister since October 14, 2010 in the Cabinet Rutte.He previously served as a Member of the European Parliament for... |
1,281,886 | 21 | 11 |
| Socialist Party Socialist Party (Netherlands) The Socialist Party is a democratic socialist political party in the Netherlands. After the 2006 general election, the Socialist Party became one of the major parties of the Netherlands with 25 seats of 150, an increase of 16 seats. The party was in opposition against the fourth Balkenende cabinet... (SP) |
Emile Roemer Emile Roemer Emile Gerardus Maria Roemer is a Dutch politician of the Socialist Party . He has been a Member of the House of Representatives since 30 November 2006. On 5 March 2010 he was elected the new Party leader of the Socialist Party following the resignation of Agnes Kant... |
924,696 | 15 | 8 |
| Democrats 66 Democrats 66 Democrats 66 is a progressive and social-liberal political party in the Netherlands. D66 was formed in 1966 by a group of politically unaligned, young intellectuals, led by journalist Hans van Mierlo. The party's main objective was to democratise the political system; it proposed to create an... (D66) |
Alexander Pechtold Alexander Pechtold Alexander Pechtold is a Dutch politician of the Democrats 66 party. He has been a member of the House of Representatives since 30 November 2006 as well as Parliamentary group leader since 23 November 2006... |
654,167 | 10 | 5 |
| GreenLeft GreenLeft GreenLeft is a green political party operating in the Netherlands.GreenLeft was formed on 1 March 1989 as a merger of four left-wing political parties: the Communist Party of the Netherlands, Pacifist Socialist Party, the Political Party of Radicals and the Evangelical People's Party... (GL) |
Jolande Sap Jolande Sap Johanna Catharina Maria Sap is a Dutch GreenLeft politician and former educator and civil servant. She replaced Wijnand Duyvendak as an MP on September 3, 2008, after he left the Dutch House of Representatives... |
628,096 | 10 | 5 |
| ChristianUnion ChristianUnion The ChristianUnion , abbreviated to CU, is a Dutch Christian democratic political party. A centrist party, the CU's policies combine social conservatism and soft euroscepticism with more centre-left positions on economic, immigration, and environmental issues.Founded in 2000 as a merger of the... (CU) |
Arie Slob Arie Slob Arie Slob is a Dutch politician and former history teacher. He has been a member of the Dutch House of Representatives for the ChristianUnion party since November 19, 2002. Since April 28, 2011 he has also been both Party leader and Parliamentary leader, in both cases succeeding André Rouvoet... |
305,094 | 5 | 2 |
| Political Reformed Party (SGP) | Kees van der Staaij Kees van der Staaij Cornelis Gerrit "Kees" van der Staaij born September 12, 1968) is a Dutch politician of the Reformed Political Party . As a member of the Reformed Political Party he has been an MP since May 19, 1998... |
163,581 | 2 | 1 |
| Party for Animals (PvdD) | Marianne Thieme Marianne Thieme Marianne Louise Thieme is a Dutch politician of the Party for the Animals . She has been Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives since November 23, 2006 and an MP since November 30, 2006.... |
122,317 | 2 | 1 |
| 50PLUS 50PLUS 50PLUS is a Dutch political party. The party was founded in 2009 by Maurice Koopman, Alexander Münninghoff, and Jan Nagel, a politician formerly connected to the Dutch Labour Party and Leefbaar Nederland. Nagel is the party leader.... (50+) |
Jan Nagel Jan Nagel Johan George Nagel is a Dutch politician first of the Labour Party, and later for his own formed parties. Currently for the Pensioners' Party 50PLUS.... |
did not compete | 0 | 1 |
| Independent Senate Fraction Independent Senate Fraction The Independent Senate Group is a parliamentary party in the Dutch Senate with one senator, representing several provincial parties. The Dutch Senate is elected by the legislatures of the provinces. In 1995, several provincial parties and the Greens proposed their own list. Marten Bierman, who... (OSF) |
Kees de Lange* | did not compete | 0 | 1 |
| Total (includes Others and Blank/Invalid; turnout 75.4%) | 9,442,977 | 150 | 75 | |
Council of State
The Council of State is an advisory body of cabinet on constitutional and judicial aspects of legislature and policy. All laws proposed by the cabinet have to be sent to the Council of State for advice. Although the advice is not binding, the cabinet is required to react to the advice and it often plays a significant role in the ensuing debate in Parliament. In addition the Council is the highest administrative courtAdministrative law
Administrative law is the body of law that governs the activities of administrative agencies of government. Government agency action can include rulemaking, adjudication, or the enforcement of a specific regulatory agenda. Administrative law is considered a branch of public law...
.
The Council is ex officio chaired by the Monarch. The probable heir to the throne becomes a member of the Council when reaching legal adulthood. The Monarch leaves daily affairs to the vice-chair of the Council, Herman Tjeenk Willink
Herman Tjeenk Willink
Herman Diederik Tjeenk Willink is a Dutch politician of the Labour Party .He was president of the Senate from 1991 until 1997. He was preceded by Piet Steenkamp and succeeded by Frits Korthals Altes. In 1997 he became vice-president of the Dutch Council of State, and therefore the most important...
and the other councillors, who are mainly legal specialists, former ministers, members of parliament and judges or professors of law.
High Colleges of State
The Dutch political system has five so called the High Colleges of StateHigh Council of State (Netherlands)
A High Council of State is a council of which the independence is guaranteed in the Constitution of the Netherlands. There are five High Councils of State: the Senate and House of Representatives, the Dutch Council of State, the Court of Audit and the National Ombudsman....
, which are explicitly regarded as independent by the Constitution. Apart from the two Houses of Parliament and the Council of State, these are the Netherlands Court of Audit and the Nationale Ombudsman (National Ombudsman
Ombudsman
An ombudsman is a person who acts as a trusted intermediary between an organization and some internal or external constituency while representing not only but mostly the broad scope of constituent interests...
).
The Court of Audit investigates whether public funds are collected and spent legitimately and effectively. The National Ombudsman investigates complaints about the functioning and practices of government. As with the advice of the Council of State, the reports from these organizations are not easily put aside and often play a role in public and political debate.
Judicial system
The judiciary comprises 19 district courts, five courts of appeal, two administrative courts (Centrale Raad van Beroep and the College van beroep voor het bedrijfsleven) and a Supreme Court (Hoge Raad) which has 24 justices. All judicial appointments are made by the Government. Judges nominally are appointed for life but actually retire at age 70. The Council of StateDutch Council of State
In the Netherlands, the Council of State is a constitutionally established advisory body to the government which consists of members of the royal family and Crown-appointed members generally having political, commercial, diplomatic, or military experience...
functions as the highest court in most administrative cases.
Advisory Councils
As part of the Dutch tradition of depoliticized consensus decision making, the government often makes use of advisory councils composed out of academic specialists or stake holders.The most prominent advisory council is the Social-Economic Council
Social-Economic Council
The Sociaal-Economische Raad is a major economic advisory council of the Dutch government. Formally it heads a system of sector-based regulatory organizations. It represents the social partners trade unions and employers' organizations...
(Sociaal Economische Raad, SER). It is composed of trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
s, employers' organization
Employers' organization
An employers' organization, employers' association or employers' federation is an association of employers. A trade union, which organizes employees is the opposite of an employers' organization...
s and government-appointed specialists. It is consulted at an early stage in financial, economic and social policymaking. It advises government and its advice, just like the advice of the High Colleges of State
High Council of State (Netherlands)
A High Council of State is a council of which the independence is guaranteed in the Constitution of the Netherlands. There are five High Councils of State: the Senate and House of Representatives, the Dutch Council of State, the Court of Audit and the National Ombudsman....
, cannot easily be set aside. The SER heads a system of PBO
Publiekrechtelijke Bedrijfsorganisatie
Publiekrechtelijke Bedrijfsorganisatie is a Dutch form of government. PBO is the whole of self-regulatory organizations for specific economic sectors....
s, self-regulating organizations that can make laws for specific economic sectors.
The following organizations are represented in the Social-Economic Council: the leftwing trade union
Trade unions in the Netherlands
Trade Unions play a major role in the corporatist Dutch economy.In 2001 about 25% of the Dutch people who were employed were organized in a union...
FNV
Federatie Nederlandse Vakbeweging
The Federatie Nederlandse Vakbeweging is a federation of trade unions of the Netherlands.-History:...
, the Christian trade union CNV
Christelijk Nationaal Vakverbond
The Christelijk Nationaal Vakverbond is a federation of trade unions of the Netherlands.-History:...
and the trade union for managerial staff MHP
Federation of Managerial and Professional Staff Unions
-External links:* official site....
, the employers' organization
Employers' organization
An employers' organization, employers' association or employers' federation is an association of employers. A trade union, which organizes employees is the opposite of an employers' organization...
VNO-NCW
VNO-NCW
VNO-NCW is a Dutch employers' federation.-History:VNO-NCW was founded in 1996 as fusion of the Christian-democratic Nederlands Christelijk Werkgeversverbond , which was founded as fusion of the Protestant PCW and the Catholic NKW, and the liberal Verbond van Nederlandse Ondernemingen...
, the employers' organization for small and mediumsized enterprises MKB-Nederland, and the employers' organization for farmers LTO Nederland. One third of the members of the council are appointed by the government. These include professors of Economics and related fields as well as representatives of the Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis and De Nederlandsche Bank
De Nederlandsche Bank
De Nederlandsche Bank is the central bank of the Netherlands. It is part of the European System of Central Banks .-History:...
. In addition, representatives of environmental and consumers' organizations are represented in SER working groups.
Other prominent advisory councils are the Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis, which forecasts economic development; the Statistics Netherlands
Statistics Netherlands
Statistics Netherlands, founded in 1899, is a Dutch governmental institution that gathers statistical information about the Netherlands. In Dutch it is known as the Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek, often abbreviated to CBS. It is a department of the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and is...
which studies social and economic developments; the Social and Cultural Planning Office, which studies long term social and cultural trends; the Netherlands National Institute for Public Health and the Environment
Netherlands National Institute for Public Health and the Environment
The Netherlands National Institute for Public Health and the Environment , is a Dutch research institute that is an independent agency of the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport....
which advises the government on environmental and health issues; and the Scientific Council for Government Policy
Scientific Council for Government Policy
The Scientific Council for Government Policy is an independent think tank of the Dutch government....
, which advises the government on long term social, political and economic trends.
Subnational government
Regional government in the Netherlands is formed by twelve provinces. Provinces are responsible for spatial planningSpatial planning
Spatial planning refers to the methods used by the public sector to influence the distribution of people and activities in spaces of various scales. Discrete professional disciplines which involve spatial planning include land use planning, urban planning, regional planning, transport planning and...
, health
Health
Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain...
policy and recreation
Recreation
Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasure and are considered to be "fun"...
, within the bounds prescribed by the national government. Furthermore they oversee the policy and finances of municipalities and waterboards. The executive power is in hands of the Queen's Commissioner
Queen's Commissioner
The Queen's Commissioner is the head of a province in the Netherlands, who is chairman of both the Provinciale Staten and the Gedeputeerde Staten , but only has a right to vote in the latter...
and the College of the Gedeputeerde Staten
Gedeputeerde Staten
The gedeputeerde staten are the executive councillors of a Dutch province. Together with the Queen's Commissioner they form the College van Commissaris van de Koningin en Gedeputeerde Staten, which is the executive council of the province. States Deputed are elected by the States Provincial, the...
. The Queen's Commissioner is appointed by the national Cabinet and responsible to the Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations. Members of the Gedeputeerde Staten are appointed by, and responsible to the provincial legislature, the States Provincial, which is elected by direct suffrage.
Local government in the Netherlands is formed by 418 municipalities. Municipalities are responsible for education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
, spatial planning
Spatial planning
Spatial planning refers to the methods used by the public sector to influence the distribution of people and activities in spaces of various scales. Discrete professional disciplines which involve spatial planning include land use planning, urban planning, regional planning, transport planning and...
and social security
Social security
Social security is primarily a social insurance program providing social protection or protection against socially recognized conditions, including poverty, old age, disability, unemployment and others. Social security may refer to:...
, within the bounds prescribed by the national and provincial government. They are governed by the College of Mayor and Aldermen
College van Burgemeester en Wethouders
The college van burgemeester en wethouders is the executive board of a municipality in the Netherlands. This local government body plays a central role in municipal politics in the Netherlands. It consists of the mayor and the members of the municipal executive...
. The Mayor is appointed by the national Cabinet and responsible to the Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations. The Aldermen are appointed by, and responsible to the Municipal Council, which is elected by direct suffrage. Local government on the Caribbean Netherlands is formed by three public bodies sometimes called special municipalities who do not fall within a province. They are governed by a Lieutenant-general and "eilandgedeputeerden" which are responsible to the island council
Island council (Netherlands)
The island council is a form of local government in special municipalities in the Caribbean Netherlands. It is similar to municipal council in the European part of the Netherlands...
, which is elected by direct suffrage. Their activities are similar but wider than to municipalities.
The major cities of Amsterdam
Amsterdam (municipality)
The Government of Amsterdam is the government of the municipality and city of Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Most of the inhabitants live in the city of Amsterdam, but the municipality also covers a number of small villages, and other parts of the local government, such as the Waterschap or the...
and Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
are subdivided into administrative areas (stadsdelen
Stadsdeel
A stadsdeel is the name used for city districts in some of the larger municipalities of the Netherlands.Amsterdam calls 7 of its 8 deelgemeenten stadsdeel...
), which have their own (limited) responsibilities.
Furthermore there are waterboard
Water board
A water board is a regional organisation that has very different functions from one country to another, ranging from flood control, water resources management, water charging and financing, and bulk water supply.-Philippines:The...
s which are responsible for the country's polders, dikes and other waterwork
Hydraulic engineering
This article is about civil engineering. For the mechanical engineering discipline see Hydraulic machineryHydraulic engineering as a sub-discipline of civil engineering is concerned with the flow and conveyance of fluids, principally water and sewage. One feature of these systems is the extensive...
s. These bodies are elected in non-partisan elections and have the power to tax their residents.
Foreign policy
The foreign policyForeign policy
A country's foreign policy, also called the foreign relations policy, consists of self-interest strategies chosen by the state to safeguard its national interests and to achieve its goals within international relations milieu. The approaches are strategically employed to interact with other countries...
of the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
is based on four basic commitments: to Transatlantic relations
Transatlantic relations
Transatlantic relations refers to the historic, cultural, political, economic and social relations between countries on both side of the Atlantic Ocean. Sometimes specifically those between the United States, Canada and the countries in Europe, although other meanings are possible.There are a...
, European integration
European integration
European integration is the process of industrial, political, legal, economic integration of states wholly or partially in Europe...
, international development
International development
International development or global development is a concept that lacks a universally accepted definition, but it is most used in a holistic and multi-disciplinary context of human development — the development of greater quality of life for humans...
and international law
International law
Public international law concerns the structure and conduct of sovereign states; analogous entities, such as the Holy See; and intergovernmental organizations. To a lesser degree, international law also may affect multinational corporations and individuals, an impact increasingly evolving beyond...
. While historically the Netherlands used to be a neutral state, it has joined many international organisations since the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Most prominently the UN
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
, NATO and the EU
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
. The Dutch economy is very open and relies on international trade. One of the more controversial international issues surrounding the Netherlands is its liberal policy towards soft drugs
Drug policy of the Netherlands
The drug policy of the Netherlands officially has four major objectives:# To prevent recreational drug use and to treat and rehabilitate recreational drug users.# To reduce harm to users....
and its position as one of the major exporters of hard drugs.
Policy issues
Dutch policies on recreational drugsDrug policy of the Netherlands
The drug policy of the Netherlands officially has four major objectives:# To prevent recreational drug use and to treat and rehabilitate recreational drug users.# To reduce harm to users....
, prostitution
Prostitution in the Netherlands
Prostitution in the Netherlands is legal and regulated. Operating a brothel is also legal. In the last few years, a significant number of brothels and "windows" have been closed because of suspected criminal activity...
, same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage in the Netherlands
Same-sex marriage has been legal in the Netherlands since 1 April 2001...
, abortion
Abortion in the Netherlands
Abortion in the Netherlands was fully legalized on November 1, 1984, allowing abortions to be done on-demand until the twenty-first week. Cases which involve urgent medical attention can be aborted until the twenty-fourth week. There is a five-day waiting period for abortions.- History :Abortion...
and euthanasia
Euthanasia in the Netherlands
Euthanasia in the Netherlands is regulated by the "Termination of Life on Request and Assisted Suicide Act" from 2002. It states that euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide are not punishable if the attending physician acts in accordance with criteria of due care...
are among the most liberal in the world.
Political history
- For an overview of the history of the most important political currents, see Christian democracy in the NetherlandsChristian democracy in the NetherlandsThis article gives an overview of christian democracy in the Netherlands, which is also called confessional politics, including political Catholicism and Protestantism. It is limited to Christian democratic parties with substantial support, mainly proved by having had a representation in parliament...
, Socialism in the NetherlandsSocialism in the NetherlandsThis article gives an overview of socialism in the Netherlands, including communism and social democracy. It is limited to socialist, communist and social-democratic parties with substantial support, mainly proved by having had a representation in parliament...
and Liberalism in the NetherlandsLiberalism in the NetherlandsThis article gives an overview of liberalism in the Netherlands. It is limited to liberal parties with substantial support, mainly proved by having had a representation in parliament.-Background:...
.
1800–1966
The Netherlands has been a constitutional monarchyConstitutional monarchy
Constitutional monarchy is a form of government in which a monarch acts as head of state within the parameters of a constitution, whether it be a written, uncodified or blended constitution...
since 1815 and a parliamentary democracy
Parliamentary system
A parliamentary system is a system of government in which the ministers of the executive branch get their democratic legitimacy from the legislature and are accountable to that body, such that the executive and legislative branches are intertwined....
since 1848; before that it had been a republic
Republic
A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...
from 1581 to 1806 and a kingdom between 1806 and 1810 (it was part of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
between 1810 and 1813).
Before 1917, the Netherlands had a first past the post
Plurality voting system
The plurality voting system is a single-winner voting system often used to elect executive officers or to elect members of a legislative assembly which is based on single-member constituencies...
single seat system with census suffrage (per the constitution of 1814), in which only property-owning adult males had the right to vote. Under influence of the rising socialist
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
movement the requirements were gradually reduced until in 1917 the present voting system of a representative democracy
Representative democracy
Representative democracy is a form of government founded on the principle of elected individuals representing the people, as opposed to autocracy and direct democracy...
with male universal suffrage
Universal suffrage
Universal suffrage consists of the extension of the right to vote to adult citizens as a whole, though it may also mean extending said right to minors and non-citizens...
was instituted, expanded in 1919 to include women.
Until 1966, Dutch politics were characterised by pillarisation
Pillarisation
Pillarisation is a term used to describe the politico-denominational segregation of Dutch and Belgian society. These societies were "vertically" divided into several segments or "pillars" according to different religions or ideologies.These pillars all had their own social institutions: their own...
: society was separated in several segments (pillars) which lived separate from each other and there was only contact at the top levels, in government. These pillars had their own organisations, most importantly the political parties. There were four pillars, which provided the five most important parties, the socialist Labour Party
Labour Party (Netherlands)
The Labour Party , is a social-democratic political party in the Netherlands. Since the 2003 Dutch General Election, the PvdA has been the second largest political party in the Netherlands. The PvdA was a coalition member in the fourth Balkenende cabinet following 22 February 2007...
(Partij van de Arbeid; PvdA), the conservative-liberal People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie; VVD), the Catholic Catholic People's Party
Catholic People's Party
The Catholic People's Party was a Catholic Christian democratic Dutch political party. During its entire existence, the party was in government. The party is one of the precursors of the Christian Democratic Appeal.- 1945-1965 :The KVP was founded on 22 December, 1945...
(Katholieke Volkspartij; KVP) and the two conservative-Protestant parties, the Christian Historical Union (Chirstelijk Historische Unie; CHU) and the Anti Revolutionary Party (Anti-Revolutionaire Party; ARP). Since no party ever gained an absolute majority, these political parties had to work together in coalition governments. These alternated between a centre left, Rooms Rood
Roman/Red
Roman/Red is a the nickname of coalitions of catholic and social-democratic parties in the Netherlands and Belgium. Roman refers to Roman Catholic and Red to the colour of social democrats...
, coalition of PvdA, KVP, ARP and CHU and a centre right coalition of VVD, KVP, ARP and CHU.
1966–1994
In the 1960s, new parties appeared, which were mostly popular with young voters, who felt less bound to the pillars. The post-war babyboom meant that there had been a demographic shift to lower ages. On top of that, the voting age was lowered, first from 23 to 21 years in 1963 and then to 18 years in 1972. The most successful new party was the progressive-liberalSocial liberalism
Social liberalism is the belief that liberalism should include social justice. It differs from classical liberalism in that it believes the legitimate role of the state includes addressing economic and social issues such as unemployment, health care, and education while simultaneously expanding...
D66
Democrats 66
Democrats 66 is a progressive and social-liberal political party in the Netherlands. D66 was formed in 1966 by a group of politically unaligned, young intellectuals, led by journalist Hans van Mierlo. The party's main objective was to democratise the political system; it proposed to create an...
, which proposed democratisation to break down pillarisation. Pillarisation indeed declined, with the three Christian-democratic parties losing almost half of their votes. In 1977 they formed the Christian-democratic CDA
Christian Democratic Appeal
The Christian Democratic Appeal is a centre-right Dutch Christian democratic political party. It suffered severe losses in the 2010 elections and fell from the first to the fourth place...
, which became a major force in Dutch politics, participating in governments from 1977 until 1994. Meanwhile the conservative-liberal VVD and progressive-liberal
Social liberalism
Social liberalism is the belief that liberalism should include social justice. It differs from classical liberalism in that it believes the legitimate role of the state includes addressing economic and social issues such as unemployment, health care, and education while simultaneously expanding...
D66
Democrats 66
Democrats 66 is a progressive and social-liberal political party in the Netherlands. D66 was formed in 1966 by a group of politically unaligned, young intellectuals, led by journalist Hans van Mierlo. The party's main objective was to democratise the political system; it proposed to create an...
made large electoral gains.
The Dutch welfare state
Welfare state
A welfare state is a "concept of government in which the state plays a key role in the protection and promotion of the economic and social well-being of its citizens. It is based on the principles of equality of opportunity, equitable distribution of wealth, and public responsibility for those...
had become the most extensive social security
Social security
Social security is primarily a social insurance program providing social protection or protection against socially recognized conditions, including poverty, old age, disability, unemployment and others. Social security may refer to:...
system in the world by the early eighties. But the welfare state came into crisis when spending rose due to dramatic high unemployment
Unemployment
Unemployment , as defined by the International Labour Organization, occurs when people are without jobs and they have actively sought work within the past four weeks...
rates and poor economic growth. The early eighties saw unemployment rise to over 11% and the budget deficit rose to 10.7% of the National Income. The centre-right and centre-left coalitions of CDA-VVD and CDA-PvdA reformed the Dutch welfare state to bring the budget deficit under control and to create jobs. Social benefits were reduced, taxes lowered and businesses deregulated. Gradually the economy recovered and the budget deficit and unemployment were reduced considerably.
When the far-left parties lost much electoral support in the 1986 elections, they decided to merge into the new GreenLeft
GreenLeft
GreenLeft is a green political party operating in the Netherlands.GreenLeft was formed on 1 March 1989 as a merger of four left-wing political parties: the Communist Party of the Netherlands, Pacifist Socialist Party, the Political Party of Radicals and the Evangelical People's Party...
(GroenLinks) in 1989, with considerable success.
1994–present
In the 1994 general electionDutch general election, 1994
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on May 3, 1994.-Results:...
the Christian-democratic CDA lost nearly half its seats. The social-liberal
Social liberalism
Social liberalism is the belief that liberalism should include social justice. It differs from classical liberalism in that it believes the legitimate role of the state includes addressing economic and social issues such as unemployment, health care, and education while simultaneously expanding...
D66, on the other hand, doubled their size. For the first time in eighty years a coalition was formed without the Christian-democrats. The Purple
Purple (government)
Purple is a common term in politics for governments or other political entities consisting of parties that have red and blue as their political colours...
Coalition was formed between PvdA, D66 and VVD. The colour purple symbolised the mixing of socialist red with liberal blue. During the Purple years, which lasted until 2002, the government introduced legislation on abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
, euthanasia
Euthanasia
Euthanasia refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering....
and gay marriage. The Purple coalition also marked a period of remarkable economic prosperity.
The Purple coalition parties together lost their majority in the 2002 elections
Dutch general election, 2002
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on May 15, 2002....
due to the rise of Pim Fortuyn List, the new political party led by the flamboyant populist Pim Fortuyn
Pim Fortuyn
Wilhelmus Simon Petrus Fortuijn, known as Pim Fortuyn was a Dutch politician, civil servant, sociologist, author and professor who formed his own party, Pim Fortuyn List ....
. He campaigned on an anti-immigration programme and spoke of the "Purple Chaos" (Dutch: "Puinhopen van Paars"). Fortuyn was shot dead a week before the elections took place. In the elections the LPF entered parliament with one sixth of the seats, while the PvdA (Labour) lost half its seats. A cabinet
First Balkenende cabinet
The first cabinet of Jan Peter Balkenende was in office in the Netherlands from 22 July 2002 until 16 October of the same year. The term of 87 days was the shortest since the fifth cabinet of Hendrikus Colijn .Following the 15 May 2002...
was formed by CDA, VVD and LPF, led by Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the Netherlands
The Prime Minister of the Netherlands is the chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Netherlands. He is the de facto head of government of the Netherlands and coordinates the policy of the government...
Jan Peter Balkenende
Jan Peter Balkenende
Jan Pieter "Jan Peter" Balkenende is a Dutch politician of the party Christian Democratic Appeal .He was the Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 22 July 2002 until 14 October 2010, having led four coalition governments, cabinets Balkenende I, II, III and IV, none of which served a full...
. It proved short-lived: after only 87 days in power, the coalition fell apart as a result of consecutive conflicts within the LPF and between LPF ministers.
In the ensuing elections
Dutch general election, 2003
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on January 22, 2003.-Background:...
in January 2003, the LPF dropped to only five percent of the seats in the House of Representatives. The left-wing Socialist Party
Socialistische Partij
Socialistische Partij may refer toNetherlands parties:* Socialist Party * Socialist Party Belgian parties:* Socialist Party - Different* Socialist Party...
(Socialistische Partij; SP) led by Jan Marijnissen
Jan Marijnissen
Johannes Guillaume Christianus Andreas Marijnissen is a Dutch politician of the Socialist Party . He served as Parliamentary leader in House of Representatives May 5, 1994 until June 20, 2008...
became the fourth party of the Netherlands. The centre-right Balkenende II cabinet was formed by the Christian-democratic CDA, the conservative-liberal
Conservative liberalism
Conservative liberalism is a variant of liberalism, combining liberal values and policies with conservative stances, or, more simply, representing the right-wing of the liberal movement....
VVD and the progressive-liberal
Social liberalism
Social liberalism is the belief that liberalism should include social justice. It differs from classical liberalism in that it believes the legitimate role of the state includes addressing economic and social issues such as unemployment, health care, and education while simultaneously expanding...
D66. Against popular sentiment, the right-wing coalition initiated an ambitious programme of welfare state
Welfare state
A welfare state is a "concept of government in which the state plays a key role in the protection and promotion of the economic and social well-being of its citizens. It is based on the principles of equality of opportunity, equitable distribution of wealth, and public responsibility for those...
reforms, health care
Health care
Health care is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers...
privatisation and stricter immigration
Immigration policy
An immigration policy is any policy of a state that deals with the transit of persons across its borders into the country, but especially those that intend to work and to remain in the country. Immigration policies can range from allowing no migration at all to allowing most types of migration,...
policies. On June 1, 2005, the Dutch electorate voted in a referendum
Dutch referendum on the European Constitution
The Dutch referendum on the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe was a consultative referendum that was held on 1 June 2005 to decide if the Netherlands would ratify the proposed Constitution of the European Union....
against the proposed European Constitution
Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe
The Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe , , was an unratified international treaty intended to create a consolidated constitution for the European Union...
by a majority of 62%, three days after the French had also rejected the treaty.
In June 2006, D66 withdrew its support for the coalition in the aftermath of the upheaval about the asylum procedure of Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Ayaan Hirsi Magan Ali is a Somali-Dutch feminist and atheist activist, writer, politician who strongly opposes circumcision and female genital cutting. She is the daughter of the Somali politician and opposition leader Hirsi Magan Isse and is a founder of the women's rights organisation the AHA...
instigated by the Dutch immigration minister Verdonk. The coalition collapsed as a result and the Balkenende III caretaker cabinet was formed by CDA and VVD. The ensuing general elections
Dutch general election, 2006
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on November 22, 2006. And followed the call for new elections after the fall of the Second Balkenende cabinet....
that were held on 22 November 2006 saw a major advance for the Socialist Party, which almost tripled in size and became the third largest party with 17% of the seats, while the moderate PvdA (Labour Party) lost a quarter of its seats. At the other end of the spectrum LPF lost all its seats, while the new anti-immigrant PVV
Party for Freedom
The Party for Freedom is a Dutch right-wing political party. Founded in 2005 as the successor to Geert Wilders' one-man party in the House of Representatives, it won nine seats in the 2006 general election, making it the fifth largest party in parliament, and third largest opposition party. It...
went from nothing to 6% of the seats, becoming the fifth biggest party. This polarisation of the House of Representatives, with an even distribution between left and right made the formation negotiations very difficult. The talks resulted in the formation of the social-Christian fourth cabinet Balkenende by the PvdA, the CDA and the ChristianUnion
ChristianUnion
The ChristianUnion , abbreviated to CU, is a Dutch Christian democratic political party. A centrist party, the CU's policies combine social conservatism and soft euroscepticism with more centre-left positions on economic, immigration, and environmental issues.Founded in 2000 as a merger of the...
, this cabinet is oriented at solidarity, durability and normen
Norm (sociology)
Social norms are the accepted behaviors within a society or group. This sociological and social psychological term has been defined as "the rules that a group uses for appropriate and inappropriate values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors. These rules may be explicit or implicit...
en waarden
Value (personal and cultural)
A personal or cultural value is an absolute or relative ethical value, the assumption of which can be the basis for ethical action. A value system is a set of consistent values and measures. A principle value is a foundation upon which other values and measures of integrity are based...
.
In February 2010, the PvdA withdrew its support for the fourth cabinet Balkenende, due to the party disagreeing with the CDA and the ChristianUnion about whether to prolong the Dutch military involvement in the War in Afghanistan
War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom...
. In the following 2010 general election
Dutch general election, 2010
The 2010 Dutch general election was held on Wednesday, 9 June 2010. After the fall of the cabinet Balkenende IV on 20 February, Queen Beatrix accepted the resignation of the Labour Party ministers on 23 February...
, the conservative-liberal VVD became the biggest party with 31 seats, followed closely by the PvdA with 30 seats. The right-wing PVV went from 9 to 24 seats, while the CDA lost half of their support and won 21 seats. The Socialist Party lost 10 of its 25 seats, and both D66 and GL won 10 seats. The ChristianUnion, the smallest coalition party, lost 1 of their 6 seats. Both the SGP and the PvdD kept their 2 seats. The following cabinet formation
2010 Dutch cabinet formation
Following the Dutch general election of 2010, held on June 9, a process of cabinet formation started, which typically involves 3 phases:# exploring with which parties to form a coalition,# negotiating to draft a coalition agreement ,...
eventually resulted in the Rutte cabinet, a minority government
Minority government
A minority government or a minority cabinet is a cabinet of a parliamentary system formed when a political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in the parliament but is sworn into government to break a Hung Parliament election result. It is also known as a...
formed by VVD and CDA, supported in parliament by the PVV to gain a majority.
External links
- The official site of the Dutch government Parlement.com, detailed information about politicians elections, cabinets, parties, etc., since 1814.