The government is based in The Hague. It’s composed of the Head of State (the King) and a Cabinet.he Government is controlled by the Staten-Generaal (Parliament with lower and upper chambers).
The King is the Head of State. He signs laws (he cannot refuse to sign them). Furthermore, he’s not allowed to make political decisions and has no veto right. The “position” of the King is a hereditary and ceremonial position.
The Cabinet is composed of Ministers and State Secretaries. A state secretary is attached to a Minister. The Cabinet is led by a Minister-President (Prime Minister), which is currently Mark Rutte (VVD). The Cabinet can submit legislative proposals, but they must be approved by Parliament.
The Staten-Generaal van het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden (States General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) or Nederlandse Parlement (Dutch Parliament) is composed of the Eerste Kamer (Senate, upper chamber, 1st Chamber) and the Tweede Kamer (Parliament, lower-chamber, 2nd Chamber).
The Parliament has three main duties: to make laws in collaboration with the government, to control the government on behalf of the Dutch people as they implement laws, and to represent the electorate by reflecting the popular will in policy.
The 150 members of the Second Chamber are directly elected by the Dutch population above 18 every 4 years (or earlier if the government initiates a snap election).
The Second Chamber discusses, possibly amends, and approves bills put forward by the government. Second Chamber members can also initiate bills themselves.
The Second Chamber has more powers than the Senate (1st Chamber).
The 76 Senators are appointed through the Provinciale Staten (Provincial States, see later). The Provincial states are elected every 4 years by the citizens.
This First Chamber cannot change a law proposal it receives from the Second Chamber. It can either accept or reject bills, after they have been passed by the Second Chamber. Therefore, the First Chamber focuses more on whether or not the new legislation would conflict with existing legislation.
The provinces have a range of duties, including planning and housing, environmental management (enforcing laws), welfare, water and infrastructure management, economic and agricultural matters (land consolidation and promoting employment), (supervision of) public transport, and the administration of justice.
The Provinciale Staten (Provincial Councils) head the provinces and form the general management of the provinces. The members of a Provincial Council are elected once every four years.
The Gedeputeerde Staten (Provincial Executives) are elected by the Provincial Councils and are responsible for the daily management of the provinces. The number of deputies varies per province.
The Commissaris van de Koning (Provincial Governor) is not elected by the inhabitants of the province but appointed by the Crown (King and Ministers) for a period of six years, with the possibility of reappointment. The Governor chairs the Provincial Executive and the provincial council. He is also responsible for maintaining public order.
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