Elections in the Netherlands: An explainer

Dutch governments are usually made up of several different parties, making compromise an important part of governing.

Election explainer infographic

With 28 parties up for election, forming a government in the Netherlands is expected to be more complicated than ever following the 2017 elections. 

Almost 13 million people can vote in landmark elections poised to boil down to a race between Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s Liberals (VVD) and the far-right party Freedom Party (PVV) of MP Geert Wilders. 

Despite Wilders’ projected gains, chances are he won’t be part of any coalition, as most other parties refuse to govern with him due to his controversial rhetoric. 

Top election issues include the economy, immigration and integration, and healthcare.  

READ MORE: What can Dutch elections tell us about Europe?

Currently, the coalition consists of Rutte’s VVD and the PvdA, a social democratic party that is projected to lose a significant amount of seats in the parliament.

Forming a new government after the election will be a challenge, since the Dutch electorate is split between several parties, which may lead to a coalition consisting of as many as four, or possibly even five, parties.

dutch netherlands elections explainer infographic

Source: Al Jazeera