The Tweede Kamer, the lower house of the Dutch parliament, welcomed 68 new members on Wednesday, marking a significant change in politics.
The new members from different party backgrounds will shape the legislative agenda alongside 13 returning MPs and 69 MPs who retained their seats, the NL Times reported.
The election-winning Party for Freedom (PVV) won many seats in the new Chamber, reflecting the party’s strong performance in the elections. In addition, the New Social Contract (NSC) party won 20 seats outright, contributing to the diversity of new faces.
One notable aspect of the new Parliament is the age profile, which has become younger than its predecessors. However, despite this age diversity, there were concerns about the overall lack of diversity in the new line-up.
The swearing-in ceremony was presided over by People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) vice-president Roelien Kamminga.
Last week, more than 10.4 million voters cast their votes to elect members of the 150-seat parliament. Geert Wilders’ PVV emerged as the main party with 37 seats, followed by GroenLinks-PvdA, a coalition led by former European Union Commissioner Frans Timmermans, with 25 seats.
