Senate (Netherlands) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Senate Eerste Kamer der Staten-Generaal
States General of the Netherlands
Type
Type	Upper house
Leadership
President	Jan Anthonie Bruijn, VVD Since 2 July 2019
First Vice President	Mei Li Vos, GL–PvdA Since 4 July 2023
Second Vice President	Robert Croll, BBB Since 4 July 2023
Structure
Seats	75
Political groups	Coalition (demissionary) (24)      VVD (10)      CDA (6)      D66 (5)      CU (3) Opposition (51)      BBB (16)      GL–PvdA (14)      PVV (4)      SP (3)      PvdD (3)      JA21 (3)      FvD (2)      SGP (2)      Volt (2)      50PLUS (1)      OPNL (1)
Length of term	4 years
Elections
Voting system	Indirect party-list proportional
Last election	30 May 2023
Next election	May 2027
Meeting place
Plenary Hall of the Senate, Binnenhof, The Hague

The Senate is an important part of the government in the Netherlands. It is also known as the "First Chamber of the States General" (Eerste Kamer der Staten-Generaal). This group of 75 members helps make laws for the country.

Senators are chosen by people who are already elected in different parts of the Netherlands. These elections happen every four years. Each area's vote counts differently based on how many people live there.

Senators often have other jobs and work part-time in the Senate. They meet once a week to discuss new laws. Their main job is to check new laws carefully. They can say "yes" or "no" to a law, but they cannot change it. They also cannot start new laws themselves.

What's in a Name?

Even though we call it the "Senate" in English, its official Dutch name is "First Chamber of the States General." People often just say "First Chamber." Sometimes, the media also uses the word Senaat, which means Senate.

Members of this group are officially called "Members of the First Chamber" (Eerste Kamerlid). You might also hear them called "senators."

A Look Back: History of the Senate

Exterior of the Senate Building from the Binnenhof.

Exterior of the Senate Building from the Hofvijver.

The idea of the Senate started a long time ago in the Netherlands. In 1814, the country had one main group that made laws. But when the southern parts of the Netherlands joined, they wanted two groups. This is called a bicameral system. They wanted a place for important families (nobility) in the government.

So, in 1815, a new rulebook (constitution) created the Senate. At first, the king chose senators for life. These senators often helped the king stop laws he didn't like.

Over time, things changed. In 1848, new rules made it so people could directly vote for the other main law-making group, the House of Representatives. But the Senate stayed different. People thought senators should be more independent and think deeply about laws. They didn't want senators to have to campaign for votes like other politicians.

So, it was decided that members of local councils (provincial councils) would choose the senators. This way, the Senate could focus on making sure laws were good and well-thought-out.

People have sometimes suggested changing or even getting rid of the Senate. But these ideas never got enough support to happen.

More changes came in 1922. The way senators were elected became fairer, using a system called proportional representation. This means that if a political party gets a certain percentage of votes, they get roughly that percentage of seats. The number of senators grew from 50 to 75 in 1956.

In 1983, the time a senator serves was shortened to four years, just like the House of Representatives. Now, all 75 senators are elected at the same time, every four years.

Political Groups in the Senate

Senators belong to different political parties, just like in other governments. These parties form groups in the Senate. Here's a look at the groups and how many seats they have:

Leaders of the Senate

The Senate has a special group that handles its daily tasks. This group is called the College of President and Vice-Presidents. It includes the President of the Senate and two Vice-Presidents.

Position	Portrait	Name	Group
President since 2 July 2019		Jan Anthonie Bruijn (born 1958)		VVD
First Vice-President since 4 July 2023		Mei Li Vos (born 1970)		GroenLinks–PvdA
Second Vice-President since 4 July 2023		Robert Croll (born 1954)		Farmer–Citizen Movement

How Senators Are Chosen

Who Can Be a Senator?

To be a senator, you must be a Dutch citizen. You also need to be 18 years old or older. You must be allowed to vote. However, you cannot be a member of both the Senate and the House of Representatives at the same time.

The Election System

The 75 senators are chosen every four years. They are elected by members of the local governments in the twelve provinces of the Netherlands. Since 2019, special groups in the Caribbean Netherlands also help elect senators.

The seats are given out using a system called party-list proportional representation. This means that if a party gets a certain percentage of the total votes, they get roughly that percentage of the 75 seats.

The vote of each local government member counts differently. It depends on how many people live in their province. This is called weighted voting. For example, a vote from a province with more people counts more than a vote from a smaller province. This makes sure all citizens are fairly represented.

Here's how the votes were weighted in the 2019 election:

How the Senate Has Changed Over Time

The number of seats each party has in the Senate changes after every election. Here's a table showing how the parties have done in past elections:

* Reformatory Political Federation (RPF) and Reformed Political League (GPV)

See also

In Spanish: Senado de los Estados Generales para niños

• List of presidents of the Senate (Netherlands)