2018 Dutch municipal elections
21 March 2018

Municipal elections were held on 21 March 2018 in 335 municipalities in the Netherlands. This election determined the composition of the municipal councils for the following four years.[1] The election coincided with the Intelligence and Security Services Act referendum.[2]

Background

PvdA campaign poster

In the previous municipal elections, local political parties won by far most votes and seats. Nationally, all local political parties won 28% of the votes and a third of municipal council seats.[3] Local parties have seen a steady rise since the 1990s. In 2018, Vlieland will be the only municipality in which no national political parties will contest the election.[4]

Of all national political parties, the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) will contest most municipal elections; the party will be on the ballot in all but three (Rozendaal, Vlieland and Schiermonnikoog). The Labour Party (PvdA) comes second, contesting over 320 elections, albeit on a joint list with allied parties in some municipalities. The People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) will participate in over 315 elections, and the Democrats 66 in over 270, followed by GroenLinks in 220, the Christian Union in 169, the Socialist Party in 118 and the Reformed Political Party (SGP) in 99.

The Party for Freedom (PVV), which had previously only participated in The Hague and Almere, initially planned to expand to a total of sixty municipalities, but has only been able to find suitable candidates in thirty, including Rotterdam. 50PLUS will expand to twenty municipalities, while the Party for the Animals (PvdD) will contest fifteen elections. Two new national political parties will make their entrance to municipal politics. Denk will contest the elections in fourteen municipalities, while the Forum for Democracy will only contest in Amsterdam. Additionally, the latter has endorsed the local party Livable Rotterdam.[5]

45 municipalities did not have elections on 21 March due to mergers.

Electoral system

Municipal councils are elected using party-list proportional representation. The number of seats depends on the population of the municipality, ranging from nine seats for municipalities with a population below 3,000, to 45 seats for municipalities with a population over 200,000.

Overall results

PartyVotes%Seats
Local Parties1,945,90428.652,612
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy916,93013.501,131
Christian Democratic Appeal910,44113.411,293
Democrats 66623,6719.18602
GroenLinks602,1578.87527
Labour Party510,5277.52549
Socialist Party301,6004.44285
Christian Union260,0073.83303
Reformed Political Party129,1811.90173
Party for Freedom94,1181.3975
Christian Union – Reformed Political Party87,7621.29107
Party for the Animals80,9041.1930
DENK70,8321.0424
GroenLinks–Labour Party65,5660.97114
50PLUS55,7860.8233
D66–GroenLinks–Labour Party22,2510.3343
Forum for Democracy20,0150.293
NIDA16,8700.253
Frisian National Party13,8480.2022
D66–GroenLinks8,3680.1214
United Seniors Party7,9330.128
General Elderly Alliance7,3100.119
Elderly Politically Active6,1040.092
Trots op Nederland6,0660.093
Pirate Party5,7130.080
D66–Labour Party4,5960.075
D66–GL–PvdA–SP4,5280.0710
D66–VVD3,4910.058
Jesus Lives2,3480.030
New Communist Party2,3460.033
Ubuntu Connected Front1,5870.020
Libertarian Party9230.010
Basic Income Party6350.010
Peace and Justice6160.010
TROTS–OPA5100.010
QUEER2600.000
Total6,791,704100.007,991
Valid votes6,791,70499.15
Invalid/blank votes58,0840.85
Total votes6,849,788100.00
Registered voters/turnout12,461,54054.97
Source: Kiesraad

Amsterdam

Opinion polling

Polling firm Date D66 PvdA VVD SP GL PvdD CDA PvdO CU DENK FvD Bij1 50+ Lead
OIS 17 Mar 2018 8 5 6 4 9 3 1 0/1 0 3 4 1 0/1 1
Peil.nl 10 Mar 2018 9 5 4 5 9 2 1 0 1 3 4 1 1 Tied
OIS 17 Jan 2018 10 8 5 4 8 2 1 0/1 0 2 3 1 0/1 2
Peil.nl 10 Jan 2018 9 5 6 4 9 2 1 0 0 3 3 2 1 Tied
2014 election 19 Mar 2014 14 10 6 6 6 1 1 1 0 did not contest 4

Results

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
GroenLinks70,88020.4210+4
Democrats 6655,72416.058–6
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy39,70211.4460
Labour Party37,18110.715–5
Socialist Party26,0707.513–3
Party for the Animals24,6727.113+2
DENK23,1386.673New
Forum for Democracy20,0155.773New
Christian Democratic Appeal11,9913.4510
Party for the Elderly7,7522.2310
Christian Union6,8371.971+1
Amsterdam BIJ16,5711.891New
Other parties16,6154.7900
Total347,148100.0045–
Valid votes347,14898.72
Invalid/blank votes4,5111.28
Total votes351,659100.00
Registered voters/turnout674,28652.15
Source: Kiesraad[6]

After the 2018 municipal elections, the GroenLinks held the largest share of seats on the municipal council, though not enough to hold a majority. As no party held a majority, a left-leaning governing coalition was formed between GroenLinks, D66, the Labour Party, and the Socialist Party, which together hold 26 of the city's 45 council seats. [7]

The new city council elected Femke Halsema, a member of the GroenLinks, to be the mayor of Amsterdam. Halsema is the first women to be elected mayor of Amsterdam, as well as the first member of the GroenLinks to take that position. [8]

Rotterdam

Opinion polling

Polling firm Date LR PvdA D66 SP VVD CDA GL NIDA CU-SGP PvdD PVV DENK 50+ Lead
Peil.nl 18 Feb 2018 9 5 5 5 4 3 5 1 1 1 3 2 1 4
Peil.nl 25 Jan 2018 7 5 5 4 6 3 5 1 1 1 5 2 0 1
2014 election 19 Mar 2014 14 8 6 5 3 3 2 2 1 1 did not contest 6

Results

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Livable Rotterdam47,31220.5011–3
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy24,64110.685+2
Democrats 6622,9209.935–1
GroenLinks22,7219.855+3
Labour Party22,2759.655–3
DENK16,9557.354New
NIDA Rotterdam12,3895.3720
Socialist Party11,3894.932–3
Christian Democratic Appeal10,7564.662–1
Party for Freedom8,1493.531New
Party for the Animals8,0913.5110
50PLUS7,3593.191New
Christian Union – Reformed Political Party6,9563.0110
Other parties8,8733.8400
Total230,786100.0045–
Valid votes230,78698.61
Invalid/blank votes3,2511.39
Total votes234,037100.00
Registered voters/turnout501,23446.69
Source: Kiesraad[9]

The Hague

Opinion polling

Polling firm Date D66 PVV PvdA HSP VVD CDA GDM[H 1] SP GL ID PvdE CU-SGP PvdD 50+ Lead
I&O Research 14 Mar 2018 7 4 3 3 5 2 6 1 6 2 0 2 2 2 1
I&O Research 21 Feb 2018 6 4 4 2 7 3 6 2 5 1 0 1 2 2 1
I&O Research 31 Jan 2018 8 4 4 2 6 2 5 1 5 1 0 3 2 2 2
2014 election 19 Mar 2014 8 7 6 5 4 3 3 2 2 2 1 1 1 did not contest 1
  1. ↑ Contesting as Group de Mos - Heart for The Hague; contested as Group de Mos - Elderly Party The Hague in 2014.

Results

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
De Mos Group/Heart for The Hague32,63216.808+5
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy26,99013.907+3
Democrats 6623,97312.346–2
GroenLinks20,68410.655+3
Christian Democratic Appeal12,6186.5030
Labour Party12,5676.473–3
The Hague City Party10,8975.613–2
Party for the Animals10,2015.252+1
Party for Freedom9,0364.652–5
Islam Democrats6,9433.571–1
Christian Union – Reformed Political Party6,1293.1610
Socialist Party5,1762.661–1
NIDA4,4812.311New
50PLUS4,4442.291New
Party of Unity4,0262.0710
Other parties3,4391.7700
Total194,236100.0045–
Valid votes194,23698.85
Invalid/blank votes2,2611.15
Total votes196,497100.00
Registered voters/turnout409,44447.99
Source: Kiesraad[10]

Utrecht

Opinion polling

Polling firm Date D66 GL VVD PvdA SP CDA SBU CU S&S PvdD DENK PVV Lead
Peil.nl 24 Jan 2018 9 10 7 4 3 3 1 2 1 1 2 2 1
2014 election 19 Mar 2014 13 9 5 5 4 3 2 2 1 1 did not contest 4

Results

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
GroenLinks36,23122.9612+3
Democrats 6632,73520.7410–3
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy20,52213.006+1
Labour Party9,8126.223–2
Christian Democratic Appeal8,4285.342–1
Party for the Animals8,3175.272+1
DENK7,6624.852New
Christian Union6,4514.0920
Student & Starter6,4454.082+1
Socialist Party6,4194.072–2
Party for Freedom5,9153.751New
City Interest Utrecht4,2952.721–1
Other parties4,5902.9100
Total157,822100.0045–
Valid votes157,82299.23
Invalid/blank votes1,2240.77
Total votes159,046100.00
Registered voters/turnout269,45959.02
Source: Kiesraad[11]

Eindhoven

Results

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy12,27514.797+1
GroenLinks12,04414.517+3
Labour Party10,18012.276–2
Democrats 669,73511.736–1
Christian Democratic Appeal9,51411.466+2
Socialist Party6,6097.964–3
Elderly Appeal Eindhoven4,6475.602–3
Pim Fortuyn List Eindhoven3,3534.042+1
50PLUS3,2493.912New
DENK2,8643.451New
Livable Eindhoven2,2942.761–1
Christian Union1,9552.3610
Other parties4,2755.1500
Total82,994100.0045–
Valid votes82,99498.82
Invalid/blank votes9881.18
Total votes83,982100.00
Registered voters/turnout181,07946.38
Source: Kiesraad[12]

Nijmegen

Opinion polling

Polling firm Date SP GL D66 PvdA VVD GN CDA DNF 50+ PvdD Lead
Peil.nl 24 Jan 2018 6 9 7 3 4 2 2 2 2 2 2
2014 election 19 Mar 2014 8 8 7 4 4 2 2 2 2[N 1] did not contest Tied
  1. ↑ Contested as the United Seniors Party.

Results

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
GroenLinks20,14924.7711+3
Democrats 6612,04514.816–1
Socialist Party10,86513.365–3
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy8,40710.3440
City Party Nijmegen6,3557.813+1
Labour Party5,7477.073–1
Christian Democratic Appeal4,0945.0320
Party for the Animals3,6944.542New
50PLUS3,0013.691New
Just Nijmegen2,8153.461–1
ForNijmegen.NOW1,8452.271New
Other parties2,3232.860–2
Total81,340100.0039–
Valid votes81,34099.27
Invalid/blank votes5980.73
Total votes81,938100.00
Registered voters/turnout143,58257.07
Source: Kiesraad[13]

References

  1. ↑ "Gemeenteraden". Kiesraad.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  2. ↑ "Dag van stemming referendum Wiv (woensdag 21 maart 2018)". Kiesraad.nl (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 2018-02-15. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  3. ↑ "Gemeenteraad 19 maart 2014". Verkiezingsuitslagen (in Dutch). Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  4. ↑ "De opkomst van de lokale partij: op Vlieland doen landelijke partijen niet meer mee". EenVandaag (in Dutch). Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  5. ↑ "CDA doet mee in de meeste gemeenteraadsverkiezingen". Binnenlands Bestuur (in Dutch). Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  6. ↑ "Gemeenteraad 21 maart 2018" (in Dutch). Verkiezingsuitslagen. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
  7. ↑ "Amsterdam's new administration unveils plans for greener, more social city". Dutch News. DutchNews. 14 May 2018. Retrieved 30 March 2019.
  8. ↑ Pieters, Janene (28 June 2018). "Femke Halsema chosen as new Amsterdam mayor". NL Times. NLTimes.NL. Retrieved 30 March 2019.
  9. ↑ "Gemeenteraad 21 maart 2018" (in Dutch). Verkiezingsuitslagen. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
  10. ↑ "Gemeenteraad 21 maart 2018" (in Dutch). Verkiezingsuitslagen. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
  11. ↑ "Gemeenteraad 21 maart 2018" (in Dutch). Verkiezingsuitslagen. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
  12. ↑ "Gemeenteraad 21 maart 2018" (in Dutch). Verkiezingsuitslagen. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
  13. ↑ "Gemeenteraad 21 maart 2018" (in Dutch). Verkiezingsuitslagen. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
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