Rutte IV coalition lost about half their seats; Voter turnout slightly lower than 2021

The four coalition parties that made up Rutte IV - VVD, D6t, CDA, and ChristenUnie - all lost seats in yesterday’s election. Of the 78 seats the parties won in the 2021 elections, just over half remain. According to the latest forecast from the ANP Election Service, the four parties are good for only 41 seats.

Relatively speaking, the CDA is the biggest loser. The party is expected to lose 10 of its 15 seats. D66 dropped from 24 to 9, and ChristenUnie from 5 to 3. The VVD was the largest party in the polls for a long time but had to surrender 10 of its 34 seats and becomes the third party after winner PVV and GroenLinks.

After a record-long formation, the four parties that entered into a coalition with each other in 2017 continued with the Rutte IV Cabinet. The Cabinet had many problems and internal quarrels from the start. In July, Rutte IV collapsed due to “irreconcilable differences” over asylum policy.

Turnout slightly lower than in 2021, 2017

The turnout for the Tweede Kamer elections is slightly lower than previous times. Based on just over 96 percent of votes counted, the turnout is 77.8 percent. In 2021, it was 78.7 percent. Then, the elections lasted three days due to the coronavirus pandemic. In 2017, 81.6 percent of eligible voters cast their votes.

On Wednesday, the turnout was the lowest in Rotterdam and Rijswijk at 64.3 percent. Schiermonnikoog had the highest turnout at over 117 percent. More people than were eligible also voted on Ameland and Vlieland. That is thanks to holidaymakers voting in a different municipality than they are registered as living in.

Of the provinces, Flevoland had the lowest turnout on Wednesday, with 72.5 percent. Two years ago, that province also closed the row with 75.4 percent. Less than three-quarters of eligible voters also voted in Zuid-Holland and LImburg on Wednesday. Overijssel had the highest turnout, with 81.6 percent.

The turnout decreased the most in Medemblik in Noord-Holland. About 66 percent of eligible voters went to the polling station, compared to 81.5 percent two years ago. Turnout also fell relatively sharply in Castricum, from 93.2 percent to 86.2 percent.

Vote count still outstanding from 9 municipalities

Nine municipalities have not yet reported their results to the ANP Election Service. The results of the special municipalities of Bonaire, Sint-Eustatius, and Saba have also not yet been received, nor have the votes of the Dutch people living abroad.

The municipalities for which the results are not yet known are Sittard-Geleen, Schiedam, Huizen, Valkenburg aan de Geul, Halderberge, West Betuwe, Brummen, Beuningen, and Bergen in Noord-Holland.

Three municipalities have submitted interim results. Amsterdam has counted 85 percent of the votes, Purmerend 98 percent, and Houten 72 percent.

Almost 98 percent of the votes throughout the Netherlands have been counted and passed on to the ANP Election Service. A forecast based on this shows that the PVV is the largest party, with 37 seats so far. GroenLinks-PvdA has 25 seats, and VVD has 24. Newcomer NSC will enter the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of the Dutch parliament, with 20 people.