Friday 23 April 2021

Some 65,000 postal votes were discounted because of voting errors

Some 65,000 postal votes were discounted because of voting errors

In total 65,000 postal ballots were not counted in the March general election because of errors in the way the votes had been cast, broadcaster NOS said on Friday. The over-70s were given the option of voting by post to reduce pressure on polling stations and limit their potential exposure to coronavirus. Most of the votes were discounted because people had not included their official voting paper in the envelope, Nos said. This is crucial to ensure people are entitled... More >

VVD continues to back PM Rutte

VVD continues to back PM Rutte

A number of prominent VVD members have gone public with their support for beleaguered caretaker prime minister Mark Rutte, who is facing increasing isolation in The Hague after ‘forgetting’ he had suggested moving a critical MP to a ‘new role’. Former ministers in Rutte-led governments, including Henk Kamp, Annemarie Jorritsma and Fred Teeven have all given their public backing to the prime minister, and there is no-one within the party who is publicly doubting his leadership, the NRC reported. After... More >

VVD to press ahead with Mark Rutte

VVD to press ahead with Mark Rutte

The VVD is to press ahead with Mark Rutte as leader and he has the full support of the party, senior party officials said on Saturday. Their comments came after ChristenUnie leader Gert-Jan Segers said his party would not be in a coalition with the VVD, if Rutte continued to be prime minister, following what Segers said, is his ‘problematic’ way of dealing with the truth. Rutte is at the centre of a political storm for apparently suggesting government critic... More >

Scouts accept Omtzigt memo was their fault

Scouts accept Omtzigt memo was their fault

Former parliamentary scouts Kajsa Ollongren and Annemarie Jorritsma have said they take full responsibility for the leaked notes which led to them stepping down and causing the coalition talks to be abandoned. Ollongren was photographed as she dashed out of the meeting on Friday morning after testing positive for coronavirus. In her haste she exposed the notes for her meeting, which included the comment: ‘Omtzigt’s position: role elsewhere’, referring to the popular Christian Democrat (CDA) backbencher. The notes also said... More >

Coalition talks halted by coronavirus test

Coalition talks halted by coronavirus test

Meetings of the ministerial council will be temporarily moved online after a second cabinet minister received a positive coronavirus test. Talks on forming a new coalition government were suspended on Thursday morning after deputy prime minister Kajsa Ollongren tested positive for the virus. The government’s information service said in-person meetings were being held in line with coronavirus rules, ‘but the decision has been taken to hold meetings of the ministerial council via communications technology for the time being, as a... More >

Election watch: the new look parliament

Election watch: the new look parliament

With all the votes counted, the line-up for the new look lower house of parliament has been finalised, and the ruling VVD will have 34 MPs rather than 35 as thought earlier. D66 will have 24 seats in the 150 seat lower house of parliament and four newcomers – Volt, JA21, Bij1 and BBB – are all confirmed to have won enough votes to debut. The Dutch election council will publish the formal results on Friday, but so far it... More >

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