European elections 2024: who can you vote for in June?

With exactly one month to go until the Netherlands goes to the polls, you might be wondering what your options are to vote in the European parliamentary elections.

The Netherlands currently has 29 members in the 720-seat European parliament, 27 of whom are affiliated to a party and two independents. After June 6, that total will go up to 31.

In total, 20 parties are taking part and 497 potential MEPs are hoping to win enough votes to go to Brussels. Here’s a list of the parties which may win a seat*, their European affiliation, links to any information they have in English, and a brief description of what they hope to achieve.

BBB
Party leader: Caroline van der Plas
Seats in parliament: 7
Seats in EU parliament: 0
Predicted to win: 1
European campaign leader: Sander Smit
European party grouping: EPP if approved
EU election information in English: No

Caroline van der Plas launched BBB on the back of the 2020 farmers protests and her star has since risen and fallen. Difficult to place politically, the party is anti-strict climate measures, pro farmer and pro rural life so takes a tough line on Europe’s green measures. In particular the BBB wants the EU to step back from measures to reduce the Netherlands manure mountain and to soften other aspects of the Green Deal. Sander Smit has eight years under his belt in Brussels working for the CDA and others. Website

CDA
Party leader: Henri Bontenbal
Seats in parliament: 5
Seats in EU parliament: 4
Predicted to win: 2
European campaign leader: Tom Berendsen
European party grouping: EPP
EU election information in English: No

The Christen Democratisch Appèl (Christian Democratic Appeal) was formed in 1980 through the merger of three other ‘confessional’ parties that spanned the historic Catholic-Protestant divide and the Bible is seen as a source of inspiration rather than a diktat. Politically, the CDA is viewed as middle of the road and socially conservative. Its vote, like Dutch church attendance, is also collapsing as traditional CDA supporting farmers flock to the BBB and NSC. Tom Berendsen has been an MEP since 2019. Website

ChristenUnie (CU)
Party leader: Mirjam Bikker
Seats in parliament: 5
Seats in EU parliament: 1
Predicted to win: 0
European campaign leader: Anja Haga
European party grouping: EPP
EU election information in English: No

The ChristenUnie is sometimes described as left-wing because of its progressive socio-economic policies. However, Biblical principles are the basis of party policy and most of its votes come from the ‘Bible Belt’ region. The ChristenUnie is opposed to abortion and euthanasia and ties itself in knots over homosexuality, which it prefers to ignore. In Europe, Anja Haga wants to counteract unbridled economic growth and invest more in military equipment for Ukraine. Website

D66
Party leader: Rob Jetten
Seats in parliament: 10
Seats in EU parliament: 2
Predicted to win: 3
European campaign leader: Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy
European party grouping: Renew Europe
EU election information in English: No

Democraten 66 is one of the most pro-European parties in the Netherlands. It  wants to scrap the current veto system, so the EU becomes more democratic and  backs a stronger EU defence alliance and budgetary alignment. Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy was an MEP from 2009 to 2019.  Manifesto (Dutch)

GroenLinks/PvdA
Party leader: Frans Timmermans
Seats in parliament: 25
Seats in EU parliament: 6 + 3
Predicted to win: 7
European campaign leader: Bas Eickhout
European party grouping: S&D  and  The Greens/EFA
EU election information in English: No

GroenLinks (Green-Left)  and the Partij van de Arbeid (Labour Party) formed an alliance to fight the national elections in 2023 and are now taking their campaign to Europe. Frans Timmermans was EU’s green deal commissioner until he resigned to return to the Netherlands while Bas Eickhout leads the The Greens/EFA campaign. He is considered to be the most influential Dutch MEP but will have his work cut out to keep the Green Deal intact given the anticipated rise of the right. Website

New Sociaal Contract (NSC)
Party leader: Pieter Omtzigt
Seats in parliament: 20
Seats in European parliament: 0
Predicted to win: 1
European campaign leader: Dirk Gotink
European party grouping: EPP if approved
EU election information in English: No

Pieter Omtzigt’s fortunes have suffered since winning 20 seats in the national elections in November 2023, and agreeing to work or not to work together with the far right PVV, depending on your point of view. The NSC is pro-Europe but wants action on migration and asylum. Gotink has plenty of experience in Brussels, as a party worker for the CDA and since 1918 for the powerful EPP leader Manfred Weber.  Manifesto

PvdD
Party leader: Esther Ouwehand
Seats in parliament: 6
Seats in EU parliament: 1
Predicted to win: 1
European campaign leader: Anja Hazekamp
European party grouping: The Left
EU election information in English: No

The Partij voor de Dieren (Party for Animals) was established in 2002 and claims to be the first mainstream political party in the world to put animal rights first. Hazekamp has represented the PvdD in Brussels for two terms already and is credited by the NRC as introducing the term plofkip, or exploding chicken, into parliamentary language. International website

PVV
Party leader: Geert Wilders
Seats in parliament: 37
Seats in EU parliament: 0
Predicted to win: 8
European campaign leader: Sebastiaan Stoteler
European party grouping: Identity and Democracy
EU election information in English: No

Geert Wilders has made a career of speaking out against the ‘Islamisation’ of the Netherlands and lives under armed guard after receiving death threats. Now involved in talks on forming the next government, he has put some of his more controversial plans on ice, including calls for a Nexit. Instead, the party wants to reform the EU from the inside. It is also calling for less money and power to go to the EU, fewer refugees and halt to “hysterical climate and nitrogen rules”. The EU manifesto does not mention Islam or Muslims at all. Website

SGP
Party leader: Chris Stoffer
Seats in parliament: 3
Seats in EU parliament: 1
Predicted to win: 1
European campaign leader: Bert-Jan Ruissen
European party grouping: ECR
Flyer in English

The Staatkundig Gereformeerde Partij is the most orthodox of the fringe Christian parties and has had one MEP for 40 years, even though its support for the EU is lukewarm at best. The SGP would like “put the brakes” on Europe, reduce red tape for small firms and Ruissen has focused on the fishing industry and abortion during his past term in Brussels.  Website

SP
Party leader: Jimmy Dijk
Seats in parliament: x
Seats in EU parliament: 0
Predicted to win: 1
European campaign leader: Gerrie Elfrink
European party grouping:
EU election information in English: No

The populist-left Socialistische Partij, with its logo of a tomato, broke into national politics in 1994 with the slogan ‘stem tegen, stem SP’ (Vote against, vote SP). Since then it has hovered around on the sidelines. Elfrink says his ambition in Brussels is to “lay bare how it really is”. Brussels, he says, is “a place where big money has an unbelievable amount of power, when it should really about the men and women of Europe working together.” Website

Volt
Party leader: Laurens Dassen
Seats in parliament: 3
Seats in EU parliament: 0
Predicted to win: 1
European campaign leader: Reinier van Lanschot
European party grouping: : Renew Europe
English website

Young and pan European, Volt has more than 30 representatives across Europe and broke through in the Netherlands in 2021. Van Lanschot is a believer in a federal Europe. Website

VVD
Party leader: Dilan Yesilgöz (currently justice minister)
Seats in parliament: 24
Seats in EU parliament: 5
Predicted to win: 6
European campaign leader: Malik Azmani
European party grouping: Renew Europe
EU election information in English: No

The Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie (People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy) is a tricky party to place outside the Dutch political sphere. Supportive of the free market as far as the economy is concerned, the party is traditionally liberal on social issues. Azmani has long been a supporter of tougher EU rules on asylum but, commentators say, his position in Europe will be made more difficult if the VVD and PVV reach agreement on forming an alliance at home. Website