On Wednesday 20th March, the Netherlands heads to the polls to elect new provincial representatives and water board. What are the issues that matter to voters in the north? In the days leading up to the elections, The Northern Times will be sharing a guide for international covers in each province.
By Traci White and Thomas Ansell
What is being voted on?
The main election on 20th March is the provincial council. You may remember the gemeente (municipality) elections that took place in late 2018, and a similar array of parties are standing this time. The provinces have large sway and exceptionally large budgets, and so electing someone you feel is representative of your views is important. There are 12 provinces in the Netherlands, and each province has its own council called the provinciale staten. The number of members in each provincial council depends on the local population: more residents, more representatives. The members elected to the provincial council are in turn responsible for appointing the members of the Gedeputeerde Staten – the Provincial Executive – and, as of 2019, the members of the Upper Chamber of the Dutch parliament.
In addition to the provincial council, the 20th March election includes voting on a uniquely Dutch branch of government: the Water Boards. The boards cover the provinces, sometimes spanning one of more, and are the oldest form of democratically elected local government in the Netherlands. Water boards are responsible for:
-Managing dunes, dikes, quays, and levees to keep water levels sustainable
-Management and maintenance of waterways
-Maintenance of water levels in polders
-Treating waste water, including polluted water
| Who can vote?
Anyone can vote for their Water Board. You just need to be registered within the Basisregistratie Personen (which gives you a BSN number). If you need to order a new voting pass (“Stempas”), it can be done from this web page. Only Dutch citizens can vote in the provincial-level elections. |
General party stances
UPDATE: 1:24 p.m., Tuesday, 12 March
The following party orientations are based on the parties’ stated stances in the provincial election site, friesland.mijnstem,nl, although newcomers Forum voor Democratie declined to take part, and Denk had no stated stance on any of the issues. The Dutch political parties that are standing in the Frisian provincial elections are spread across the political spectrum. If you consider politics upon two axes – left-right economically and conservative-progressive socially – the most left/progressive party on Friesland’s issues is the Partij voor de Dieren (Party for the Animals) whilst the most right/conservative party is the VVD (People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy) of current Dutch PM Mark Rutte.
- Partij voor de Dieren (Party for the Animals): Hard Left/ Very Progressive
- Natuurlijk Fryslân (Naturally Friesland): Hard left/Very progressive
- Democrats 66 (D66): Centrist/Very Progressive
- GroenLinks (Green Left): Mid Left/Very Progressive
- Socialistische Partij (Socialist Party, SP): Hard Left/ Mid Progressive
- Denk (Dutch for “think”, Turkish for “equal”): Soft Left/Quite Progressive
- PvdA (Labour Party): Soft Left/Quite Progressive
- 50 Plus (focused on issues for the elderly): Soft Left/Quite Progressive
- Provinciaal Belang Fryslân (Provincial Interest Friesland):Neither progressive nor conservative
- FNP (Frisian National Party): Soft left/Neither progressive nor conservative
- Christen Unie (Christian Union): Soft Left/Neither progressive nor conservative
- CDA (Christian Democratic Appeal): Centrist/Quite Conservative
- PVV (Freedom Party): Soft Right/Very Conservative
- VVD (People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy): Far Right/Very Conservative
- Forum voor Democratie (Forum for Democracy): Far right/Very Conservative
- SGP (reformed Political Party): Far right/Very conservative
| Voting record in Friesland
In addition to the traditional party stance voting compass, the province of Friesland is the only one in the Netherlands that is also using a meestemmeter: the parties’ prior voting records on the issues. Parties that were not previously in the council – namely Denk and Forum voor Democratie – were not included. The voting record tracker is in Dutch, but it is helpful to keep in mind when considering the party’s current stances this election. You can find the voting track record of the Frisian parties at meestemmeter.nl. |
Where do the parties stand on:
Government Leadership & Policy Issues
- On whether Friesland should hold referenda
Most pro: SP, FNP, D66, Partij voor de Dieren, 50Plus, Provinciaal Belang Fryslân
Most anti: CDA, VVD, ChristenUnie
- On working exclusively with sustainable companies
Most pro: ChristenUnie, Partij voor de Dieren, 50Plus, Natuurlijk Fryslân
Most anti: VVD, FNP, PVV, Provinciaal Belang Fryslân
- On whether the province should collaborate more closely with Groningen and Drenthe
Most pro: D66, GroenLinks, Partij voor de Dieren, 50Plus,
Most anti: CDA, VVD, FNP, ChristenUnie, Natuurlijk Fryslân, SGP
Culture
- On enforcing stricter standards for Frisian language education
Most pro: FNP, PVV, ChristenUnie, SGP
Most anti: CDA, PvdA, VVD, D66
Nature and the environment
- On whether agricultural land should revert to natural use
Most pro: ChristenUnie, D66, GroenLinks, Partij voor de Dieren, Natuurlijk Fryslân
Most anti: CDA, VVD, PVV, SGP
- On whether Friesland should become climate neutral sooner (by 2030) rather than later (by 2050)
Most pro: PvdA, ChristenUnie, D66, GroenLinks, Partij voor de Dieren, Natuurlijk Fryslân
Most anti: CDA, VVD, FNP, PVV, Provinciaal Belang Fryslân, SGP
- On wind parks on Frisian soil:
Most pro: PvdA, SP, ChristenUnie, GroenLinks, Provinciaal Belang Fryslân, Natuurlijk Fryslân
Most anti: CDA, VVD, FNP, PVV, D66, Partij voor de Dieren, 50Plus, SGP
- On shooting geese on farm land to prevent damaging crops
Most pro: CDA, FNP, SGP
Most anti: SP, GroenLinks, Partij voor de Dieren, Natuurlijk Fryslân
- On additional subsidies for organic farming
Most pro: ChristenUnie, D66, GroenLinks, Partij voor de Dieren, 50Plus, Natuurlijk Fryslân
Most anti: PVV, VVD, SGP
- On closing the waste-to-energy plant Omrin in Harlingen
Most pro: CDA, PvdA, SP, PVV, D66, Partij voor de Dieren Natuurlijk Fryslân
Most anti: VVD, ChristenUnie, Provinciaal Belang Fryslân
- On whether the province should buy more land and connect it to existing natural landscapes
Most pro: PvdA, D66, GroenLinks, Partij voor de Dieren, 50Plus, Natuurlijk Fryslân
Most anti: CDA, FNP, PVV
- On additional intensive cattle farms in Friesland
Most pro: VVD, PVV, Provinciaal Belang Fryslân
Most anti: PvdA, SP, FNP, D66, GroenLinks, Partij voor de Dieren, 50Plus, Natuurlijk Fryslân
- On whether profits generated from Windpark Fryslân should be invested in the whole province (pro) or in the immediate vicinity of where it was generated (anti)
Most pro: VVD, SP, ChristenUnie, D66, GroenLinks, SGP
Most anti: CDA, FNP, Partij voor de Dieren, 50Plus, Natuurlijk Fryslân
Quality of life and working
- On creating new business parks in Friesland
Most pro: CDA, VVD, Provinciaal Belang Fryslân
Most against: PvdA, FNP, PVV, D66, GroenLinks, Partij voor de Dieren
- On using green space outside city limits for homes (pro) or preserving nature (anti)
Most pro: CDA, VVD
Most anti: SP, FNP, PVV, D66, GroenLinks, Partij voor de Dieren, Natuurlijk Fryslân, SGP
- On basing ground water levels on nature (pro) or agriculture (anti)
Most pro: PvdA, SP, FNP, D66, GroenLinks, Partij voor de Dieren, 50Plus, Natuurlijk Fryslân
Most anti: CDA, VVD, PVV
- On building small wind mills within city limits
Most pro: CDA, SP, ChristenUnie, D66, GroenLinks, Partij voor de Dieren
Most anti: PVV
Traffic and Transport
- On reducing road taxes
Most pro: CDA, VVD, FNP, PVV
Most anti: SP, ChristenUnie, D66, GroenLinks, Natuurlijk Fryslân
- On public transport service in villages being offered by request (pro) or on a regular schedule (anti)
Most pro: VVD, PVV, Natuurlijk Fryslân
Most anti: CDA, SP, FNP, D66, GroenLinks, Partij voor de Dieren, 50Plus
- On whether Friesland should start its own public transport company (pro) or continue to tender public transport service (anti)
Most pro: SP, FNP, D66, Partij voor de Dieren, 50Plus, Natuurlijk Fryslân
Most anti: CDA, VVD, ChristenUnie, SGP
- On whether Friesland should prioritise price (pro) or emissions levels (anti) when tendering public transport service
Most pro: CDA, VVD, SP, FNP, PVV
Most anti: ChristenUnie, D66, Partij voor de Dieren, Natuurlijk Fryslân
- On building the Zuiderzee rail line
Most pro: VVD, SP, ChristenUnie, D66, Partij voor de Dieren, 50Plus, Natuurlijk Fryslân
Most anti: CDA, FNP
- On whether the province should invest more in roadways (pro) or public transport (anti)
Most pro: VVD, ChristenUnie,
Most anti: PvdA, SP, FNP, D66, GroenLinks, Partij voor de Dieren, 50Plus, Natuurlijk Fryslân
Photo source: J.M. Luijt/Wikipedia
