22 August 1994)
and Vice Prime Ministers Annemarie JORRITSMA (since 3 August 1998)
and Els BORST-EILERS (since 3 August 1998)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the monarch
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; following Second Chamber
elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority
coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the monarch; vice
prime ministers appointed by the monarch
note: there is a Council of State composed of the monarch, heir
apparent, and councillors consulted by the executive on legislative
and administrative policy

Legislative branch: bicameral States General or Staten Generaal
consists of the First Chamber or Eerste Kamer (75 seats; members
indirectly elected by the country's 12 provincial councils for
four-year terms) and the Second Chamber or Tweede Kamer (150 seats;
members directly elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: First Chamber--last held 9 June 1995 (next to be held 25
May 1999); Second Chamber--last held 6 May 1998 (next to be held May
2002)
election results: First Chamber--percent of vote by party--NA; seats
by party--VVD 23, CDA 19, PvdA 14, D'66 7, other 12; Second
Chamber--percent of vote by party--PvdA 30.0%, VVD 25.3%, CDA 19.3%,
D'66 9.3%, other 16.1%; seats by party--PvdA 45, VVD 38, CDA 29, D'66
14, other 24

Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Hoge Raad, justices are
nominated for life by the monarch

Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Appeal or CDA

Political pressure groups and leaders: large multinational firms;
Federation of Netherlands Trade Union Movement (comprising Socialist
and Catholic trade unions) and a Protestant trade union; Federation
of Catholic and Protestant Employers Associations; the
nondenominational Federation of Netherlands Enterprises; and
Interchurch Peace Council or IKV

International organization participation: AfDB, AsDB, Australia
Group, Benelux, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, EIB,
EMU, ESA, ESCAP, EU, FAO, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU,
ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat,
Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MTCR, NAM (guest), NATO,
NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIBH, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WToO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador