House of Representatives (Netherlands)
- VVD 41
- PvdA 38
- PVV 15
- SP 15
- CDA 13
- D66 12
- CU 5
- GL 4
- Other 4
- SGP 3
The Second Chamber of the States General (Dutch: Tweede Kamer of the States-General, pronunciation / i ) is one of two chambers of the Parliament of the Netherlands. It is elected every four years by the Dutch citizens over 18 years in general, after a nearly pure proportional representation. The chamber has always 150 seats and comes together in The Hague.
The Second Chamber is the real legislative body, while the First Chamber of the States General Bills can only confirm or reject it. The balance of political power in the Second Chamber are crucial for the formation of a government, and the Second Chamber determined since 2012 (formerly the Queen ) a person who is entrusted with the compilation of the Cabinet.
Chairman is since 2012 Anouchka van Miltenburg (VVD ).
Tasks and organization
The Second Chamber is the more important of the houses of parliament. The deputies advised and pass laws and control the government. Government may not hold parliamentary mandate, unless the government held office only provisionally until the appointment of a successor government.
Is a place in the High Council ( Hoge Raad der Nederlanden ), the highest Dutch court, free, the Second Chamber of the Government makes three proposals for its occupation. The board also elects the Ombudsman of the Netherlands.
By 1983, the chamber of the Crown has presented a list of three candidates for the presidency chamber from which the Crown has chosen a. In practice this was usually the first name. Since then, the tweedekamervoorzitter however, is determined directly by the deputies by secret ballot. While this has traditionally been the candidate of the largest group, but often received in recent years candidates from other political groups a majority.
The chairman and his deputies determined together form the Presidium, the operation and planning of the chamber. Under the presidency of griffier works as head of the administration.
Distribution of seats
Since the election of 2012, there are two major factions in the chamber with 42 or 38 seats, namely the Liberals and the Social Democrats. Then follows a medium-sized group of four parties, each with 12 to 15 seats: the socialists on the left and the right Freedom Party and the two center parties: the Christian Democrats and the Democrats. Finally, are in the group of small factions, each with 2 to 5 seats, the Christian Union, the Greens, the strict Calvinists, the animal rights party and the party seniors.
On the left side there are the socialists and the Animal Protection Party, which tends not to be considered as coalition capable or willing coalition. This includes, in a sense also the seniors party. In the center-left Social Democrats and the Greens are. The center consists of the Democrats and the Christian Union. In the right middle are the Liberals and the Christian Democrats. Right are the Freedom Party and the strict Calvinists, both of which have not yet joined a coalition, but a government have tolerated.
In the middle of the years 1994 to 2010 9.8 parties were represented ( in each case calculated at the beginning of the legislative period ) in the chamber.
Parliamentary customs
In the Second Chamber of the Deputies talk to each other directly, but always through the Chairman. So in the chamber ear does not hear the salutation " Dear Sir or Madam "; the Chairman (or the Chairman ) is formally the only person who is addressed: Voorzitter, possibly Meneer de Voorzitter or mevrouw de Voorzitter ( feminine form ).
A deputy who wants to make for example a minister an intermediate question occurs to the podium for the " interruptie " and applies formally to the President and the Minister speaks in the third person. In practice, however, the salutation Voorzitter, often omitted especially at a interruptie, and ministers and MPs speak more or less directly with each other.
The meetings of the chamber are tightly organized, interjections do not occur. However, many can interrupties ensure long sessions, although the chairman is trying not to let this get out of hand by too many demands.