2011 Dutch provincial elections
Election board in Groningen
Largest party by province
Provincial elections were held in the Netherlands on Wednesday 2 March 2011. Eligible voters elected the members of the provincial councils in the twelve provinces . These elections also indirectly determined the members of the Senate, since the 566 members of the twelve provincial councils elected the Senate's 75 members in the Senate election on 23 May 2011.
The Senate election, and therefore the provincial elections, were important since the first Rutte cabinet had a minority in the Senate when it took office. The coalition and support parties hoped to gain a majority in the Senate through these elections, but failed to do so, obtaining 37 out of 75 seats. However, it was expected that the Reformed Political Party , which obtained one seat, would support the cabinet.[ 1]
On the same date, Island Council elections were held in the three public bodies of the Caribbean Netherlands . It was planned that the members of the Island Councils would also have a vote in the Senate election in the future, but in 2011 this was not yet the case because this required a change in the Constitution .
Results
The right-liberal People's Party for Freedom and Democracy , left-liberal Democrats 66 , and right-wing Party for Freedom made significant gains throughout the provinces. The Labour Party stayed relatively stable, while the Socialist Party suffered losses from their 2007 results. The Christian Democratic Appeal suffered big losses, losing some 65 of their previous 151 provincial seats. However, the party did not fare as poorly as the polls had suggested.
This was the first provincial elections that Geert Wilders ' Party for Freedom participated in. The party managed to win seats in all of the Netherlands' provinces with its best results in the southern provinces of North Brabant and Limburg . In Limburg it even managed to become the biggest party by a slim margin.
National results
Due to population growth in Gelderland , the number of seats in the Provincial Council of Gelderland increased from 53 to 55, accounting for the increase in the total number of seats from 564 to 566.
By province
A "-" in the table means that the relevant party did not submit a list of candidates in the 2011 elections in the province concerned.
Drenthe
Party Votes % Seats +/– Labour Party 59,053 26.51 12 −1 People's Party for Freedom and Democracy 42,255 18.97 9 +1 Christian Democratic Appeal 32,518 14.60 6 −4 Party for Freedom 21,920 9.84 4 New Socialist Party 21,627 9.71 4 −1 Democrats 66 13,850 6.22 2 +2 Christian Union 11,857 5.32 2 −1 GroenLinks 11,734 5.27 2 0 Other parties 7,920 3.56 0 – Total 222,734 100.00 41 – Valid votes 222,734 99.75 Invalid/blank votes 559 0.25 Total votes 223,293 100.00 Registered voters/turnout 380,661 58.66 Source: Kiesraad[ 6]
Flevoland
Party Votes % Seats +/– People's Party for Freedom and Democracy 34,038 22.92 9 0 Labour Party 23,671 15.94 6 −1 Party for Freedom 22,222 14.96 6 New Christian Democratic Appeal 15,740 10.60 4 −4 Socialist Party 12,904 8.69 3 −3 Democrats 66 9,755 6.57 3 +3 Christian Union 8,747 5.89 3 −2 GroenLinks 8,463 5.70 2 0 Reformed Political Party 4,875 3.28 1 0 50PLUS 3,770 2.54 1 New Party for the Animals 3,408 2.29 1 0 Other parties 926 0.62 0 – Total 148,519 100.00 39 – Valid votes 148,519 99.72 Invalid/blank votes 417 0.28 Total votes 148,936 100.00 Registered voters/turnout 278,039 53.57 Source: Kiesraad[ 7]
Friesland
Party Votes % Seats +/– Labour Party 70,337 23.66 11 −1 Christian Democratic Appeal 52,530 17.67 8 −4 People's Party for Freedom and Democracy 41,088 13.82 6 +1 Frisian National Party 27,288 9.18 4 −1 Party for Freedom 25,116 8.45 4 New Socialist Party 24,872 8.37 3 −1 Christian Union 18,901 6.36 3 0 GroenLinks 15,556 5.23 2 0 Democrats 66 12,659 4.26 2 +2 Other parties 8,960 3.01 0 – Total 297,307 100.00 43 – Valid votes 297,307 99.74 Invalid/blank votes 773 0.26 Total votes 298,080 100.00 Registered voters/turnout 497,367 59.93 Source: Kiesraad[ 8]
Gelderland
Party Votes % Seats +/– People's Party for Freedom and Democracy 170,939 19.15 11 +2 Labour Party 148,023 16.58 9 −1 Christian Democratic Appeal 144,467 16.18 9 −6 Party for Freedom 92,563 10.37 6 New Socialist Party 87,088 9.75 5 −2 Democrats 66 71,951 8.06 4 +3 GroenLinks 55,487 6.21 4 +1 Christian Union 43,436 4.86 3 −1 Reformed Political Party 40,604 4.55 2 −1 50PLUS 17,743 1.99 1 New Party for the Animals 16,290 1.82 1 0 Other parties 4,262 0.48 0 – Total 892,853 100.00 55 +2 Valid votes 892,853 99.75 Invalid/blank votes 2,209 0.25 Total votes 895,062 100.00 Registered voters/turnout 1,528,151 58.57 Source: Kiesraad[ 9]
Groningen
Party Votes % Seats +/– Labour Party 65,542 24.88 12 0 People's Party for Freedom and Democracy 34,701 13.17 6 +1 Socialist Party 33,812 12.83 6 −1 Christian Democratic Appeal 31,517 11.96 5 −4 Democrats 66 20,515 7.79 3 +2 Party for Freedom 20,373 7.73 3 New Christian Union 19,999 7.59 3 −1 GroenLinks 19,040 7.23 3 0 Party for the North 8,312 3.15 1 0 Party for the Animals 5,601 2.13 1 0 Other parties 4,056 1.54 0 – Total 263,468 100.00 43 – Valid votes 263,468 99.76 Invalid/blank votes 635 0.24 Total votes 264,103 100.00 Registered voters/turnout 453,661 58.22 Source: Kiesraad[ 10]
Limburg
Party Votes % Seats +/– Party for Freedom 92,488 20.58 10 New Christian Democratic Appeal 87,231 19.41 10 −8 People's Party for Freedom and Democracy 71,884 15.99 8 +1 Labour Party 60,685 13.50 6 −2 Socialist Party 53,709 11.95 6 −3 GroenLinks 24,088 5.36 3 +1 Democrats 66 23,487 5.23 2 +1 50PLUS 17,462 3.89 2 New Other parties 18,431 4.10 0 −2 Total 449,465 100.00 47 – Valid votes 449,465 99.68 Invalid/blank votes 1,426 0.32 Total votes 450,891 100.00 Registered voters/turnout 872,088 51.70 Source: Kiesraad[ 11]
North Brabant
Party Votes % Seats +/– People's Party for Freedom and Democracy 198,870 20.75 12 +1 Christian Democratic Appeal 166,310 17.35 10 −8 Party for Freedom 133,760 13.96 8 New Socialist Party 132,723 13.85 8 −4 Labour Party 127,958 13.35 7 −1 Democrats 66 76,770 8.01 5 +4 GroenLinks 56,113 5.86 3 +1 50PLUS 31,554 3.29 1 New Party for the Animals 17,320 1.81 1 0 Other parties 16,963 1.77 0 −2 Total 958,341 100.00 55 – Valid votes 958,341 99.70 Invalid/blank votes 2,866 0.30 Total votes 961,207 100.00 Registered voters/turnout 1,869,067 51.43 Source: Kiesraad[ 12]
North Holland
Party Votes % Seats +/– People's Party for Freedom and Democracy 253,195 22.32 13 0 Labour Party 226,734 19.99 11 0 Party for Freedom 134,275 11.84 6 New Democrats 66 128,600 11.34 6 +4 Socialist Party 109,027 9.61 5 −4 Christian Democratic Appeal 100,789 8.89 5 −5 GroenLinks 90,793 8.01 5 0 Party for the Animals 28,082 2.48 1 −1 Elderly Party North Holland 21,354 1.88 1 0 50PLUS 19,693 1.74 1 New Christian Union – Reformed Political Party 19,603 1.73 1 −1 Other parties 2,058 0.18 0 – Total 1,134,203 100.00 55 – Valid votes 1,134,203 99.68 Invalid/blank votes 3,693 0.32 Total votes 1,137,896 100.00 Registered voters/turnout 1,987,964 57.24 Source: Kiesraad[ 13]
Overijssel
Party Votes % Seats +/– Christian Democratic Appeal 105,157 21.37 11 −6 Labour Party 89,134 18.11 9 0 People's Party for Freedom and Democracy 77,661 15.78 8 +2 Party for Freedom 43,760 8.89 4 New Socialist Party 42,735 8.68 4 −2 Democrats 66 36,517 7.42 3 +3 Christian Union 35,411 7.20 3 −2 GroenLinks 25,114 5.10 2 0 Reformed Political Party 16,527 3.36 2 0 50PLUS 12,826 2.61 1 New Other parties 7,301 1.48 0 – Total 492,143 100.00 47 – Valid votes 492,143 99.76 Invalid/blank votes 1,161 0.24 Total votes 493,304 100.00 Registered voters/turnout 854,623 57.72 Source: Kiesraad[ 14]
South Holland
Party Votes % Seats +/– People's Party for Freedom and Democracy 290,260 20.73 12 0 Labour Party 230,381 16.45 10 0 Party for Freedom 203,143 14.51 8 New Christian Democratic Appeal 158,901 11.35 6 −7 Socialist Party 131,180 9.37 5 −3 Democrats 66 123,633 8.83 5 +4 GroenLinks 76,483 5.46 3 0 Christian Union 54,866 3.92 2 −2 Reformed Political Party 53,568 3.83 2 0 50PLUS 34,914 2.49 1 New Party for the Animals 31,910 2.28 1 0 Other parties 10,914 0.78 0 −1 Total 1,400,153 100.00 55 – Valid votes 1,400,153 99.63 Invalid/blank votes 5,135 0.37 Total votes 1,405,288 100.00 Registered voters/turnout 2,604,363 53.96 Source: Kiesraad[ 15]
Utrecht
Party Votes % Seats +/– People's Party for Freedom and Democracy 124,952 22.15 11 +1 Labour Party 82,721 14.66 7 −1 Christian Democratic Appeal 68,017 12.06 6 −4 Democrats 66 60,491 10.72 5 +3 Party for Freedom 59,988 10.63 5 New GroenLinks 51,721 9.17 4 0 Socialist Party 46,336 8.21 4 −2 Christian Union 26,856 4.76 2 −2 Reformed Political Party 16,871 2.99 1 0 50PLUS 11,562 2.05 1 New Party for the Animals 11,386 2.02 1 0 Other parties 3,315 0.59 0 −1 Total 564,216 100.00 47 – Valid votes 564,216 99.71 Invalid/blank votes 1,636 0.29 Total votes 565,852 100.00 Registered voters/turnout 917,232 61.69 Source: Kiesraad[ 16]
Zeeland
Party Votes % Seats +/– People's Party for Freedom and Democracy 28,555 16.83 6 +1 Labour Party 26,872 15.84 7 +1 Christian Democratic Appeal 24,105 14.21 6 −4 Party for Freedom 20,018 11.80 5 New Reformed Political Party 18,828 11.10 4 −1 Socialist Party 14,412 8.49 3 −2 Party for Zeeland 9,456 5.57 2 0 Christian Union 7,965 4.69 2 −1 Democrats 66 6,967 4.11 2 +2 GroenLinks 6,095 3.59 1 −1 Other parties 6,401 3.77 0 – Total 169,674 100.00 38 – Valid votes 169,674 99.80 Invalid/blank votes 343 0.20 Total votes 170,017 100.00 Registered voters/turnout 288,911 58.85 Source: Kiesraad[ 17]
Island council elections
References
External links