As noted by Alex, the recent Dutch election gave us what must be a world first: parliamentary representation of an animal-rights party. The large parties of the left and right (Labor/PvdA and Christian Democratic/CDA) combined for less than half the seats. As Wilf noted in a post-election comment (on the citizens assembly thread), the outcome as a whole seems to confirm what I had indentified from the assembly proposal to be a citizen preference for fragmentation. Indeed, Dutch voters will be represented by quite a managerie of political parties.
The Democrats-66, a liberal party that has long promoted political reforms, collapsed to just three seats.
I wonder what, if any, implications this outcome will have for the work of the citizens assembly.
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The Netherlands has given us a fascinating lesson on coalition etiquette.
The finely-balanced parliament seems to have a one-seat majority for the left. That would be:
Socialist 26
Green Left 7
Party for Animals 2 (two women aged 34 and 30)
Labour 32
Democrats 66 (centre-left) 3
Christen Unie (CU), Calvinist and morally conservative but economically leftist, 6.
But this would be a fragile coalition, so everyone predicts a grand coalition of the centrist CDA, Labour and the Socialists.
However, on the very first day of the new sittings on Thursday eight days ago, with coalition negotiations still at the earliest stage and the outgoing government still carrying on as caretaker, Labour, despite losing 9 seats, pulled a fast one: a motion calling for a general amnesty for 14,000 asylum seekers who entered the country before tougher immigration laws came into force in 2001, which passed by a shock 75-74 vote. The coalition government made up of the Christian Democrat CDA and Liberal VVD had previously ordered their deportation.
The CDA and VVD opposed the motion, along with smaller right-wing parties, but it was carried with unanimous support from parties on the left.
Message to the CDA: play nicely, or we’ll play without you.
The CDA prime minister took great offence. Balkenende accused the Labour leader Bos of playing chess on two boards. He said the issue of a general amnesty should be discussed during coalition formation talks and that Bos should not try and enforce his will via a “coincidental majority,” implying the six parties agree on nothing else. Perhaps we’ll see.
Bos promised last Saturday not to do it again: he would not place sensitive issues up for debate in parliament, but in coalition talks instead, provided that the CDA made clear it was looking towards a CDA, Labour and SP coalition government.
Discussions continue. The SP leader says the CDA is having trouble accepting the election results.
Seed planted by Wilf Day — 08 December 2006 @ 22:25