The Netherlands is voting for the house of representatives this March

The Netherlands is a constitutional monarchy. Although the king is officially the head of state, he must adhere to the Dutch constitution. The king is inviolable, and the government is responsible for him. The Dutch royal family mainly fulfils a ceremonial role but does have several tasks and responsibilities. The king signs all laws and Royal Decrees. Every year he also reads out the government's plans for the coming year; this is called the 'Troonrede' (speech from the throne). In the Netherlands, the main political influence lies with the Parliament and the cabinet. Every four years, there are elections for representatives' house, after which the ministers and all state secretaries are named.

37 parties

On March 17, the Netherlands will go to the voting booth to elect the people's representatives. While in countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom, there are only a few parties to choose from, there is much choice in the Netherlands. This year, no fewer than 37 parties will participate in the House of Representatives election. Each party has a list of candidates declared valid by the Electoral Council.

The wide range of parties and candidates offers a wide choice. All parties are numbered based on the number of votes in the previous elections. The largest party in the previous election is number one and appears first on the ballot paper; the second party becomes number two, and so on. In the case of new parties, their number and place on the ballot paper are determined by drawing lots.

Current polls

In the months and weeks leading up to the elections, polls are conducted by various organizations. According to almost all poll organizations, the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) is currently the largest party in the polls. Mark Rutte, the current prime minister of the Netherlands, is the political leader of the liberal party. Whether he will also win these elections and whom he would work with is, of course, still the question.

The entire list of candidates for the House of Representatives elections can be viewed on the Electoral Council website. 

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