DutchNews.nl - Local elections: Expat voters in demand

Just one week before voters head to polling stations around the country to vote in local elections, politicians from the main parties are busy vying for the expat vote.

With voting numbers declining over the years and only 58% of the electorate casting their votes in 2006, expat vote will be crucial in some areas.

According to the national statistics office CBS some 453,000 non-Dutch nationals can take part in next week's vote, but traditionally many have felt detached and excluded from the Dutch political system.

In Amsterdam, where results are forecast to be very tight, some pundits say many non-Dutch residents and expats feel ignored by the political parties.

'The vast majority of expats are eligible to vote and local issues should matter to them. Education, transport, childcare facilities, all these subjects are relevant in their lives,' one Labour party worker said..

In an effort to engage expat voters, political parties have published sections of their website in English. In the Hague, the city council has even published an eight page document outlining the main points of all the party manifestos.

Despite calls from Integration minister Eberhard van der Laan to stop producing election material in other languages, Courtney van Rij of the CDA (Christian Democrats) in Wassenaar believes it is crucial to publish information in English.

'How can we expect a European national who just moved here and is eligible to vote, to understand his or her choices if it is only written in Dutch,' she says.

It is the democratic duty of all eligible foreigners who live in the Netherlands to use their votes, she says.

A number of live political debates have been organised where non-Dutch voters can question council candidates about their views, such as the Boom Chicago's Political Party nights in Amsterdam.

Amsterdam VVD candidate Frank van Dalen of the VVD has focused heavily on attracting expat voters and recognises the usefulness of public appearances..

'Many of them don’t know they can vote and yet the way things are organised in Amsterdam is really influencing their lives, their surroundings and what they are facing everyday,' he says. 'But many expats don’t feel they are taken seriously by politicians.'

Maastricht

'Expats reside, work and live in Maastricht and therefore have the right to take part in the political development of our city,' says Meike Damsma of the local branch of the Liberal democrats D66.

'They have a voice and we hope that they will use it. We appreciate not only their economic contribution but also their social and political one.'

Oh no. Not the Dutch / English issue again. Well if you want a larger pool of expats to be involed in voting, then adding English seems like a good idea. But I think there is too much concern about the loss of Dutchness for this to happen. Not to worry all English speakers have there own unique dialects and accents so although it is English it would really be Denglish or dutchlish. Also you can still ask someone to pronounce scheveningen in Dutch if you really have a hard time segregating the buitenlanders.

By JimmyChu | February 24, 2010 4:29 PM

This Expat will not be voting for the 'Clean Shaven Christians' who tell me no one will take me seriously in Netherlands, regarding health care, as I, "look like a Muslim!" ... ...due to my beard!!!

By Gerard | February 24, 2010 9:02 PM

This is called hypocrisy and opportunism.The expat community have been contributing economically,culturally and socially at their best. Without their presence city of The Hague could never claim as a city of peace and justice. Expats have been suffering multi dimensional problems and the members of the city council of The Hague kept on their attitude of ungratefulness towards thousands of highly qualified professionals with a global vision and with best available expertise in the field of culture,economic,justice and entrepreneurship.

And now realising the value of their votes all of a sudden all the established political parties are trying to attract them.

Anyway I really hope our expat community would vote for those who believes in globalization and solidarity among the inhabitants of this heavenly planet.

By Khalid Ahmed Chaudry | February 25, 2010 12:15 AM

My US absentee voting ballot from California arrived in English, Chinese and Spanish. That's how we roll in America. Not sure whether it's a good idea though.

By Danielle | February 25, 2010 4:07 AM

This may be the case in the west of NL, but over here in the east it is far from the case. I went to a political market at the weekend and was shocked at the anti-foreigner stance of a lot of the parties, not only Trots op NL etc, but the mainstream parties as well. Our of the 10 parties my Dutch husband spoke to, 8 of them made insinuations and comments about foreigners. One of representatives of one of the parties mentioned in your article certainly has a completely different view.

I came away totally gobsmacked and very disappointed.

By SueF | March 1, 2010 4:29 PM