by Nomad
Wed Nov 22nd, 2006 at 10:33:18 AM EST
22 November 2006: General Elections in the Netherlands. Voting started at 07:30 and lasted until 21:00.
Final Results
Total Turnout at 80.1%, marginally higher than last elections.
With 150 seats to distribute:
CDA: 41 - loss of 3 seats
PVDA: 33 - loss of 9 seats
SP: 25 - gain of 16 seats
VVD: 22 - loss of 6 seats
PVDV(Wilders): 9 - gain of 9 seats
Groen Links: 7 - loss of 1 seat
ChristenUnie: 6 - gain of 3 seats
D66: 3 - loss of 3 seats
SGP: 2 - stable
PVDD: 2 - gain of 2 seats
Fortuyn: 0 - loss of 8, total obliteration
EenNl: 0
The loss of PvdA and boost of SP will make coalition formation hard. As pointed out in the comments, the most logical combination is a CDA/PvdA/ChristenUnie government, however, it's impossible to immediately go around SP. At the latest interview Balkenende hinted at being open-minded about a CDA-SP-PvdA partnership. Very interesting. The big plus: a notable move to a more social government, the Scary People Party of Rutte and Verdonk is likely out of the government, and the Fortuyn party is completely gone. The big draw: the rise of Wilders, the most intolerant party since Fortuyn. Although Wilders practically replaces the Fortuyn faction, consider that Wilders is even more intolerant and libertarian than the Fortuyn party ever pretended to be.
Recent posts on the topic (Diary Whoring At Work for Your Delight):
The Dutch Political Parties: Overview
The Dutch Political Left
The Dutch Political Right
See also: An Introduction to the Dutch political system (Thanks Frank!)
From the diaries - whataboutbob
Exit Polls from NOS (from: Peil.nl - pdf!) and RTL4 (here) showed huge differences.
Projections
--> Legend: NOS, [RTL4], (Current Seats) <--
CDA: 43 [38] (44)
PvdA: 35 [34] (42)
VVD: 21 [20] (28)
SP: 24 [30(!!!)] (9)
Fortuyn: 0 [0] (8)
GroenLinks: 8 [6] (8)
D66: 2 [2] (6)
ChristenUnie: 5 [7] (3)
SGP: 2 [2] (2)
Pro-Animal Party: 3 [2] (0)
EenNl: 1 [1] (0)
Wilders: 6 [8] (0)
Curious facts at 20:30:
-Participation at 18:00: 60% (still below 2003)
-The "emigrant" vote is high: 30.000 out of 600.000
-The "allochtonous" participation is also polled high
- The county Breukelen had the national premiere of voting at a gas-station, the Minister of Democratisation and D66 leader Pechtold was the one to vote there first.
- Wouter Bos of PvdA forgot his correct voting card and wasn't allowed to vote until he retrieved his card.
- According to the NOS, the red pencil is used in 34 counties/voting districts. That'd mean voting machines are used for the remaining 224 counties.
- More than 12 million people can cast their vote
- The "youth vote" comprises about 18% and the "elederly vote" about the same.
- Around 2.5 million people watched yesterday's final debate between Balekende, Bos, Rutte, Halsema, Marijnissen and Rouvoet. (Note: no D66!)
- The debate was followed by classical Dutch caberet with one of the Dutch veterans: Freek de Jonge who mocked every political party and politician - but especially Verdonk's policy
- The We Don't Trust Voting Machines responsible for the drive to replace unsuitable voting machiens delivered 490 apple pies to the voting locations in Amsterdam (1 pie for 1 location)
- A man in Simpelveld brought along a found grenade to the voting location which caused a brief stop to the voting process. Clearly a case of Dutch multitasking.
Political Scorecard
Inspired by someone's post:
#
Partij voor de Dieren (Pro-animal party) -- Hard Left
The Animal Mob
Stands for:
- Working towards an end of the bio-industry and stimulate animal friendly farms
- A stop to cruel animal treatment (castration, ritual killing, bull fights in Spain)
- Phasing out lab animals entirely
- Ban hunting
#
SP (Socialists) -- Hard Left
The classic protest alternative formed into a strong grassroots driven socialist, conservative alternative at the left
Stands for:
- opposition of privatisation of public services
- equality and solidarity
- a strong, small-scale organised and social health care
- protectionist on globalisation
#
GroenLinks (Greens) -- Left
The progressive heart of the liberal left. Green, and Left. What the name says.
Stands for:
- individual freedoms (euthanasia, abortion, gay rights, etc)
- emancipation
- focus on education
- equality in wealth distribution
- balance between economic growth and ecological/ environmental responsibility
#
PvdA (Labour) - Centre-Left
Social-democrats. The biggest centre-left party - embraces liberal, humanist and feminist ideas, modernizing as it went along from the classic blue collar party
Stands for:
- Welfare state
- Investing in health care
- stopping liberalisation of the housing market (rented appartments)
- general pardon for asylum seekers
#
Democraten 66 - D66 (Social Liberals) -- Centre-left
D66 formed the third (and last) party of the government coalition.
Stands for:
- A balance between market economics and governmental intervention
- Liberal values
- Democratisation of the system: public referenda, elected mayors, elected minister president
- Increased government stimulation for education and innovation
#
CDA (ChristianDemocrats) -- Centre
A coalition party of the current government, Christian in origin, readily embraces members adhering other faiths than Christian ones.
Stands for:
- representation of smaller enterpreneurship and workers (the latter now mostly forgotten)
- Stewardship of government
- Conservative values in regard of prostitution, drugs and euthanasia
- Family values and tolerance
#
VVD (Liberals) -- Cerntre right
Formed the second important leg to the current government, the Scary People Party
Stands for:
- a welfare state but only to a degree
- progressive in individual rights
- market liberalisation and private entrepreneurship
- harsh policy on immigrants and asylum seekers
- a boon to corporalism (someone has to say it!!!)
#
ChristenUnie (ChristianUnion) -- Centre right/left
More conservative than VVD and CDA, dominantly led by Christian values, but remarkably social.
Stands for:
- Social welfare (similar to SP and PvdA)
- Strong family values
- Abandonment of softdrugs tolerance, abortion and euthanasia
- Green environmental policy
#
SGP (Political Reformed Party) -- Centre right
The Dutch Christian Fundies.
# Fortuyn (Fortuynists) -- Hard right
Good riddance.
# EénNL (Hard-Right, former Fortuynists) -- Hard right
Ex-Fortuynist and Ex-VVD join forces
Stands for:
- Reduction of government
- Abolishment gasoline tax
- Legalisation soft drugs
- Limiting access to Dutch market for foreign workers
#
Partij voor de Vrijheid (Wilders Group, former VVD) -- Hard right
Stands for:
- Extreme libertarian policy
- Opposing EU enlargement, scrapping EU parliament
- Tax reduction, reducing government yadda yadda
- Banning building mosques for 5 years
- Complete Immigration Stop for immigrants from Turkey and Morocco
- Compulsory bleached hair and illunacy
Latest Polls
Seats in 150-seat Parliament
Barometer
Peil.nl: