2017 Dutch general election facts for kids

The 2017 Dutch general election was held on 15 March 2017. People in the Netherlands voted to choose the members of their parliament, called the House of Representatives. This election decided which political parties would get seats and form the next government.

What are Elections in the Netherlands?

In the Netherlands, elections are how citizens choose their representatives. These representatives then work in the House of Representatives. This group of people makes laws and decides how the country is run.

How Do Dutch Elections Work?

The Netherlands uses a system called proportional representation. This means that if a party gets 10% of the votes, they get about 10% of the seats in parliament. There are 150 seats in total. People vote for a political party, and the party then sends its chosen members to parliament.

Why is Voting Important?

Voting is a way for people to have a say in their country's future. It allows them to choose leaders who they believe will make good decisions for everyone.

Who Won the 2017 Election?

The election saw many political parties competing for seats. Here's a simple look at the main results:

• The People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), led by Mark Rutte, won the most seats. They got 33 seats.
• The Party for Freedom (PVV), led by Geert Wilders, came in second with 20 seats.
• The Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) and Democrats 66 (D66) both got 19 seats.
• GreenLeft (GL) had a big increase, winning 14 seats.
• The Socialist Party (SP) also won 14 seats.
• The Labour Party (PvdA) saw a large decrease in their seats, getting 9.
• Other parties like the ChristianUnion (CU), Party for the Animals (PvdD), 50PLUS (50+), Reformed Political Party (SGP), DENK, and Forum for Democracy (FvD) also won seats.

Election results by municipality.

What Happened After the Election?

After the election, the political parties had to work together to form a new government. This process is called coalition building. It can take a long time because parties need to agree on shared goals and policies. Eventually, a new government was formed, led by Mark Rutte. This government was known as the Third Rutte cabinet.

Related pages

• 2012 Dutch general election
• 2021 Dutch general election
• Third Rutte cabinet

• (nl) Tweede Kamerverkiezingen 2017, Parlement.com

Images for kids

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  Polling station in Winterswijk

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  Asscher campaigning

See also

In Spanish: Elecciones generales de los Países Bajos de 2017 para niños