Cabinet
Election name1994 Dutch general election
CountryNetherlands
Previous election1989
Next election1998
Seats for electionAll 150 seats in the House of Representatives
Majority seats76
Election date3 May 1994
Turnout78.8% ( 1.5 pp)
Leader 1Wim Kok
Party 1Labour Party (Netherlands)
Last election 149
Seats 137
Percentage 124.0%
Leader 2Elco Brinkman
Party 2Christian Democratic Appeal
Last election 254
Seats 234
Percentage 222.2%
Leader 3Frits Bolkestein
Party 3People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
Last election 322
Seats 331
Percentage 320.0%
Leader 4Hans van Mierlo
Party 4Democrats 66
Last election 412
Seats 424
Percentage 415.5%
Leader 5Jet Nijpels
Party 5General Elderly Alliance
Last election 5new
Seats 56
Percentage 53.6%
Leader 6Ina Brouwer • Mohamed Rabbae
Party 6GreenLeft
Last election 66
Seats 65
Percentage 63.5%
Leader 7Hans Janmaat
Party 7Centre Democrats (Netherlands)
Last election 71
Seats 73
Percentage 72.5%
Leader 8Leen van Dijke
Party 8Reformatory Political Federation
Last election 81
Seats 83
Percentage 81.8%
Leader 9Bas van der Vlies
Party 9Reformed Political Party
Last election 93
Seats 92
Percentage 91.7%
Leader 10Gert Schutte
Party 10Reformed Political League
Last election 102
Seats 102
Percentage 101.3%
Leader 11Jan Marijnissen
Party 11Socialist Party (Netherlands)
Last election 110
Seats 112
Percentage 111.3%
Leader 12Bertus Leerkes
Party 12Union 55+
Last election 120
Seats 121
Percentage 120.9%
Before electionThird Lubbers cabinet
Before partyCDA–PvdA
After electionFirst Kok cabinet
After partyPvdA–VVD–D66

General elections were held in the Netherlands on 3 May 1994.[1] The Labour Party emerged as the largest party, winning 37 of the 150 seats in the House of Representatives.[2] The election resulted in significant losses for both the Labour Party and the Christian Democratic Appeal. The two liberal parties, People's Party for Freedom and Democracy and Democrats 66 made large gains, whilst two pro-elderly parties and the Socialist Party all passed the electoral threshold to win seats.

The formation of a government coalition was arduous but after four months the First Kok cabinet was formed. It was an unprecedented coalition of the two liberal parties and Labour. The CDA was consigned to opposition for the first time in its history. It was also the first government since 1918 not to include a Christian Democratic party.[3]: 194

Background

Before the 1994 general election opinion polls predicted that the Centre Democrats party could win more than five seats in the House of Representatives. However, media reports claiming that some newly elected local members had extremist pasts damaged the Centre Democrats' prospects. A secret recording broadcast on national television one week before the election showed an Amsterdam council member bragging about having set immigrant centers on fire in the early 1980s.[4] In the election that followed, the Centre Democrats won 2.5% of the vote and three seats in the House of Representatives (Janmaat was joined by Wil Schuurman and Cor Zonneveld),[5] well below earlier expectations. Janmaat claimed that the relatively poor result was a result of an anti-CD campaign in the media.[4] Due to its growth, and questions arising amongst the other parties over the development of a multicultural society, political opponents began to confront the Centre Democrats directly rather than maintain a strict cordon sanitaire around it.[6][7]

Results

By province

Results by province[8]
ProvincePvdACDAVVDD66AOVGLCDRPFSGPGPVSPU55+Others
Drenthe34.519.818.213.92.12.51.21.70.22.41.00.61.8
Flevoland20.117.623.617.04.23.12.42.82.42.11.31.02.4
Friesland31.627.514.212.52.23.01.12.60.62.20.60.41.9
Gelderland23.824.718.315.32.83.31.82.73.21.11.00.61.7
Groningen34.817.314.214.12.84.51.31.80.24.51.70.61.3
Limburg (Netherlands)24.528.914.814.55.43.23.00.20.10.42.21.01.4
North Brabant21.027.118.116.35.72.82.80.50.50.42.21.02.8
North Holland24.916.224.517.24.14.92.30.90.30.60.91.01.6
Overijssel24.229.615.412.92.12.51.53.22.12.90.81.21.6
South Holland22.218.323.415.83.23.13.52.13.01.21.50.81.8
Utrecht19.120.623.216.92.94.72.42.52.32.00.90.81.5
Zeeland22.420.918.813.53.72.42.83.07.91.80.60.92.2

5 largest municipalities

Results in the five largest municipalities[9]
MunicipalityPvdACDAVVDD66AOVGLCDRPFSGPGPVSPUnie 55+Others
Amsterdam33.2
(116 425)		7.9
(27 711)		18.3
(64 228)		17.7
(62 194)		4.2
(14 567)		8.5
(29 931)		3.7
(12 893)		0.4
(1 517)		0.1
(324)		0.3
(1 194)		1.5
(5 386)		0.9
(3 292)		3.1
(10 427)
Rotterdam30.8
(89 516)		11.6
(33 716)		18.2
(52 864)		14.9
(43 224)		4.5
(13 027)		4.4
(12 744)		6.5
(19 016)		1.0
(2 941)		1.1
(3 244)		0.9
(2 737)		2.2
(6 438)		1.0
(2 863)		2.9
(8 242)
The Hague23.5
(55 918)		14.2
(33 690)		26.2
(62 388)		15.7
(37 318)		3.6
(8 494)		4.2
(10 051)		4.9
(11 732)		0.9
(2 243)		0.7
(1 680)		0.8
(1 837)		1.5
(3 574)		1.2
(2 797)		2.6
(6 207)
Utrecht26.3
(35 357)		12.9
(17 335)		15.7
(21 143)		19.9
(26 683)		3.4
(4 554)		10.5
(14 126)		4.3
(5 714)		0.8
(1 014)		0.4
(511)		0.8
(1 056)		2.2
(3 009)		0.8
(1 006)		2.1
(2 838)
Eindhoven20.6
(23 413)		19.9
(22 530)		16.3
(18 469)		17.9
(20 309)		12.4
(14 104)		4.4
(4 947)		2.8
(3 126)		0.6
(638)		0.2
(201)		0.6
(645)		2.1
(2 327)		0.6
(630)		1.9
(2 388)

References

  1. ^ Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p1396 ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7
  2. ^ Nohlen & Stöver, p1414
  3. ^ Stathis Kalyvas & Kees van Kersbergen (2010). "Christian Democracy". Annual Review of Political Science. 13: 183-209. doi:10.1146/annurev.polisci.11.021406.172506
  4. ^ Mudde, 2003, p. 125.
  5. ^ "Hans Janmaat (1934–2002)" (in Dutch). Historiek.net. 17 January 2008. Retrieved 28 December 2010.
  6. ^ Hoetink, Carla (25 August 2008). "Janmaat, Hans" (in Dutch). Biografisch Woordenboek van Nederland. Retrieved 21 March 2011.
  7. ^ Lucardie, 1998, p. 121.
  8. ^ "Tweede Kamer 3 mei 1994" (in Dutch). Kiesraad. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
  9. ^ "Tweede Kamer – 3 mei 1994" (in Dutch). Kiesraad. Retrieved 5 July 2025.

Further reading

  • Irwin, Galen A. "The Dutch Parliamentary Election of 1994," Electoral Studies (1995) 14#1 pp. 72–77