Netherlands Schedules Snap Parliamentary Elections for October 29

The Netherlands will head to the polls for early parliamentary elections on October 29. The date was confirmed on Friday by acting Minister of the Interior Judith Uitermark, representing the New Social Contract party, following a meeting of the Council of Ministers. The Dutch news agency ANP reported that the date aligns with the recommendation made earlier by the Electoral Council.

The decision follows the recent collapse of the Dutch cabinet. Earlier this week, the House of Representatives made it clear that it preferred elections to take place as soon as feasible. According to the Electoral Council, October 29 is the earliest realistic option, giving enough time for both political parties and local authorities to make the necessary preparations.

Uitermark described the chosen date as striking a balance between “diligence and speed.” She explained that while holding the vote any sooner was not viable, planners also had to work around the autumn holiday period to ensure that as many Dutch citizens as possible are in the country and able to vote.

Typically, electoral authorities have up to nine months to prepare for parliamentary elections. This time, however, they will have just under half that period to manage the process.

“There’s still a lot of practical work ahead,” Uitermark said, noting tasks such as printing and distributing more than 13 million voting passes. She also emphasized the need to accommodate voters abroad and allow new political parties time to register.