The preliminary results of the municipal elections are now known for all municipalities. Eindhoven is seeing gains for CDA and D66, but GroenLinks-PvdA (13) still stands clearly at the top, losing only one seat. Local parties have not yet gained a foothold here.

Notably, Forum for Democracy (FvD) has won seats in many municipalities. In Eindhoven, it has secured four seats. The party has also set foot in other student cities, although often with only one or two seats. Enschede is another outlier, with three seats.

However, GroenLinks-PvdA is often the largest party. Previously, these were two separate parties, but in most municipalities—just like in the House of Representatives—they have merged. Amsterdam, Nijmegen, and Maastricht are among the exceptions.

The turnout in Eindhoven is 44.4 percent, according to the latest update. This puts the city well below the national average, which is estimated at 53.7 percent. Turnout is, however, higher than in the previous municipal elections in 2022, when 41.8 percent of eligible voters in Eindhoven cast their ballots. / WK

In Delft, Groningen, Leiden, Maastricht, and Utrecht, student parties retain seats on the council. The largest, STIP, is in Delft with six seats. Eindhoven has no local party that specifically represents student interests in the city.

Other student cities

In the capital, Amsterdam, GroenLinks gains two seats, while the PvdA loses two, bringing their totals to ten and seven respectively. Together, the left-wing parties remain by far the largest. D66 (8) and VVD (6) each gain one seat.

In the left-leaning stronghold of Nijmegen, GroenLinks gains two seats, bringing its total to eleven. The PvdA remains a separate party there with four seats. Together, they have more than twice as many seats as D66, which increases from six to seven. The local Stadspartij Nijmegen loses one seat, dropping to six.

In Maastricht, GroenLinks and PvdA are also still separate parties, with four and three seats respectively—seven combined. The winners there are D66 and CDA, both jumping from four to six seats.

GroenLinks-PvdA remains by far the largest party in Wageningen with ten seats, though that is two fewer than in the previous election. Notably, the Partij voor de Dieren enters the council there with two seats. The party keeps a close eye on animal testing at the university.

In Enschede, GroenLinks-PvdA is now tied with the local party Burgerbelangen Enschede, which lost two seats. Both now have eight seats. FvD also stands out with three seats.

Student party STIP is no longer in joint first place in Delft. It again won six seats, but has been overtaken by D66, which rose from six to seven. GroenLinks also had six seats, but has merged with the PvdA and now holds nine.

In Leiden, GroenLinks-PvdA lost two seats but remains the largest party with twelve. D66 and the local party Partij Sleutelstad follow with six seats each; the latter grew by three seats. Studenten voor Leiden, like last time, holds two seats.

In Groningen, in the north, GroenLinks-PvdA also lost two seats but remains the largest party with thirteen. D66 secured six seats this year, while the Partij voor de Dieren and VVD each have four. Student en Stad holds three seats, the same as in 2022.

In Tilburg, GroenLinks-PvdA had to compete with the local party Lijst Smolders Tilburg. Both parties won eight seats. They are closely followed by VVD with seven seats and D66 with six.

GroenLinks-PvdA also remains the largest party in Utrecht with fourteen seats. D66 follows with nine seats and VVD with five. The local party Student & Starter lost one seat and now holds one.

Rotterdam (along with The Hague) is an exception to the pattern that local parties struggle to gain a foothold in major cities. GroenLinks-PvdA and Leefbaar Rotterdam both posted slight gains and now each have eleven seats. D66 and VVD follow with five seats each.

In TheHague, the local party Hart voor Den Haag/De Mos emerged as the clear winner with sixteen seats—seven more than in 2022. At a distance follow D66 with eight seats and GroenLinks-PvdA with seven.

In Breda, VVD and GroenLinks-PvdA each lose one seat, but remain the number one and two parties. CDA and Breda Beslist are on the rise.

This article was translated using AI-assisted tools and reviewed by an editor.