2004 European Parliament election in the Netherlands

Background

Combined lists

Several parties combined in one list to take part in this European Election and increase their chance on a seat in the European Parliament. These combined lists are:

1. Christian Union and SGP

Electoral alliances

Several parties formed an electoral alliance:

1. PvdA/European Social-Democrats and GreenLeft
2. CDA/European People's Party and Christian Union-SGP
3. VVD/European Liberal-Democrats and Democrats 66

The alliance between Christian Democratic Appeal and Christian Union-SGP cost the Christian Democratic Appeal a seat, which goes to Christian Union-SGP. Other alliances had no effect on the result.

Treaty of Nice

The exact number of seats allocated to each country is determined by the treaties, currently the Treaty of Nice, and is adjusted by the accession treaty of each new member. Hence no change to the seats occurs without ratification by all states. According to the treaties, the maximum number of members in the Parliament is 732. This why the seats for the Netherlands was reduced from 31 to 27

Numbering of the candidates list

Results

According to the European Commission, the publication of national results prior to Sunday evening is considered illegal. However, all the municipalities in the Netherlands published the results on Thursday, giving the media the opportunity to give an almost complete national result, only missing votes cast abroad. The complete and official result were publicised according to the rules.

The ruling centre-right parties, the Christian Democratic Appeal and the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy polled poorly, while the opposition Labour Party and Socialist Party gained ground. The anti-fraud party Europe Transparent of whistleblower Paul van Buitenen unexpectedly won two seats. Voter turnout was 39.26%, a lot higher than the turnout in 1999 30.02%.

European groups

The EPP-ED group lost 2 seats, making it just as big as the PES group. The ELDR becomes 3rd group after PES. After the elections ELDR and European Democratic Party (EDP) formed a new European Group named ALDE in the European parliament. The EDP did not have member party's in the Netherlands. Also the Europe of Democracies and Diversities (EDD) group reforms itself with party's from Eastern-Europe. They rename their group to Independence/Democracy (ID). The Christian Union – Reformed Political Party is part of this new group. |- !style="background-color:#E9E9E9" |Seats 1999 !style="background-color:#E9E9E9" |Seats 2004 !style="background-color:#E9E9E9" |Change |-

| |- |

| |- | |- | |- | |- |}

Elected members

5 largest municipalities

References

References

1. [http://www.minbzk.nl/aspx/download.aspx?file=/contents/pages/9009/pvep2004.pdf Minutes Dutch EP election 2004] in .pfd and Dutch
2. [http://www.volkskrant.nl/binnenland/article181125.ece/Kiesraad_uitslag_mag_wel_bekendgemaakt_worden Electoral council is allowed to renounce results] Article Volkskrant
3. https://www.verkiezingsuitslagen.nl/verkiezingen/detail/EP20040610
4. "Europees Parlement – 10 juni 2004".