The political landscape
It seems it's election season again (Canada, Belgium, European Parliament, the campaigns in the US seem to have started too) so I thought I'd write something about politics. This time about what our political landscape looks like. Above you see the seats in our second chamber (Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal). This is the most important chamber. Members for this chamber are chosen directly. A coalition of parties with a majority in this chamber usually forms the cabinet (a minority cabinet is possible, but never really happens). Members of the first chamber are chosen indirectly (via the Provincial States). Laws are usually made by the cabinet (though members of the chamber also have the ability to propose laws) and have to be approved by the second and first chamber. After that the queen signs them and they are published in the Staatscourant. It is possible for the queen to object, though that hasn't happened yet. It has happened in Belgium, where kind Boudewijn resigned for a day and let his brother sign the abortion law he objected to. Anyway, what I wanted to show were the parties we have (and their share of the total of 150 seats):
CDA - 44 seats: The Christian Democrat party. Being at the center of the political landscape they are often needed for coalitions. They were present in every cabinet since WWII (leading to quotes like 'we rule this country') until the 'Purple Coalition' - PvdA, VVD and D'66 - put an end to that in the nineties.
PvdA - 42 seats: The Social Democrat party. Though they are the second biggest party, negotiations with the CDA to form a coalition failed and they are now the biggest opposition party.
VVD - 28 seats: The Liberals. Had the right side of the political spectrum for themselves (the smaller religious parties have their own niche) until the LPF showed up.
SP - 8 seats: The Socialist Party. Not to be confused with the Social Democrats. Have little chance of ever being in a cabinet and can make the most of that by opposing nearly everything.
LPF - 8 seats: The List Pim Fortuyn. Right wing populist party. Nearly became the biggest party in the country a few years ago. Then Pim Fortuyn was murdered. They were still big enough to form a cabinet (with CDA and VVD) but it quickly fell apart. And, without their charismatic leader, so did the LPF.
GrL - 8 seats: Literally: Green Left. The result of a merger between several smaller left wing parties (environmental, pacifist, etc.)
D'66 - 6 seats: Democrats '66. They once called themselves 'social liberals'. They're more or less in the center with the CDA, but are quite the opposite when it comes to issues like gay marriage, abortion, euthenasia and electoral reform. Despite being quite small, their position allows them to be quite influential, like in forming the 'purple coalition' where liberals and social democrats were brought together and the first cabinet without the CDA. They're also in the current cabinet (with CDA and VVD).
ChristenUnie - 3 seats: A small Christian party. They're a merger of several smaller christian parties, which hasn't been as succesful as they wanted to be.
SGP - 2 seats: The SGP refused to be part of that merger and has remained quite stable. Their fundamentalism prevents them from growing much further.
Lazrak - 1 seat: Group Lazrak. Mr. Ali Lazrak, who was banned from the SP and refused to give up his seat is now a one man fraction.
And then there is a large number of smaller parties that didn't get enough votes to get in (like the party for parties - as in fun parties, not political parties). Compared to the two-party system the US and, to a lesser extent, the UK have, this means you can vote for the party that you like. As D'66 has proven, smaller parties are actually able to govern and get their ideas implemented.
12:12:15 AM 
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