Dutch protest vote worrying for EU?[fr][de] 

Main results of the 22 November Dutch elections:

• the reigning CDA (Christian-Democrats) of Jan Peter Balkenende has been confirmed as the leading party in the next Parliament (keeping 41 of the 150 seats; against 43 in 2003);
• challenger Wouter Bos of the Social-Democrat PvdA lost ten seats (32 in 2006 - 42 in 2003);
• another big loser is coalition partner VVD (Liberals) (22 seats versus 28 in 2003);
• socialist party SP of Jan Marijnissen (critical of the EU, anti-liberal) becomes the third party, winning 17 seats (26 now versus 9 in 2003);
• the list of killed Dutch rebel Pim Fortuyn loses all its seats (8 in 2003);
• green party Groen Links stabilises, losing one seat (7 now versus 8 in 2003);
• D66 (left-liberal) gets halved (from 6 seats in 2003 to 3 now);
• the social Christian Union doubled from 3 to 6 seats;
• remarkable is also the big victory of the anti-Islam Party for Freedom of Geert Wilders, winning 9 seats (0 in 2003);
• the Party for the Animals gained two seats (first participation).

Dutch political analysts commented that the clear protest vote could lead to political deadlock for the coalition formations, as neither a coalition CDA-VVD, nor a combination CDA-PvdA would get a majority. A progressive cabinet of PvdA-SP and Groen Links is also mathematically impossible.

It is unclear what the implications of these elections will be for the European Union, but the strong protest vote for the very EU-critical SP and the anti-immigration party might spell bad news for the future of the European Constitution.

The big win for the SP confirms that the Netherlands have turned from a reliable EU lover to a euro-critical country. The party of Marijnissen has rejected the EU draft Constitution and wants to renationalise European policies in the areas of education, health, social affairs, public transport and housing. It also wants a stronger role for national parliaments in European decision-making.