The Dutch parliamentary elections of November 2023

Abstract

After the fall of the Rutte IV (2022–2024) government on 7 July 2023, new elections were held on 22 November 2023. The biggest shock of the election was the emergence of the radical right Freedom Party (PVV) as the largest party in Parliament (37 seats, out of 150). A new party, the New Social Contract (NSC), founded by former Christian Democrat MP Pieter Omtzigt, entered Parliament with 20 seats. Although unable to recreate its dramatic success at the Provincial elections in the spring, the Farmer-Citizen Movement (BBB) nevertheless increased its representation from 1 to 7 seats. Although it had lost 10 seats, the Liberal Party (VVD) was seen as a logical choice to join these three winners in forming a new right-wing Cabinet. Formation was hampered by a distrust of the commitment of the PVV to democracy and the rule of law. Ultimately, a ‘program’ or ‘extra-parliamentary’ Cabinet was proposed. The leaders of the parliamentary parties would remain in Parliament rather than becoming ministers in the new Cabinet and half of the new cabinet ministers would be sought outside of politics. In the end, these goals were not fully achieved, although the new Prime Minister, Dick Schoof, had had a career in the civil service rather than politics. Most of the ministers came from the ranks of the four parliamentary parties. The new Cabinet was installed on 2 July 2024.