taxation without representation?

Of course they should have a say. One of the greatest failures of the EU is to encourage/foster migration within the EU but to not propagate also the right to vote in the country of residence.

@H.: EU-residents (but only from EU of course) have voting rights in local elections, in case of NL, elections for gemeente councils.

I don't agree with national voting rights though. That would bring a lot of problems, like minorities voting in parties that are aligned to the interests of their homeland, not the country they live in.

@H. taxation without representation? WTF?
Unless these expats are working for a Dutch employer while overseas they are not paying taxes in NL.
Your comment is not relevant, it should read "representation without taxation".

Not that the expat sufrage is ever going to change, but the question remains nonetheless valid. In my opinion, expats should be able to vote both in their country of nationality, to be able to have a say in the politics of the country to which they may come back one day, and in the country where they are officially residing. Personally, it kills me that I don't have a say in the decision of which idiot is going to mismanage my tax money. All 42/52% of it.

I've lived here for 37 years and have paid all taxes and social preiums but still do not have full voting rights.

You've got it wrong; it should be "no representation without taxation"...

Absolutly agree, as a Dutch tax payer of more than 30 years I have never understood how it was OK to take tax off me but for the last 15 years I have been unable to vote in National elections anywhere.

Absolutely right! There must be an ever-growing band of the disenfranchised. Personally, we're pretty permanent ex-pats paying their full whack of Dutch taxes, but with no rights and say as to how those taxes get used. It's an indefensible position!

Would it not make sense to indicate how to contact this expatriate voters help desk?

Only an idiot would think, only Dutch can vote in a general election,I pay a lot of taxes, to support junkies, and other scum,who love to take but give nothing back to society,When will we learn here to reward hard work, and give the workshy,scroungers,and tax fiddlers, what they deserve,...nothing

Well not much point considering whoever comes to power will be subservient to the EU. Kinda late now after NL selling it's soul :( Oligarchy right? :(

In my view people should only be allowed to vote if they have lived in the country for at least 10 years, are citizens, pay taxes or have paid taxes & have a clean criminal record (excluding minor crimes like traffic offences). Dutch nationals that no longer live here should be allowed to vote but under the same rules & once they have been out of the NL for 10 years they can no longer vote.

@H- One of the great failures of the EU is fostering migration & the EU is a great failure itself by any objective point of view.

@ Phil, What exactly is it with you and migration? Why do you blame all NL's ills on Migration!!??
I wonder how far Australia or America would have gotten with your reasoning?
Or is it only Colored migration you object to, because they are all criminals and do not contribute...

People living abroad with a passport of another country should be allowed to vote for their country of origin because the laws that are made in ther homeland affect them too, since they do have that nationality. It is peculiar, however, that the VVD is now trying to get all these votes after 2 years of putting down foreigners and Dutch abroad alike. Together with wanting to scrap parts of the spring agreement it seems to me that Rutte is trying to fool everybody and forcing a general amnesia on what he has stood for until now

@Phil:'a clean criminal record? Lol, never heard that one before!

I begin to tire reading your comments about your constant scapegoating of cheap foreign labour that has been more than partially responsible for NL prosperity.

Furthermore:if you knew your history, you would realize that the refugee crisis has been a direct cause of US criminal oligarchy/guv empire attacking & controlling oil rich countries, inventing terrorism with CIA covert ops, psst.. 911!

Must be self-loathing, Saladin, as Phil is an immigrant himself.

Why he doesn't help solve this apparent problem by going home is what I don't understand...

@Phil: Netherlands has been benefited from skilled migration since it took prosecuted Jews from the Iberian peninsula back in the 1700s.

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Anyone living here for 10, 20, 30 years could theoretically naturalize and vote. If you don't want to naturalize because you want to keep your home nationality, then it is your choice, your option, and the rant is actually a rant against strict nationality laws (of which voting rights are one of the implications).

@Saladin, I suspect that @Phil is a frustrated cloggie living off the state with way too much time on his hands. It's much easier to always go off on rants and blame foreigners than look in the mirror. Because he probably lives off the state, he probably also has no way to get out of Holland, and resents those foreigners who can.

@Quest- Nice try but I don't think so.

@Saladin- I lived in Australia for years & they don't have an immigration problem because they have a strict points system & most of the immigration is from UK, New Zealand and to a lesser extent China & India. The big difference is they don't have high Muslim immigration and people integrate.

I would love to pay taxes here but since moving, haven't been able to find a job (too old) nor have received any form of unemployment or jobseeker's benefit. It is not automatic even if you are an EU citizen. I get nothing and am still expected to find the money for health insurance.

Phil, get your head out of the clouds and google "immigration problems Australia".