The politics of the Netherlands take place within the framework of a parliamentary representative democracy. A constitutional monarchy, the country is organised as a decentralised unitary state. The Netherlands can be described as a consociational state. Dutch politics and governance are characterised by a common striving for broad consensus on important issues, within both of the political community and society as a whole.
The Christian Union is a Christian-democratic political party in the Netherlands. The CU is a centrist party, maintaining more progressive stances on economic, immigration and environmental issues while holding more socially conservative positions on issues such as abortion and euthanasia. The party describes itself as "social Christian".
The Reformed Political Party is a conservative Calvinist political party in the Netherlands. The term Reformed is not a reference to political reform but is a synonym for Calvinism—a major branch of Protestantism. The SGP is the oldest political party in the Netherlands existing in its present form, and has been in opposition for its entire existence. Since 1925, it has won between 1.6% and 2.5% of the votes in general elections. Owing to its orthodox political ideals and its traditional role in the opposition, the party has been called a testimonial party. Since the general election of 2012, it has held three of the 150 seats of the House of Representatives.
The Socialist Party is a democratic socialist and social democratic political party in the Netherlands. Founded in 1971 as the Communist Party of the Netherlands/Marxist–Leninist, the party has since moderated itself from Marxism–Leninism and Maoism towards democratic socialism and social democracy. The SP has also been described as left-wing populist, far-left and Eurosceptic, and is an advocate of Dutch republicanism.
Steve Stevaert was a Belgian politician of the Flemish Socialist Party: the SP.A.
Johannes Guillaume Christianus Andreas "Jan" Marijnissen is a retired Dutch politician of the Socialist Party (SP).
Ria Oomen-Ruijten is a Dutch politician of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) who has been serving as a member of the Senate since 9 June 2015.
Erik Meijer is a former Dutch politician who was a member of the European Parliament for the Dutch Socialist Party, part of the European Left, between 1999 and 2009. From July 2014 till June 2015 he was a member of the Dutch Senate.
Johannes Marijnus Antonius Maria "Jan" de Wit is a former Dutch politician and lawyer. As a member of the Socialist Party he was an MP from 19 May 1998 to 1 April 2014. He focused on matters of judiciary and aliens policy. From 1995 to 1998, he was a Senator.
Following the 2006 Dutch general election, held on November 22, a process of cabinet formation started, involving negotiations about which coalition partners to form a common programme of policy and to divide the posts in cabinet. On February 22, 2007 it resulted in the formation of the Fourth Balkenende cabinet.
Pauline Christine Krikke is a Dutch politician who served as mayor of The Hague from 2017 until 2019. A member of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), she previously served as mayor of Arnhem from 2001 to 2013. She started her career as a councillor (1994–1996) and alderwoman in Amsterdam (1996–2001) and was elected to the Senate between 2015 and 2017.
Willem (Wim) Cool is a Dutch business consultant, mediator and politician. As a member of Democrats 66 (D66) he has been a member of the States-Provincial of North Holland since 18 April 2011.
Sadet Karabulut is a Dutch politician and former civil servant and trade unionist of Kurdish descent. As a member of the Socialist Party, she has been an MP since 30 November 2006. She focuses on matters of social affairs, female emancipation, and social integration.
Tjitske Siderius is a Dutch politician.
Pieter "Peter" van Dijk is a Dutch politician, he served three terms in the Senate for the Party for Freedom in the period between 2011 and 2019. He is member of the States-Provincial of Zeeland since 10 March 2011.
Henri Swinkels is a Dutch politician of the Socialist Party. He served as a temporary member of the House of Representatives of the Netherlands in 2014. Between 2015 and 2019 he was a member of the Provincial-Executive of North Brabant.
Provincial elections were held in the Netherlands on Wednesday 18 March 2015. Eligible voters elected the members of the States-Provincial in the twelve provinces. These elections also indirectly determined the members of the Senate, since the 566 members of the twelve States-Provincial will elect the Senate's 75 members in the Senate election on 26 May 2015. These provincial election were held on the same day as the 2015 Dutch water boards elections.
Robert Frank Ruers is a Dutch politician and attorney. On behalf of the Socialist Party (SP) he was a member of the Senate four times and briefly a deputy of the provincial executive of Limburg.
Henk Staghouwer is a Dutch administrator and Christian Union politician. He served as Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality in the fourth Rutte cabinet from 10 January to 5 September 2022. From 24 April 2013 to 10 January 2022 he was a member of the provincial executive of Groningen.
