The Provincial Council of Zeeland (Dutch: Provinciale Staten van Zeeland), also known as the States of Zeeland, is the provincial council of Zeeland, Netherlands. It forms the legislative body of the province. Its 39 seats are distributed every four years in provincial elections.
During the rule of Charles V, the States of Zeeland was made up of prelates from the province (e.g. the abbot of the Middelburg Abbey), the main nobles of Zeeland (the Ridderschap) and representatives of the province's six largest cities (known as pensionaries). These cities were Middelburg, Zierikzee, Goes, Reimerswaal and Tholen (with Vlissingen and Veere added after the Dutch Revolt). Decisions were taken by majority vote and the body and province were represented at the States General of the Netherlands by the Grand Pensionary of Zeeland, with this regional states (like the others) also nominating Zeeland's delegates to the States-General. Its executive board was known as the Gecommitteerde Raden. From 1578, these, the Zeeuwse Admiraliteitscollege and other regional representatives oversaw the Admiralty of Zeeland.
After the French period, the provincial council was re-established on 29 August 1814. The first session took place on 19 September of that year. The council consisted of 20 members representing the cities, 18 representing the rural estate and 6 representing the nobility. The 1850 Provinces Act abolished the estate-based representation, with the council's 42 members henceforth directly elected by the enfranchised segment of the population across multi-member electoral districts.[1]
Current composition
Since the 2023 provincial elections, the distribution of seats of the Provincial Council of Zeeland has been as follows:[2]
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