2011 Dutch provincial elections

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.

Election board in Groningen
Largest party by province

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

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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

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PartySeats
20072011+/–
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy102112+10
Labour Party114107−7
Christian Democratic Appeal15186−65
Party for Freedom069+69
Socialist Party8356−27
Democrats 66942+33
GroenLinks3334+1
Christian Union3523−12
Reformed Political Party1312−1
50PLUS09New
Party for the Animals87−1
Christian Union – Reformed Political Party31−2
Frisian National Party54−1
Party for Zeeland220
ONH–VSP110
Party for the North110
Party New Limburg10−1
Beautiful Utrecht10−1
Other parties20−2
Total564566+2

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

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Province Number of seats per party
VVD PvdA CDA PVV SP D66 GL CU SGP 50+ PvdD remaining total
Groningen 6 12 5 3 6 3 3 3 - 0 1 1[2] 43
Friesland 6 11 8 4 3 2 2 3 - 0 - 4[3] 43
Drenthe 9 12 6 4 4 2 2 2 0 0 - 0 41
Overijssel 8 9 11 4 4 3 2 3 2 1 0 0 47
Flevoland 9 6 4 6 3 3 2 3 1 1 1 0 39
Gelderland 11 9 9 6 5 4 4 3 2 1 1 0 55
Utrecht 11 7 6 5 4 5 4 2 1 1 1 0 47
North Holland 13 11 5 6 5 6 5 1 1 1 1[4] 55
South Holland 12 10 6 8 5 5 3 2 2 1 1 0 55
Zeeland 7 7 6 5 3 2 1 2 4 0 0 2[5] 39
North Brabant 12 7 10 8 8 5 3 0 1 1 0 55
Limburg 8 6 10 10 6 2 3 0 - 2 0 0 47
Total 112 107 86 69 56 42 34 23 12 9 7 8 566
1

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

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PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Labour Party59,05326.5112−1
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy42,25518.979+1
Christian Democratic Appeal32,51814.606−4
Party for Freedom21,9209.844New
Socialist Party21,6279.714−1
Democrats 6613,8506.222+2
Christian Union11,8575.322−1
GroenLinks11,7345.2720
Other parties7,9203.560
Total222,734100.0041
Valid votes222,73499.75
Invalid/blank votes5590.25
Total votes223,293100.00
Registered voters/turnout380,66158.66
Source: Kiesraad[6]

Flevoland

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PartyVotes%Seats+/–
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy34,03822.9290
Labour Party23,67115.946−1
Party for Freedom22,22214.966New
Christian Democratic Appeal15,74010.604−4
Socialist Party12,9048.693−3
Democrats 669,7556.573+3
Christian Union8,7475.893−2
GroenLinks8,4635.7020
Reformed Political Party4,8753.2810
50PLUS3,7702.541New
Party for the Animals3,4082.2910
Other parties9260.620
Total148,519100.0039
Valid votes148,51999.72
Invalid/blank votes4170.28
Total votes148,936100.00
Registered voters/turnout278,03953.57
Source: Kiesraad[7]

Friesland

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PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Labour Party70,33723.6611−1
Christian Democratic Appeal52,53017.678−4
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy41,08813.826+1
Frisian National Party27,2889.184−1
Party for Freedom25,1168.454New
Socialist Party24,8728.373−1
Christian Union18,9016.3630
GroenLinks15,5565.2320
Democrats 6612,6594.262+2
Other parties8,9603.010
Total297,307100.0043
Valid votes297,30799.74
Invalid/blank votes7730.26
Total votes298,080100.00
Registered voters/turnout497,36759.93
Source: Kiesraad[8]

Gelderland

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PartyVotes%Seats+/–
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy170,93919.1511+2
Labour Party148,02316.589−1
Christian Democratic Appeal144,46716.189−6
Party for Freedom92,56310.376New
Socialist Party87,0889.755−2
Democrats 6671,9518.064+3
GroenLinks55,4876.214+1
Christian Union43,4364.863−1
Reformed Political Party40,6044.552−1
50PLUS17,7431.991New
Party for the Animals16,2901.8210
Other parties4,2620.480
Total892,853100.0055+2
Valid votes892,85399.75
Invalid/blank votes2,2090.25
Total votes895,062100.00
Registered voters/turnout1,528,15158.57
Source: Kiesraad[9]

Groningen

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PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Labour Party65,54224.88120
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy34,70113.176+1
Socialist Party33,81212.836−1
Christian Democratic Appeal31,51711.965−4
Democrats 6620,5157.793+2
Party for Freedom20,3737.733New
Christian Union19,9997.593−1
GroenLinks19,0407.2330
Party for the North8,3123.1510
Party for the Animals5,6012.1310
Other parties4,0561.540
Total263,468100.0043
Valid votes263,46899.76
Invalid/blank votes6350.24
Total votes264,103100.00
Registered voters/turnout453,66158.22
Source: Kiesraad[10]

Limburg

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PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Party for Freedom92,48820.5810New
Christian Democratic Appeal87,23119.4110−8
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy71,88415.998+1
Labour Party60,68513.506−2
Socialist Party53,70911.956−3
GroenLinks24,0885.363+1
Democrats 6623,4875.232+1
50PLUS17,4623.892New
Other parties18,4314.100−2
Total449,465100.0047
Valid votes449,46599.68
Invalid/blank votes1,4260.32
Total votes450,891100.00
Registered voters/turnout872,08851.70
Source: Kiesraad[11]

North Brabant

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PartyVotes%Seats+/–
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy198,87020.7512+1
Christian Democratic Appeal166,31017.3510−8
Party for Freedom133,76013.968New
Socialist Party132,72313.858−4
Labour Party127,95813.357−1
Democrats 6676,7708.015+4
GroenLinks56,1135.863+1
50PLUS31,5543.291New
Party for the Animals17,3201.8110
Other parties16,9631.770−2
Total958,341100.0055
Valid votes958,34199.70
Invalid/blank votes2,8660.30
Total votes961,207100.00
Registered voters/turnout1,869,06751.43
Source: Kiesraad[12]

North Holland

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PartyVotes%Seats+/–
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy253,19522.32130
Labour Party226,73419.99110
Party for Freedom134,27511.846New
Democrats 66128,60011.346+4
Socialist Party109,0279.615−4
Christian Democratic Appeal100,7898.895−5
GroenLinks90,7938.0150
Party for the Animals28,0822.481−1
Elderly Party North Holland21,3541.8810
50PLUS19,6931.741New
Christian Union – Reformed Political Party19,6031.731−1
Other parties2,0580.180
Total1,134,203100.0055
Valid votes1,134,20399.68
Invalid/blank votes3,6930.32
Total votes1,137,896100.00
Registered voters/turnout1,987,96457.24
Source: Kiesraad[13]

Overijssel

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PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Christian Democratic Appeal105,15721.3711−6
Labour Party89,13418.1190
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy77,66115.788+2
Party for Freedom43,7608.894New
Socialist Party42,7358.684−2
Democrats 6636,5177.423+3
Christian Union35,4117.203−2
GroenLinks25,1145.1020
Reformed Political Party16,5273.3620
50PLUS12,8262.611New
Other parties7,3011.480
Total492,143100.0047
Valid votes492,14399.76
Invalid/blank votes1,1610.24
Total votes493,304100.00
Registered voters/turnout854,62357.72
Source: Kiesraad[14]

South Holland

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PartyVotes%Seats+/–
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy290,26020.73120
Labour Party230,38116.45100
Party for Freedom203,14314.518New
Christian Democratic Appeal158,90111.356−7
Socialist Party131,1809.375−3
Democrats 66123,6338.835+4
GroenLinks76,4835.4630
Christian Union54,8663.922−2
Reformed Political Party53,5683.8320
50PLUS34,9142.491New
Party for the Animals31,9102.2810
Other parties10,9140.780−1
Total1,400,153100.0055
Valid votes1,400,15399.63
Invalid/blank votes5,1350.37
Total votes1,405,288100.00
Registered voters/turnout2,604,36353.96
Source: Kiesraad[15]

Utrecht

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PartyVotes%Seats+/–
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy124,95222.1511+1
Labour Party82,72114.667−1
Christian Democratic Appeal68,01712.066−4
Democrats 6660,49110.725+3
Party for Freedom59,98810.635New
GroenLinks51,7219.1740
Socialist Party46,3368.214−2
Christian Union26,8564.762−2
Reformed Political Party16,8712.9910
50PLUS11,5622.051New
Party for the Animals11,3862.0210
Other parties3,3150.590−1
Total564,216100.0047
Valid votes564,21699.71
Invalid/blank votes1,6360.29
Total votes565,852100.00
Registered voters/turnout917,23261.69
Source: Kiesraad[16]

Zeeland

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PartyVotes%Seats+/–
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy28,55516.836+1
Labour Party26,87215.847+1
Christian Democratic Appeal24,10514.216−4
Party for Freedom20,01811.805New
Reformed Political Party18,82811.104−1
Socialist Party14,4128.493−2
Party for Zeeland9,4565.5720
Christian Union7,9654.692−1
Democrats 666,9674.112+2
GroenLinks6,0953.591−1
Other parties6,4013.770
Total169,674100.0038
Valid votes169,67499.80
Invalid/blank votes3430.20
Total votes170,017100.00
Registered voters/turnout288,91158.85
Source: Kiesraad[17]

Island council elections

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Political party 2007 2011 change
Bonaire island council
Union Patriotiko Boneriano (UPB) 5 4 -1
Partido Demokrátiko Boneriano (PDB) 4 3 -1
Partido Pro Hustisia & Union (PHU) - 1 +1
Movementu Boneiru Liber (MBL) - 1 +1
total 9 9
turnout 83% 75%
Saba island council
Windward Islands People's Movement (WIPM) 4 4 -
Saba Labour Party (SLP) 1 1 -
total 5 5
turnout 88%
Sint Eustatius island council
Democratische Partij (DP) 4 2 -2
Progressive Labour Party (PLP) 1 1 -
United People’s Coalition (UPC) - 1 +1
St. Eustatius Empowerment Party (STEP) - 1 +1
total 5 5
turnout 68%

References

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