2002 Dutch general election

2002 Dutch general election

← 1998 15 May 2002 2003 →
All 150 seats in the House of Representatives 76 seats needed for a majority
Turnout	79.06% ( 5.71pp)
Party Leader Vote % Seats +/– CDA Jan Peter Balkenende 27.93 43 +14 LPF Pim Fortuyn (assassinated) 17.00 26 New VVD Hans Dijkstal 15.44 24 −14 PvdA Ad Melkert 15.11 23 −22 GL Paul Rosenmöller 6.95 10 −1 SP Jan Marijnissen 5.90 9 +4 D66 Thom de Graaf 5.10 7 −7 CU Kars Veling 2.54 4 −1 SGP Bas van der Vlies 1.72 2 −1 LN Fred Teeven 1.61 2 +2 This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below. Most voted-for party by municipality Cabinet before Cabinet after Second Kok cabinet PvdA–VVD–D66 First Balkenende cabinet CDA–LPF–VVD

General elections were held in the Netherlands on 15 May 2002.^[1] The elections were amongst the most dramatic in Dutch history,^[2] not just in terms of the electoral results, as they were completely overshadowed by the assassination of leader Pim Fortuyn only nine days before election day.

In 1998, twice as many voters as in 1994 credited the government with improving their finances, and clear majorities approved its record, rendering the 1998 election virtually a formality. The Labour Party climbed from 24 to 29 percent of the vote and the incumbent purple coalition from 92 to 97 seats, enabling a second Kok cabinet with Labour, VVD and D66. The strong economy was expected to suffice again in 2002. In 2000, speculation surrounded whether prime minister Wim Kok, who had passed the age of 61, would seek a third term. Although three-quarters of Labour supporters still preferred him, senior figures urged renewal. Ad Melkert’s 2001 spring congress speech cast him as Kok’s heir despite limited public enthusiasm; only 16 percent of voters endorsed him. Kok resigned as Labour Party leader on 15 December 2001, citing a need for generational change, and formally passed leadership to Melkert.

On 20 August 2001, Pim Fortuyn, an outspoken critic of Islam, announced his candicacy, initially as lead candidate for Livable Netherlands. After a Volkskrant interview on 9 February 2002 in which he called Islam achterlijk and criticized the constitution of the Netherlands, LN expelled him. Fortuyn promptly founded the Pim Fortuyn List (LPF) and, while simultaneously heading Livable Rotterdam, secured a victory in the 6 March municipal elections, ending Labour’s post-WWII supremacy in the city. National polls thereafter placed LPF close to the CDA and Labour, as established parties faltered in televised debates. Although threats escalated, Fortuyn rejected protection and, on 6 May 2002, was assassinated in Hilversum by Volkert van der Graaf. After the assassination, campaigning paused and the CDA secured a frontrunner position, thanks to the refusal of its leader, Jan Peter Balkenende, to criticize Fortuyn and emphasis on "norms and values." Late media focus on CDA momentum influenced late-deciding voters and helped the CDA outperform polls by a 12-seat margin.

The purple coalition parties Labour, VVD, and D66 all lost heavily, Labour enduring a record 22-seat loss under Melkert, who resigned that night. The CDA improved in every province, securing pluraities in all except Groningen. CDA gains in urban cities were more muted; the LPF secured pluralities in The Hague and Rotterdam while Labour retained Amsterdam. Labour inquiries blamed an excessively economistic message; party leadership was democratized and in November, members elected Wouter Bos parliamentary leader. Negotiations produced a CDA-LPF-VVD accord prioritising security, healthcare, and tighter immigration; the first Balkenende cabinet assumed office on 22 July.