Local parties have continued their rise in the municipal elections, winning a combined 3,391 seats. This is the highest number ever recorded. According to preliminary results collected by the ANP Election Service, 34 percent of voters chose a local party.
Among national parties, GroenLinks–PvdA suffered the largest loss in absolute numbers. The left-wing alliance secured 1,059 seats, a drop of 139 compared with the previous local elections. Proportionally, the Socialist Party (SP) was hit hardest. The party lost nearly four out of every ten council seats and is left with 103 in total.
The Christian Union (CU) also saw a steep decline. In municipalities where it ran independently, the party fell from 302 to 211 seats, resulting in a 30 percent loss. Forum for Democracy (FvD), by contrast, recorded substantial gains. The party increased its total number of seats from 55 to 299.
Within the governing coalition parties, the VVD achieved the strongest growth, gaining 66 seats. D66 added 57 seats, while the CDA lost 19.
@anp | NEWSBRAINPORT
