Senate (Netherlands)

First Chamber or Senate Eerste Kamer
States General of the Netherlands
Type
Type	Upper house
Leadership
President	Ankie Broekers-Knol, VVD Since 2 July 2013
First Vice President	Marijke Linthorst, PvdA Since 9 July 2013
Second Vice President	Hans Franken, CDA Since July 5, 2011
Structure
Seats	75
Political groups	Government (21)      VVD (13)      PvdA (8) Opposition (54)      CDA (12)      D66 (10)      PVV (9)      SP (9)      GL (4)      CU (3)      PvdD (2)      SGP (2)      50PLUS (2)      OSF (1)
Length of term	4 years
Elections
Voting system	Indirect election
Last election	26 May 2015
Meeting place
Senate Chamber Binnenhof The Hague Netherlands
Website
www.eerstekamer.nl

The First Chamber (Dutch: Eerste Kamer [ˈeːrstə ˈkaːmər]), often known as the Senate (Dutch: Senaat [səˈnaːt]), is the upper house of the States General, the legislature of the Netherlands. Its 75 members are elected by the members of the twelve States-Provincial every four years, within three months of the provincial elections.

Members of the Senate are part-timers who often hold other positions as well. They receive an allowance which is about a quarter of the salary of the members of the House of Representatives. Unlike the politically more significant House of Representatives, it meets only once a week. Its members tend to be veteran politicians or part-time politicians at the national level, often having other roles.

It has the right to accept or reject legislative proposals but not to amend them or to initiate legislation. Directly after a bill has been passed by the House of Representatives, it is sent to the Senate and is submitted to a parliamentary committee. The committee decides whether the bill can be immediately put on the agenda of the full chamber or there should first be preparatory study of the bill. If a bill is immediately put on the agenda of the full chamber, it is passed as a formality without a debate.

The Senate was instituted by King William I in 1815. When the Netherlands and Belgium were united in 1815, the Belgians in particular pressed for the introduction of a bicameral system. In its early years, the Senate served as a bulwark of the Crown (the king and his ministers) since it was still able to block bills that displeased the king. Such bills were usually private member's bills from the House of Representatives. At that time, the members of the House of Representatives too were elected indirectly.

The members of the Senate were not elected, but were confidants of the king and were appointed for life. The Senate remained in existence after the separation from Belgium in 1830.

Much changed in the political sphere as a result of the introduction of a new constitution in 1848. The position of the Senate and the criteria governing eligibility to stand for election were among the changes. Monitoring the quality of legislation gradually came to be the main function of the Senate after 1848.

Composition

Further information: Dutch Senate election, 2015

 Party breakdown of the Senate after the 2015 indirect elections

Parties	Seats 2015	Seats 2011	Seats 2007	Seats 2003	Seats 1999	Seats 1995	Seats 1991
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD)	13	16	14	15	19	23	12
Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA)	12	11	21	23	20	19	27
Democrats 66 (D66)	10	5	2	3	4	7	12
Party for Freedom (PVV)	9	10
Socialist Party (SP)	9	8	12	4	2	1
Labour Party (PvdA)	8	14	14	19	15	14	16
GreenLeft (GL)	4	5	4	5	8	4	4
Christian Union (CU)	3	2	4	2	4	2*	2*
Party for the Animals (PvdD)	2	1	1
Political Reformed Party (SGP)	2	1	2	2	2	2	2
50PLUS (50+)	2	1
Independent Senate Group (OSF)	1	1	1	1	1	1
Pim Fortuyn List (LPF)			1
General Elderly Alliance (AOV)					2
Total	75	75	75	75	75	75	75

* Reformatory Political Federation (RPF) and Reformed Political League (GPV)

See also

• Historic composition of the Senate of the Netherlands (since 1922)
• List of Presidents of the Senate of the Netherlands

External links

• Official website (English)
• Official website (Dutch)