Understanding Dutch Politics – Government, Laws and Elections
Understanding Dutch Politics – Government, Laws and Elections If you want to understand the Netherlands and its people, it is essential that you also understand something about their politics. After all, politics and culture go hand in hand. So which are the main elements of the Dutch political system? How do their elections work? What role do the different Dutch government bodies have? All these questions and more will be answered in this article. Government and Executive Bodies The Netherlands is a constitutional monarchy. This means that the country has a king as formal head of state. While the king has no political power, he is part of state occasions such as meetings of parliament and ceremonies. The real power lies within the parliament, the cabinet and the local governments. Parliament The core of the Dutch political system is Parliament, or the Staten-Generaal. This is the main legislative body, consisting of the Second Chamber or House of Representatives and the Senate. Wi...