Prime Minister of the Netherlands facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Prime Minister of the Netherlands |
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| Ministry of General Affairs | |
| Member of |
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| Residence | Catshuis, The Hague |
| Seat | Torentje, The Hague |
| Appointer | Monarch of the Netherlands |
| Term length | Four years, renewable |
| Inaugural holder | Gerrit Schimmelpenninck |
| Formation | 25 March 1848 |
| Deputy | Deputy Prime Minister |
| Salary | €189,210 (2024) |
The Prime Minister of the Netherlands (Dutch: Minister-president van Nederland) is the main leader of the Dutch government. Even though the King is officially the head of government, the Prime Minister actually does most of the leading. They lead meetings of the Council of Ministers and make sure the government's plans work together. The Prime Minister also represents the Netherlands at important European meetings.
Forty-three people have served in this role. The current Prime Minister, Dick Schoof, started on 2 July 2024. His government, called the Schoof cabinet, began on the same day.
Contents
History of the Prime Minister's Role
The role of Prime Minister slowly became the main leader of the government. This person is usually the political leader of the largest party. Since 1845, the first minister's role became important. In that year, the Constitution of the Netherlands changed. It made ministers responsible to the parliament, not just to the King.
Until 1901, the job of leading the Council of Ministers officially rotated among different ministers. Between 1901 and 1945, it still rotated, but important politicians could lead for four years.
In 1937, a special department called the Ministry of General Affairs was created. This department was linked to the Prime Minister. Barend Biesheuvel (1971–1974) was the last Prime Minister who was not the leader of the largest party in his government. More recently, Dick Schoof (2024-present) is an independent politician. He was chosen to lead the current government. In 1983, the role of Prime Minister was officially written into the constitution.
The Prime Minister's position became stronger when the European Council was formed. In 2006, new rules allowed the Prime Minister to add any topic to the Council of Ministers' meeting agenda. Before this, they had to wait for another minister to suggest it.
What Does the Prime Minister Do?
The Prime Minister is the leading political figure in the Netherlands. They hold the highest actual office. However, they are not as powerful as leaders in some other countries, like the British prime minister or the German chancellor. This is because, in the past, all Dutch ministers were responsible to the King. Ministers used to take turns being Prime Minister, and they had little control over other ministers.
The Prime Minister's role became more important when ministers became responsible to the parliament. The job then mostly went to the leader of the biggest political party in the House of Representatives. Still, the Prime Minister's power is limited compared to leaders in other similar democracies. Their role is often described as primus inter pares, which means "first among equals."
After a constitutional review in 1983, the Prime Minister's role was officially added to the Dutch Constitution. The Constitution says that the government includes the King and the ministers. It also states that the Prime Minister leads the Council of Ministers (article 45). The King appoints the Prime Minister (article 43). The Prime Minister must also sign the official papers for their own appointment and those of other ministers (article 48). The King no longer attends the Council of Ministers' meetings.
The Prime Minister leads the weekly meetings of the Council of Ministers. They can also decide what topics will be discussed at these meetings. The Prime Minister is also the Minister of General Affairs. This means they play an important role in making sure government plans work together. They are also in charge of the Government Information Service.
The Prime Minister is also responsible for matters related to the royal family. They have a weekly meeting with the King to discuss government policy. The Prime Minister also acts as the public "face" of the government. After cabinet meetings on Friday, the Prime Minister holds a press conference. Here, they talk about the cabinet's decisions and current events.
The Prime Minister also has duties in international affairs. They attend the European Council every six months and meet with leaders from other countries. Since the 1980s, the Prime Minister's office has been in an octagonal tower called "The Little Tower" (Torentje). This tower is located in the Binnenhof in The Hague. The official residence, used for formal events, is the Catshuis. The last Prime Minister to live in the Catshuis was Dries van Agt. Mark Rutte lived in a flat in downtown The Hague during his time as Prime Minister.
Prime Ministers are almost always the political leader of their party. They are usually chosen as a member of the House of Representatives. However, they must give up their seat in parliament while they are a minister. Dutch ministers are not allowed to be members of parliament at the same time.
How a Prime Minister is Chosen
The Dutch election system makes it very hard for one party to win a clear majority in the House of Representatives. No party has done this since 1900. Because of this, Dutch governments are always formed by a group of two or more parties working together.
After elections, the House of Representatives appoints a "scout." This person gathers advice on how to understand the election results. Based on this advice, the House then appoints an informateur. This person checks possible groups of parties that could form a government. They also lead talks between these parties.
If these talks go well, the House then appoints a formateur. This person finishes the discussions between the parties that will form the new government. The formateur is almost always the leader of the largest party in the new government. This means they are usually the person who will become Prime Minister. Before 2012, the King played a big role in this process. However, changes in 2012 gave these tasks to the House of Representatives. This greatly reduced the King's influence.
It often takes several months of talks before a formateur is ready to officially accept the King's invitation to form a government. The King then appoints the ministers and state secretaries (junior ministers). These people then leave their seats in the House or other jobs if they were appointed without being a representative.
The second largest party in the government usually provides the main Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands. If there are more parties in the government, they usually each appoint one of their ministers to be a deputy prime minister.
Deputy Prime Ministers
The King appoints deputy prime ministers. Usually, all the smaller parties in the government get one deputy prime minister. They are ranked based on the size of their parties. The highest-ranking deputy present leads the cabinet meeting when the Prime Minister is not there. In the current Schoof cabinet, Fleur Agema leads these meetings as the first deputy prime minister. The other deputies are Sophie Hermans, Eddy van Hijum, and Mona Keijzer. If the Prime Minister and all deputies are absent, the oldest member of the cabinet leads the meeting.
Prime Minister and the Kingdom
The Prime Minister also leads the Council of Ministers for the entire Kingdom of the Netherlands. This means they deal with matters that affect the other countries in the kingdom: Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten. These countries have their own Prime Ministers: Evelyn Wever-Croes (Prime Minister of Aruba), Gilmar Pisas (Prime Minister of Curaçao), and Luc Mercelina (Prime Minister of Sint Maarten). The Council of Ministers of the Kingdom of the Netherlands also includes special ministers from these other countries.
See also
In Spanish: Primer ministro de los Países Bajos para niños
