Dutch general election, 1977

Dutch general election, 1977

1972 ← May 25, 1977 → 1981

All 150 seats to the House of Representatives 76 seats were needed for a majority   First party Second party Third party   Leader Joop den Uyl Dries van Agt Hans Wiegel Party PvdA CDA VVD Leader since 1966 1976 1971 Last election 43 seats, 27,3% 48 seats, 30,9% * 22 seats, 14,4% Seats won 53 49 28 Seat change +10 +1 +6 Popular vote 2.813.793 2.653.416 1.492.689 Percentage 33,8% 31,9% 17,9%   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   Leader Jan Terlouw Hette Abma Marcus Bakker Party D66 SGP CPN Leader since 1973 1971 1963 Last election 6 seats, 4,1% 3 seats, 2,2% 7 seats, 4,4% Seats won 8 3 2 Seat change +2 0 -5 Popular vote 452.423 177.010 143.481 Percentage 5,4% 2,1% 1,7%   Seventh party Eighth party Ninth party   Leader Ria Beckers Bart Verbrugh Bram van der Lek Party PPR GPV PSP Leader since 1977 1977 1972 Last election 7 seats, 4,8% 2 seats, 1,7% 2 seats, 1,5% Seats won 3 1 1 Seat change -4 -1 -1 Popular vote 140.910 79.421 77.972 Percentage 1,6% 0,9% 0,9%

Seats

Prime Minister before election Joop den Uyl PvdA Prime Minister Dries van Agt CDA

General elections were held in the Netherlands on 25 May 1977. The Labour Party remained the largest party, winning 53 of the 150 seats in the House of Representatives. Following the election, it took 208 days of negotiations to form a new government. This was a European record for longest government formation that stood until after the 2010 Belgian general election. The Christian Democratic Appeal was formed by the Anti Revolutionary Party (ARP), Christian Historical Union (CHU) and the Catholic People's Party (KVP) in 1976. The first joint party leader was a member of the KVP, Dries van Agt.

Results

Party	Votes	%	Seats	+/–
Labour Party	2,813,793	33.8	53	+10
Christian Democratic Appeal	2.653.416	31.9	49	+1
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	1,492,689	17.9	28	+6
Democrats 1966	452,423	5.4	8	+2
Reformed Political Party	177,010	2.1	3	0
Communist Party of the Netherlands	143,481	1.7	2	–5
Political Party of Radicals	140,910	1.7	3	–4
Reformed Political League	79,421	1.0	1	–1
Pacifist Socialist Party	77,972	0.9	1	–1
Farmers' Party	69,914	0.8	1	–2
Democratic Socialists '70	59,487	0.7	1	–5
Democratic Action Centre	158,234	1.9	0	New
European Conservative Union			0	New
Federation of Elderly Parties of the Netherlands			0	New
Griek List			0	New
Jusia List			0	New
Communist Unity Movement of the Netherlands			0	New
New Middle Party			0	0
Dutch Peoples-Union			0	New
Party of the Taxpayers			0	New
Roman Catholic Party of the Netherlands			0	–1
Reformatory Political Federation			0	New
Socialist Party			0	New
Verbond tegen Ambtelijke Willekeur			0	New
Invalid/blank votes	48,217	–	–	–
Total	8,365,829	100	150	0
Registered voters/turnout	9,506,318	88.0	–	–
Source: Nohlen & Stöver