Politics of the Netherlands

Politics in the Netherlands

Politiek in Nederland (Dutch)
Polity typeUnitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy
ConstitutionConstitution of the Netherlands
Legislative branch
NameStates General
TypeBicameral
Meeting placeInner Court
Upper house
NameSenate
Presiding officerJan Anthonie Bruijn, President of the Senate
Lower house
NameHouse of Representatives
Presiding officerMartin Bosma, Speaker of the House of Representatives
Executive branch
Head of state
TitleKing or Queen
CurrentlyKing Willem-Alexander
AppointerHereditary
Head of government
TitleKing or Queen (de jure)
Prime Minister (de facto)
CurrentlyDick Schoof
AppointerMonarch
Cabinet
NameCabinet of the Netherlands
Council of Ministers
Current cabinetSchoof cabinet
LeaderPrime Minister
Deputy leaderDeputy Prime Minister
AppointerMonarch
HeadquartersInner Court
Ministries15
Judicial branch
NameJudiciary of the Netherlands
Supreme Court
Chief judgeDineke de Groot
SeatThe Hague

The Netherlands is a parliamentary representative democracy. A constitutional monarchy, the country is organised as a decentralised unitary state.[1] The Netherlands can be described as a consociational state.[2] Dutch politics and governance are characterised by a common striving for broad consensus on important issues, within both of the political community and society as a whole.[1]

  1. ^ a b Civil service systems in Western Europe edited by A. J. G. M. Bekke, Frits M. Meer, Edward Elgar Publishing, 2000, Chapter 7
  2. ^ McGarry, John; O'Leary, Brendan (1993). "Introduction: The 4-political regulation of ethnic conflict". In McGarry, John; O'Leary, Brendan (eds.). The Politics of Ethnic Conflict Regulation: Case Studies of Protracted Ethnic Conflicts. London: Routledge. pp. 1–40. ISBN 0-415-07522-X.