2018 Dutch municipal elections

The Dutch municipal elections of 2018 were held on 21 March 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
Party Votes Seats
# % # +/−
Local Parties 1,945,904 28.65 2,566 36
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy 916,930 13.50 1,117 19
Christian Democratic Appeal 910,441 13.41 1,277 221
Democrats 66 623,671 9.18 594 231
GroenLinks 602,157 8.87 520 166
Labour Party 510,527 7.52 544 255
Socialist Party 301,600 4.44 282 158
Christian Union 260,007 3.83 300 59
Other Parties and combined lists 720,467 10.52 686 91
6,849,788 [6] 100.00 7886 684

Amsterdam
See also: Government of 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
Party Votes Seats
# % # +/−
GroenLinks 70,880 20.42 10 4
Democrats 66 55,724 16.05 8 6
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy 39,702 11.44 6 0
Labour Party 37,181 10.71 5 5
Socialist Party 26,070 7.51 3 3
Party for the Animals 24,672 7.11 3 2
Denk 23,138 6.67 3 New
Forum for Democracy 20,015 5.77 3 New
Christian Democratic Appeal 11,991 3.45 1 0
Party for the Elderly 7,752 2.23 1 0
Christian Union 6,837 1.97 1 1
Amsterdam Bij1 6,571 1.89 1 New

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
Party Votes Seats
# % # +/−
Livable Rotterdam 47,312 20.50 11 3
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy 24,641 10.68 5 2
Democrats 66 22,920 9.93 5 1
GroenLinks 22,721 9.85 5 3
Labour Party 22,275 9.65 5 3
Denk 16,955 7.35 4 New
NIDA 12,389 5.37 2 0
Socialist Party 11,389 4.93 2 3
Christian Democratic Appeal 10,756 4.66 2 1
Party for Freedom 8,149 3.53 1 New
Party for the Animals 8,091 3.51 1 0
50PLUS 7,359 3.19 1 New
Christian Union – Reformed Political Party 6,956 3.01 1 0

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
Party Votes Seats
# % # +/−
Group de Mos / Heart for The Hague 32,632 16.80 8 5
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy 26,990 13.90 7 3
Democrats 66 23,973 12.34 6 2
GroenLinks 20,684 10.65 5 3
Christian Democratic Appeal 12,618 6.50 3 0
Labour Party 12,567 6.47 3 3
The Hague City Party 10,897 5.61 3 2
Party for the Animals 10,201 5.25 2 1
Party for Freedom 9,036 4.65 2 5
Islam Democrats 6,943 3.57 1 1
Christian Union – Reformed Political Party 6,129 3.16 1 0
Socialist Party 5,176 2.66 1 1
NIDA 4,481 2.31 1 New
50PLUS 4,444 2.29 1 New
Party of Unity 4,026 2.07 1 0

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
Party Votes Seats
# % # +/−
GroenLinks 36,231 22.96 12 3
Democrats 66 32,735 20.74 10 3
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy 20,522 13.00 6 1
Labour Party 9,812 6.22 3 2
Christian Democratic Appeal 8,428 5.34 2 1
Party for the Animals 8,317 5.27 2 1
Denk 7,662 4.85 2 New
Christian Union 6,451 4.09 2 0
Student & Starter 6,445 4.08 2 1
Socialist Party 6,419 4.07 2 2
Party for Freedom 5,915 3.75 1 New
City Interest Utrecht 4,295 2.72 1 1

Eindhoven

Opinion polling
Polling firm Date PvdA D66 SP VVD OAE CDA GL LE CU PvdD PVV DENK 50+ Lead
2014 election 19 Mar 2014 8 7 7 6 5 4 4 2 1 1 Did not contest 1

Results
Party Votes Seats
# % # +/−
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy 12,275 7 1
GroenLinks 12,044 7 3
Labour Party 10,180 6 2
Democrats 66 9,735 6 1
Christian Democratic Appeal 9,514 6 2
Socialist Party 6,609 4 3
Senior Appeal Eindhoven 4,647 2 3

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
Party Votes Seats
# % # +/−
GroenLinks 20,149 24.77 11 3
Democrats 66 12,045 14.81 6 1
Socialist Party 10,865 13.36 5 3
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy 8,407 10.34 4 0
City Party Nijmegen 6,355 7.81 3 1
Labour Party 5,747 7.07 3 1
Christian Democratic Appeal 4,094 5.03 2 0
Party for the Animals 3,694 4.54 2 New
50PLUS 3,001 3.69 1 New
Just Nijmegen 2,815 3.46 1 1
ForNijmegen.NOW 1,845 2.27 1 New

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".
  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.
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