2011 Dutch provincial elections

Last updated

Election board in Groningen Nlelections2011.jpg
Election board in Groningen
Largest party by province Statenverkiezingen Nederland 2011.svg
Largest party by province

Provincial elections were held in the Netherlands on Wednesday 2 March 2011. Eligible voters elected the members of the provincial councils in the twelve provinces. These elections also indirectly determined the members of the Senate, since the 566 members of the twelve provincial councils elected the Senate's 75 members in the Senate election on 23 May 2011.

Contents

The Senate election, and therefore the provincial elections, were important since the first Rutte cabinet had a minority in the Senate when it took office. The coalition and support parties hoped to gain a majority in the Senate through these elections, but failed to do so, obtaining 37 out of 75 seats. However, it was expected that the Reformed Political Party, which obtained one seat, would support the cabinet. [1]

On the same date, Island Council elections were held in the three public bodies of the Caribbean Netherlands. It was planned that the members of the Island Councils would also have a vote in the Senate election in the future, but in 2011 this was not yet the case because this required a change in the Constitution.

Results

The right-liberal People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, left-liberal Democrats 66, and right-wing Party for Freedom made significant gains throughout the provinces. The Labour Party stayed relatively stable, while the Socialist Party suffered losses from their 2007 results. The Christian Democratic Appeal suffered big losses, losing some 65 of their previous 151 provincial seats. However, the party did not fare as poorly as the polls had suggested.

This was the first provincial elections that Geert Wilders' Party for Freedom participated in. The party managed to win seats in all of the Netherlands' provinces with its best results in the southern provinces of North Brabant and Limburg. In Limburg it even managed to become the biggest party by a slim margin.

National results

PartySeats
20072011+/–
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy 102112+10
Labour Party 114107−7
Christian Democratic Appeal 15186−65
Party for Freedom 069+69
Socialist Party 8356−27
Democrats 66 942+33
GroenLinks 3334+1
Christian Union 3523−12
Reformed Political Party 1312−1
50PLUS 09New
Party for the Animals 87−1
Christian Union – Reformed Political Party 31−2
Frisian National Party 54−1
Party for Zeeland 220
ONH–VSP110
Party for the North 110
Party New Limburg 10−1
Beautiful Utrecht10−1
Other parties20−2
Total564566+2

Due to population growth in Gelderland, the number of seats in the Provincial Council of Gelderland increased from 53 to 55, accounting for the increase in the total number of seats from 564 to 566.

By province

ProvinceNumber of seats per party
VVDPvdACDAPVVSPD66GLCUSGP50+PvdDremainingtotal
Groningen 612536333-011 [2] 43
Friesland 611843223-0-4 [3] 43
Drenthe 91264422200-041
Overijssel 891144323210047
Flevoland 96463323111039
Gelderland 119965443211055
Utrecht 117654542111047
North Holland 1311565651111 [4] 55
South Holland 1210685532211055
Zeeland 776532124002 [5] 39
North Brabant 127108853011055
Limburg 8610106230-20047
Total11210786695642342312978566
1

A "-" in the table means that the relevant party did not submit a list of candidates in the 2011 elections in the province concerned.

Drenthe

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Labour Party 59,05326.5112−1
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy 42,25518.979+1
Christian Democratic Appeal 32,51814.606−4
Party for Freedom 21,9209.844New
Socialist Party 21,6279.714−1
Democrats 66 13,8506.222+2
Christian Union 11,8575.322−1
GroenLinks 11,7345.2720
Other parties7,9203.560
Total222,734100.0041
Valid votes222,73499.75
Invalid/blank votes5590.25
Total votes223,293100.00
Registered voters/turnout380,66158.66
Source: Kiesraad [6]

Flevoland

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy 34,03822.9290
Labour Party 23,67115.946−1
Party for Freedom 22,22214.966New
Christian Democratic Appeal 15,74010.604−4
Socialist Party 12,9048.693−3
Democrats 66 9,7556.573+3
Christian Union 8,7475.893−2
GroenLinks 8,4635.7020
Reformed Political Party 4,8753.2810
50PLUS 3,7702.541New
Party for the Animals 3,4082.2910
Other parties9260.620
Total148,519100.0039
Valid votes148,51999.72
Invalid/blank votes4170.28
Total votes148,936100.00
Registered voters/turnout278,03953.57
Source: Kiesraad [7]

Friesland

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Labour Party 70,33723.6611−1
Christian Democratic Appeal 52,53017.678−4
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy 41,08813.826+1
Frisian National Party 27,2889.184−1
Party for Freedom 25,1168.454New
Socialist Party 24,8728.373−1
Christian Union 18,9016.3630
GroenLinks 15,5565.2320
Democrats 66 12,6594.262+2
Other parties8,9603.010
Total297,307100.0043
Valid votes297,30799.74
Invalid/blank votes7730.26
Total votes298,080100.00
Registered voters/turnout497,36759.93
Source: Kiesraad [8]

Gelderland

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy 170,93919.1511+2
Labour Party 148,02316.589−1
Christian Democratic Appeal 144,46716.189−6
Party for Freedom 92,56310.376New
Socialist Party 87,0889.755−2
Democrats 66 71,9518.064+3
GroenLinks 55,4876.214+1
Christian Union 43,4364.863−1
Reformed Political Party 40,6044.552−1
50PLUS 17,7431.991New
Party for the Animals 16,2901.8210
Other parties4,2620.480
Total892,853100.0055+2
Valid votes892,85399.75
Invalid/blank votes2,2090.25
Total votes895,062100.00
Registered voters/turnout1,528,15158.57
Source: Kiesraad [9]

Groningen

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Labour Party 65,54224.88120
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy 34,70113.176+1
Socialist Party 33,81212.836−1
Christian Democratic Appeal 31,51711.965−4
Democrats 66 20,5157.793+2
Party for Freedom 20,3737.733New
Christian Union 19,9997.593−1
GroenLinks 19,0407.2330
Party for the North 8,3123.1510
Party for the Animals 5,6012.1310
Other parties4,0561.540
Total263,468100.0043
Valid votes263,46899.76
Invalid/blank votes6350.24
Total votes264,103100.00
Registered voters/turnout453,66158.22
Source: Kiesraad [10]

Limburg

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Party for Freedom 92,48820.5810New
Christian Democratic Appeal 87,23119.4110−8
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy 71,88415.998+1
Labour Party 60,68513.506−2
Socialist Party 53,70911.956−3
GroenLinks 24,0885.363+1
Democrats 66 23,4875.232+1
50PLUS 17,4623.892New
Other parties18,4314.100−2
Total449,465100.0047
Valid votes449,46599.68
Invalid/blank votes1,4260.32
Total votes450,891100.00
Registered voters/turnout872,08851.70
Source: Kiesraad [11]

North Brabant

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy 198,87020.7512+1
Christian Democratic Appeal 166,31017.3510−8
Party for Freedom 133,76013.968New
Socialist Party 132,72313.858−4
Labour Party 127,95813.357−1
Democrats 66 76,7708.015+4
GroenLinks 56,1135.863+1
50PLUS 31,5543.291New
Party for the Animals 17,3201.8110
Other parties16,9631.770−2
Total958,341100.0055
Valid votes958,34199.70
Invalid/blank votes2,8660.30
Total votes961,207100.00
Registered voters/turnout1,869,06751.43
Source: Kiesraad [12]

North Holland

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy 253,19522.32130
Labour Party 226,73419.99110
Party for Freedom 134,27511.846New
Democrats 66 128,60011.346+4
Socialist Party 109,0279.615−4
Christian Democratic Appeal 100,7898.895−5
GroenLinks 90,7938.0150
Party for the Animals 28,0822.481−1
Elderly Party North Holland 21,3541.8810
50PLUS 19,6931.741New
Christian Union – Reformed Political Party 19,6031.731−1
Other parties2,0580.180
Total1,134,203100.0055
Valid votes1,134,20399.68
Invalid/blank votes3,6930.32
Total votes1,137,896100.00
Registered voters/turnout1,987,96457.24
Source: Kiesraad [13]

Overijssel

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Christian Democratic Appeal 105,15721.3711−6
Labour Party 89,13418.1190
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy 77,66115.788+2
Party for Freedom 43,7608.894New
Socialist Party 42,7358.684−2
Democrats 66 36,5177.423+3
Christian Union 35,4117.203−2
GroenLinks 25,1145.1020
Reformed Political Party 16,5273.3620
50PLUS 12,8262.611New
Other parties7,3011.480
Total492,143100.0047
Valid votes492,14399.76
Invalid/blank votes1,1610.24
Total votes493,304100.00
Registered voters/turnout854,62357.72
Source: Kiesraad [14]

South Holland

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy 290,26020.73120
Labour Party 230,38116.45100
Party for Freedom 203,14314.518New
Christian Democratic Appeal 158,90111.356−7
Socialist Party 131,1809.375−3
Democrats 66 123,6338.835+4
GroenLinks 76,4835.4630
Christian Union 54,8663.922−2
Reformed Political Party 53,5683.8320
50PLUS 34,9142.491New
Party for the Animals 31,9102.2810
Other parties10,9140.780−1
Total1,400,153100.0055
Valid votes1,400,15399.63
Invalid/blank votes5,1350.37
Total votes1,405,288100.00
Registered voters/turnout2,604,36353.96
Source: Kiesraad [15]

Utrecht

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy 124,95222.1511+1
Labour Party 82,72114.667−1
Christian Democratic Appeal 68,01712.066−4
Democrats 66 60,49110.725+3
Party for Freedom 59,98810.635New
GroenLinks 51,7219.1740
Socialist Party 46,3368.214−2
Christian Union 26,8564.762−2
Reformed Political Party 16,8712.9910
50PLUS 11,5622.051New
Party for the Animals 11,3862.0210
Other parties3,3150.590−1
Total564,216100.0047
Valid votes564,21699.71
Invalid/blank votes1,6360.29
Total votes565,852100.00
Registered voters/turnout917,23261.69
Source: Kiesraad [16]

Zeeland

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy 28,55516.836+1
Labour Party 26,87215.847+1
Christian Democratic Appeal 24,10514.216−4
Party for Freedom 20,01811.805New
Reformed Political Party 18,82811.104−1
Socialist Party 14,4128.493−2
Party for Zeeland 9,4565.5720
Christian Union 7,9654.692−1
Democrats 66 6,9674.112+2
GroenLinks 6,0953.591−1
Other parties6,4013.770
Total169,674100.0038
Valid votes169,67499.80
Invalid/blank votes3430.20
Total votes170,017100.00
Registered voters/turnout288,91158.85
Source: Kiesraad [17]

Island council elections

Political party 20072011change
Bonaire island council
Union Patriotiko Boneriano (UPB)54-1
Partido Demokrátiko Boneriano (PDB)43-1
Partido Pro Hustisia & Union (PHU)-1+1
Movementu Boneiru Liber (MBL)-1+1
total99
turnout83%75%
Saba island council
Windward Islands People's Movement (WIPM)44-
Saba Labour Party (SLP)11-
total55
turnout88%
Sint Eustatius island council
Democratische Partij (DP)42-2
Progressive Labour Party (PLP)11-
United People’s Coalition (UPC)-1+1
St. Eustatius Empowerment Party (STEP)-1+1
total55
turnout68%

References