1. Home
    2.  
  2. In brief
  3. Political parties and trade-unions, Politics and institutions

In brief

Frisian National Party achieves historic result in Dutch local election

Federalist party receives more than 12% of the vote, wins three municipalities

 
FNP candidates in Noardeast municipality celebrate their victory.
FNP candidates in Noardeast municipality celebrate their victory. Author: FNP @ Twitter
The Frisian National Party (FNP) won last week the highest number of votes in its history in a municipal election: 36,000, about 10,000 more than in the 2019 election. The FNP thus emerges as the third largest party in Friesland by number of votes, with more than 12% of the provincial total.

The result obtained in the 18 March election gives the FNP 49 councillors, 10 more than in the 2018 election. In the Frisian capital, Ljouwert, the FNP went up from 2 councillors to 4 (11% of the votes; up from 6% in 2018). In the three municipalities of Noardeast-Fryslân, Tytsjerksteradiel, and De Fryske Marren the Frisian party became the largest.

The FNP calls for greater autonomy for Friesland within a federal Netherlands.

The rise of the FNP has taken place amid a general growth of local and regional parties in these local elections. In the neighbouring province of Groningen, the Party for the North (PvhN) secured 2 councillors (4% of the vote) in the capital city of Groningen.

The PvhN calls for a common devolved parliament for the three northern provinces of the Netherlands (Friesland, Groningen, and Drenthe).