Don’t know who to vote for in the Dutch elections on 29 October? You’re not alone – apparently somewhere between almost half (47%) and almost all (83%) of Dutch voters aren’t entirely sure yet, despite the election being next week. It doesn’t help that there are up to 27 parties on the ballot, depending on where you vote. Parties have to get signatures of support in each of the 20 voting areas, which nine of the smaller parties didn’t manage to do, which sort of scuppers any slim chance they might have had. Only 15-16 of the 27 are predicted to win any seats (*), and none of the six new parties are expected to break through this time. Though with that many undecided who really knows.
So, for those who can vote and are undecided, and for those who can’t vote but are curious about the madness of having a ballot that measures more than a metre wide, here is a decidedly personal and perhaps mildly biased summary of all 27 parties, from Right to Left. Ish – I make no claims that relative positions on my list are exactly politically accurate.
The Right
*FVD – Forum voor Democratie – Forum for Democracy
For the Ayn Rand bros falling into fascism
Started as a thinktank to fight for Nexit in 2013, now an extreme radical right party flirting with fascism. The first and only leader is Thierry Baudet who slipped very deep into right-wing conspiracy land while appealing to anti-vaxxers during the pandemic. He does not play well with others – people keep leaving and forming other parties, and he doesn’t give others much say in how the party is run or what it stands for, even now they have a female bro supposedly taking the lead.
2023: 3; Polling: 3-5
*JA21 – Juiste Antwoord 21 – Correct Answer 21 (or Yes21)
FVD without Thierry’s crazy
The most successful of the parties started by those leaving the FVD (guess which year!). Very similar to FVD but without the conspiracy Kool-Aid. Surging in the polls, partially because they gained a prominent new member, a former PVVer who got noticed because she actually stood up to Wilders. It may also be because they are positioning themselves as the radical right party that does work well with others.
2023: 1; Polling: 10-14
BVNL – Belang Van Nederland – Interest of the Netherlands
Less successful JA21
A less successful party started by an ex-FVD member. This one left in 2021 because he objected to Thierry comparing lockdown to the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. BNVL claim to be less socially conservative and more focused on economic liberalism than FVD. They didn’t win a seat in 2023 and aren’t predicted to this time either.
2023: 0; Polling: 0
*BBB – BoerBurgerBeweging – Farmer Citizen Movement
Otherwise known as the Angry Farmer Movement (Boze Boeren Beweging)
BBB was formed in 2019 after widespread farmers’ protests against meeting EU nitrate pollution laws and burst on the scene, surprising everyone (including themselves) by winning the 2023 provincial elections in all 12 provinces. It’s a right-wing populist party, but not as extreme as the others, and more agrarian. They support farmers (unsurprisingly) and oppose wind turbines and other environmental goals. They were part of the last cabinet, which probably didn’t do them any favours this time around.
2023: 7; Polling: 2-4
*PVV – Partij voor de Vrijheid – Party for Freedom
Radical right, anti-immigrant populists
For a populist party, the PVV has a surprisingly leftist economic policy (though only for “real” Dutch people) but they really don’t like Islam. Founded in 2005 by Geert Wilders, who really does not play well with others. He formed a government for the first time in 2023 but brought it down himself because he wouldn’t follow the carefully negotiated coalition agreement. No one was particularly surprised, especially as he’d previously brought down a government he’d promised to support. But it’s not just other parties that he doesn’t work well with – the PVV is technically an association headed only by Wilders, not a party, so even those who represent the PVV in various governments are not members and have no say in standpoints or policies. It doesn’t seem to be hurting them though, unlike the other three parties they governed with.
2023: 37; Polling: 29-35
*SGP – Staatkundig Gereformeerde Partij – Reformed Political Party
Bible thumping theocrats
Right-wing conservative Christian Party that has been in opposition since its start in 1918, the oldest party still existing in its present form. They usually win about 2% of the vote. Hold predictable Bible belt positions based on what they’re sure God said, especially about women, gays, the environment and the importance of a theocracy.
2023: 3; Polling: 2-4
LP – Libertaire Partij (was Libertarische Partij) – Libertarian Party
What the label says
Their slogan is “The saw through The Hague” (which rhymes in Dutch) complete with the leader warming up a chainsaw like a cheesy commercial about cutting prices. They want “a free world, a world in which no one is forced to sacrifice his or her life and property for the benefit of others”. I wonder how they address having and rearing children. Anyway, they keep switching focus and have not won a seat anywhere since their founding in 1993. You can’t vote for them on Bonaire.
2023: 0; Polling: 0
Vrij Verbond – Free Covenant
Nice libertarians?
A new party that split off from LP. According to leader, “we’re right wing, but then much nicer”. They call themselves right progressive, which means they’re for a small government and freedom to do what you want. They only managed to get on 13 of the 20 ballots.
Polling: 0
De Linie – The Line
“Til here and not further” or “I would do anything for love, but I won’t do that”
A party set up very quickly by the former 50PLUS member who was at the centre of the latest drama. They seem to be mostly against bureaucracy (though is anyone really pro?) and say they’re right wing, along the lines of the VVD. They’ve already lost one person on their list who didn’t realize they were going to be so right wing until he saw the platform, but it doesn’t matter since they only managed to get on the ballot in half of the voting areas.
Polling: 0
*VVD – Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie – People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy
Mostly big business’s party for the free market and lower taxes
Classic liberal party, pro market, laissez faire. Really fond of being in government. They’ve been in the cabinet for 55 of the 77 years since their formation in 1948, with the last streak starting in 2010 and Rutte’s four cabinets. Stay in government by not being too picky about coalition parties – they’ve ruled with parties from the PVV to the PvdA. In 2023 said they wouldn’t work with PVV, but they did. Now say they won’t work with GL/PvdA. We’ll see.
2023: 24; Polling 12-16
The Centre
*50PLUS
Because pensioners didn’t have enough political power
This centrist party advocates for pensioners interests. They were founded in 2009 and did well at first but soon fell apart through a complex soap opera of infighting, complete with people being thrown out of the party, police being called and much more. Somehow, they still usually manage to get a seat or two in each election except for the last one. You can’t vote for them in Bonaire.
2023: 0; Polling: 0-2
*CDA – Christen-Democratisch Appèl – Christian Democratic Appeal
Smack dab in the middle of centrist, and Christian
Founded in 1975 and had two long periods of leading the government but have been declining since the last one ended in 2010 (though they’ve been in three of the five cabinets). The party took a big hit in the last election when former member Peter Omtzigt left and started the NSC but are coming back swinging in this one because their new party leader is popular.
2023: 5; Polling 22-26
*NSC – Nieuw Sociaal Contract – New Social Contract
Omtzigt’s new CDA, now without Omtzigt
The NSC appears to be a one-election wonder. Started by a disaffected CDA member, Peter Omtzigt, who became famous for standing up for the families who were discriminated against by the government in the childcare benefits scandal, and who collided a lot with the party, the NSC got 20 seats in last election, their first, and was one of the four parties in the cabinet. However, Omtzigt has left politics due to burnout, and the party may be completely wiped out without him.
2023: 20; Polling: 0-1
Piratenpartij – Pirate Party
Sail the seven seas
Not so much about peg legs and parrots as the more digital sort of liberating goods, this party has limited standpoints, all to do with information freedom. They want to curb copyright law, remodel patent law, protect and strengthen digital civil rights and good government IT practices. They’ve won some local seats but haven’t won a national seat, yet? You can’t vote for them in Assen or Bonaire.
2023: 0; Polling: 0
FNP – Fryske Nasjonale Partij – Frisian National Party
Stop ignoring us!
A regional party meant to strengthen the Frisian language and culture and advocate for more self-government for the Frisian minority. They’ve been around since 1961 and they do well in provincial and municipal elections, but this is their first time on the national stage. You can’t vote for them in Amsterdam, Haarlem, Rotterdam or Leiden. You can actually vote for them in Limburg, but it’s unlikely – apparently the flyers brought there were the Frisian language ones by accident. This would especially annoy the Limburgers because they’d also like their language officially recognized.
Polling: 0
The Left
*DENK – Think (in Dutch) and Equal/Balanced (in Turkish)
No discrimination, unless you’re gay
DENK was founded by two Turkish PvdA members of parliament who objected to a PvdA minister’s stance on Turkish organizations and were thrown out but then very quickly formed a new party. They have an interesting mix of ideologies – they support an inclusive, pluralistic society but have conservative positions on moral issues and they call for a more sustainable society, but don’t want wind on land or taxes on polluting consumer products, fossil fuels or flights, or really anything that would mean changing lifestyles. They support the interests of many Muslim groups but are not specifically Muslim – the current leader is agnostic.
2023: 3; Polling: 2-4
*D66 – Democraten 66 – Democrats 66
Can’t we all just get along?
Another party that makes its founding year easy to remember, D66 calls itself a progressive social liberal party. It’s the least offensive political party out there, to both sides of the spectrum, which says something about how controversial its standpoints aren’t. The party is for a mixed economy, spending on education and financial and technical environmental solutions. It’s especially popular with university educated urban dwellers.
2023: 9; Polling: 14-19
*Volt
D66 for young people who like Europe
Part of Volt Europa, a European level political movement. They’re for a strong EU with more power, climate neutrality, an economy centred on people’s wellbeing, a basic income and more international high-speed trains.
2023: 2; Polling: 2-4
*CU – ChristenUnie – Christian Union
D66, but Christian
CU’s Christianness can be seen in its opposition to abortion and euthanasia, but most of its positions are based on the ideas of neighbourly love and stewardship for the Earth, which makes them centre left. Like D66, they are also pro-entrepreneurial.
2023: 3; Polling: 2-4
PVDR – Partij voor de Rechtstaat – Party for Rule of Law
It’s not fair! Make the government be nicer!
A brand-new party that only managed to get on two of the 20 ballots (in Friesland and Amsterdam), PVDR wants to put fundamental values like safety, justice and equality first, especially women’s rights and inclusion. They don’t consider themselves left or right, but I’d say these values make them more left. They’re focusing on growing the party.
Polling: 0
ELLECT
Human trafficking is very bad, ok?
A new party started by someone who calls herself an apostle and leads ‘God Own Ministries Worldwide’. The main goal is to work against human trafficking and abuse and to help reduce the impact of poverty. You can only vote for the party on five ballots and it’s extremely unlikely to win a seat.
Polling: 0
*PvdA – Partij van de Arbeid – Labour Party
Classic labour party
A social democratic labour party that’s been around since 1946 when it was formed by group who’d got to talking about fragmentation in Dutch politics while interned by the Germans. It has been in and out of the government since then. It holds typical labour party positions, supporting workers and the less financially fortunate. In 2023, PvdA and GroenLinks decided to combine their policy program and list on the ballot and so became the second largest party after the PVV. The cooperation continues this time around and the combined party is combatting CDA for second place. Apparently the two parties will become one in 2026, which is good because GL/PvdA is annoying to type on the phone.
2023: 25; Polling: 22-26 (with GL)
NL Plan – Nederland Met Een Plan – The Netherlands with a Plan
Still need to plan the plan
A leftist party with alleged links to the Chinese Communist Party, though the founder is fighting that in court. He says they’re the only party with a plan, but if you look at the plan, it’s actually 81 pages of statements of how the world should be without concrete measures to get there. They didn’t get a seat their first time up in 2023 and are not likely to do so this time, especially as they’ve only got one candidate and are only on 9 of the 20 ballots. Apparently the candidate is doing well on TikTok though – too bad for him most high schoolers can’t vote.
Polling: 0
BIJ1 – Together
The party for social justice warriors
The founder started with DENK for the anti-racism but found they weren’t progressive enough regarding other groups. It started as Art1cle (Article 1 of the Dutch constitution prohibits discrimination), but lost the name in a trademark dispute, which explains the 1 in the name. They got two seats in the 2021 election but were quickly embroiled in interparty problems, didn’t get a seat in 2023, and are not likely to get one this time.
2023: 0; Polling: 0
*GL – GroenLinks – Green Left
Green. And left.
Unlike all the parties that started out by splitting off from another party, GL was founded in 1990 by four small left-wing parties coming together. At the time, those parties were to the left of the PvdA, but now GL and PvdA are working together and there are a couple parties further to the left. They’re in favour of crazy ideas like being good to the environment, distributing things fairly and being nice to everyone.
2023: 25; Polling: 22-26 (with PvdA)
*SP – Socialistische Partij – Socialist Party
Old school reds
The SP started in 1971 as a pro-worker Maoist (but not pro-Chinese Communists) party that split off from the Communist party due to not wanting the intellectuals to take over. They dropped Marxism-Leninism in 1991, and perhaps not coincidentally, were elected to parliament for the first time in the next election in 1994. They hit a high of 25 seats in 2006 but have fallen since then. They want to protect the working class and find an alternative to capitalism.
2023: 5; Polling: 3-5
*PvdD – Partij voor de Dieren – Party for the Animals
Radical greens
PvdD was founded in 2002 as a single-issue party (animal rights), in reaction to government plans to roll back animal rights, perhaps as a way to get even with environmental activists after one assassinated right-wing populist Pim Fortuyn. They almost won a seat in 2003 and did in 2006 and have been in parliament since. Having figured out Ecology 101 (everything is related), they now have a wide scope and want to improve everyone’s lives by creating an environmentally and socially sustainable society with a different economic system that stays within limits to growth. Sounds terrible, right?
2023: 3; Polling: 3-5
Vrede voor Dieren – Peace for Animals
Defence for animals, but nothing for defence
Pacifist members of the PvdD formed this new party because they object to calling for more investment in European defence to reduce independence on the US. They don’t see any problem in working with PvdD in the Tweede Kamer (the sentiment is not necessarily returned), but it’s unlikely to matter.
Polling: 0
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Polling taken from combined polls updated 21 October at the Peilingwijzer
Information taken from party websites, Wikipedia and news articles, and from paying attention to Dutch politics since I moved here in 2007. Logos taken from Wikipedia, or the party website if not on that page. Image from Stemwijzer, answering no opinion to all questions – it only covers the parties likely to get a seat.
