Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen BEATRIX (since 30 April 1980); Heir Apparent
WILLEM-ALEXANDER (born 27 April 1967), son of the monarch
head of government: Prime Minister Jan Peter BALKENENDE (since 22
July 2002) and Deputy Prime Ministers Gerrit ZALM (since 27 May
2003) and Laurens Jan BRINKHORST (since 31 March 2005)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch
elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; following Second
Chamber elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a
majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the
monarch; vice prime ministers appointed by the monarch
note: there is also a Council of State composed of the monarch, heir
apparent, and councilors that provides consultations to the cabinet
on legislative and administrative policy
Legislative branch:
bicameral States General or Staten Generaal consists of the First
Chamber or Eerste Kamer (75 seats; members indirectly elected by the
country's 12 provincial councils for four-year terms) and the Second
Chamber or Tweede Kamer (150 seats; members directly elected by
popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: First Chamber - last held 25 May 2003 (next to be held
May 2007); Second Chamber - last held 22 November 2006 (next to be
held by early 2011)
election results: First Chamber - percent of vote by party - NA%;
seats by party - CDA 23, PvdA 19, VVD 15, Green Party 5, Socialist
Party 4, D66 3, other 6; Second Chamber - percent of vote by party -
CDA 26.5%, PvdA 21.2%, Socialist Party 16.6%, VVD 14.6%, Party for
Freedom 5.9%, Green Party 4.6%, Christian Union 4.0%; seats by party
- CDA 41, PvdA 33, Socialist Party 25, VVD 22, Party for Freedom 9,
Green Party 7, Christian Union 6, other 7
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Hoge Raad (justices are nominated for life by the
monarch)
Political parties and leaders:
Christian Democratic Appeal or CDA [Jan Peter BALKENENDE];
Christian Union Party [Andre ROUVOET]; Democrats 66 or D66
[Alexander PECHTOLD]; Green Left Party [Femke HALSEMA]; Labor Party
or PvdA [Wouter BOS]; List Pim Fortuyn [Olaf STUGER]; Party for
Freedom [Geert WILDERS]; People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
(Liberal) or VVD [Mark RUTTE]; Socialist Party [Jan MARIJNISSEN];
Party for Freedom or PVV [Geert WILDERS]; Party for the Animals or
PvdD [Marianne THIEME]; Reformed Political Party of SGP [Bas VAN DER
VLIES]; plus a few minor parties
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Netherlands Trade Union Federation or FNV (consisting of a merger
of Socialist and Catholic trade unions); Christian Trade Union
Federation or CNV; Trade Union Federation of Middle and High
Personnel or MHP; Federation of Catholic and Protestant Employers
Associations; Interchurch Peace Council or IKV; large multinational
firms; the nondenominational Federation of Netherlands Enterprises
International organization participation:
AfDB, Arctic Council (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, Benelux,
BIS, CBSS (observer), CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO,
G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC,
MIGA, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD,
OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, SECI (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIS, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Christiaan Mark Johan KRONER
chancery: 4200 Linnean Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 244-5300
FAX: [1] (202) 362-3430
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York
consulate(s): Boston
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Roland E. ARNALL
embassy: Lange Voorhout 102, 2514 EJ, The Hague
mailing address: PSC 71, Box 1000, APO AE 09715
telephone: [31] (70) 310-2209
FAX: [31] (70) 361-4688
consulate(s) general: Amsterdam
Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and blue; similar
to the flag of Luxembourg, which uses a lighter blue and is longer;
one of the oldest flags in constant use, originating with WILLIAM I,
Prince of Orange, in the latter half of the 16th century
Economy Netherlands