Big parties plan to curb dissident MPs’ rights to go solo

Splinter parties in parliament are highly critical of plans to limit their rights to parliamentary seats, the NRC reports on Friday.

There are currently 16 different parliamentary parties – five of which have been formed by MPs who have left or been expelled from the party they were elected for.

MPs for the traditional parties regard the way dissidents leave but remain in parliament as ‘stealing seats’. Action needs to be taken, says VVD parliamentary party leader Halbe Zijlstra.

In the Dutch political system, most MPs win a seat in parliament on the basis of their place on the official party list of candidates, rather than their individual support.

Coalition

The coalition government’s majority has been cut to just two because of the loss of seats.

Parliament’s ruling body, the presidium, plans to limit the powers for splinter parties. By regarding them as independents, rather than as a formal political party, they can be denied speaking time, personnel and financial support. This would make it less attractive to remain in parliament, officials say.

The splinter groups regard the change, which cannot come into effect until after the next election, as ‘hypocritical’ and damaging to democracy.