Parliamentary elections being held in the Netherlands

15.03.2017
Netherlands

150 deputies of the lower house of parliament will be elected.

Technical details

The deputies are elected on the basis of proportional representation. 28 movements and parties were admitted to the elections.

The People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (PPFD) of Mark Rutte (the current prime minister) is leading the way, although its number of seats in parliament will be significantly reduced. In second place with more than 20 places are Gert Wilders and his Freedom Party, which is considered to be a significant breakthrough in comparison with the previous elections in 2012.

They are followed by the Christian Democratic Democracy, Democrats-66, the Green Left and the Labor Party.

Nexit

Only Gert Wilders calls for the Netherlands’ exit from the EU. Although the other parties do not advocate a break with Brussels, they insist on more pragmatic relations. In general, slightly more than 20% insist on closer integration, and the same number advocate a way out of the community.

It is significant that anti-immigration laws are lobbied both by the right-wing Wilders party and by the ruling liberal PPFD, which indicates serious problems within Dutch society.

Related links
The Netherlands: geopolitical profile
10 Crises of the European Union
Netherlands
Election
Parliament