1989 European Parliament election in the Netherlands

An election for Members of the European Parliament representing Netherlands constituency for the 1989–1994 term of the European Parliament was held on 15 June 1989. It was part of the wider 1989 European election. Ten parties competed in a D'Hondt type election for 25 seats.

1989 European Parliament election in the Netherlands

15 June 1989
25 seats to the European Parliament
Turnout	47.48%
First party Second party Third party   Leader Jean Penders Piet Dankert Gijs de Vries Party CDA PvdA VVD Alliance EPP SOC LDR Seats won 10 / 25 8 / 25 3 / 25 Seat change 1 0 2 Popular vote 1,814,107 1,609,626 714,745 Percentage 34.60% 30.70% 13.63% Swing 4.58% 3.00% 5.30%   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   Leader Herman Verbeek Jan-Willem Bertens Leen van der Waal Party Rainbow D66 SGP/RPF/GPV Alliance RBW LDR NI Seats won 2 / 25 1 / 25 1 / 25 Seat change 0 1 0 Popular vote 365,535 311,990 309,060 Percentage 6.97% 5.95% 5.90% Swing 1.37% 3.67% 0.69%

Elections, candidates and members of the European Parliament for the Netherlands
1952–1958	ECSC delegation
1958–1979	EP delegation
1979–1984	1st election, candidates and members
1984–1989	2nd election, candidates and members
1989–1994	3rd election, candidates and members
1994–1999	4th election, candidates and members
1999–2004	5th election, candidates and members
2004–2009	6th election, candidates and members
2009–2014	7th election, candidates and members
2014–2019	8th election, candidates and members
2019–2024	9th election, candidates and members
2024–2029	10th election, candidates and members

Background

Combined lists

Several parties combined in one list to take part in this European Election and increase their chance on a seat in the European Parliament. These combined lists are:

1. Rainbow of CPN and PSP, PPR
2. SGP, RPF and GPV

Electoral alliances

No lists formed an electoral alliance

Voting right

All Dutch, everywhere in the world were granted voting rights this election. Except for the Dutch living in the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba, because they can vote for the Estates of the Netherlands Antilles. However, if the subject lived for 10 years or longer in the Netherlands they can still vote for the European Elections.

These people got right to vote in this fourth election for the European Parliament in 1989 in the Netherlands:

• Everyone who was allowed to vote in the Dutch parliament elections;
• Dutch who are resident anywhere in the world and did not already have voting rights for the Dutch Parliament elections; (except for Dutch living in the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba, because they vote for the Estates of the Netherlands Antilles. Dutch from the Netherlands Antilles en Aruba are allowed to vote for European Elections if they lived for at least 10 years in the Netherlands.)
• Subjects of one of the other Member States which have residence in the Netherlands. Provided that the state of which they are from granted the same.

Numbering of the candidates list

Further information: Party lists in the 1989 European Parliament election in the Netherlands

The official order and names of candidate lists:

Candidate lists for the European Parliament election in the Netherlands

1989
Lists
List			English translation	List name (Dutch)
1		list	Labour Party/European Socialists	Partij van de Arbeid/Europese Socialisten
2		list	CDA European People's Party	CDA Europese Volkspartij
3		list	VVD - European Liberal-Democrats	VVD - Europese Liberaal-Democraten
4		list	Rainbow (ppr-psp-cpn-evp-gpn-indep.)	Regenboog (ppr-psp-cpn-evp-gpn-onafh.)
5		list	SGP, GPV and RPF	SGP, GPV en RPF
6		list	D66
7		list	Socialist Party	Socialistiese Partij
8		list	God with Us	God met Ons
9		list	Initiative for European Democracy IDE	Initiatief voor Europese Democratie IDE
10		list	List Janmaat / Centre Democrats	Lijst Janmaat / Centrumdemocraten

Results

Further information: Netherlands (European Parliament constituency)

In the election the conservative liberal VVD loses seats to the progressive liberal D66, who return to the European parliament after a five-year absence. 47.48% of the Dutch population turned out on election day.

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Christian Democratic Appeal	1,814,107	34.60	10	+1
	Labour Party	1,609,626	30.70	8	0
	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	714,745	13.63	3	–2
	Rainbow	365,535	6.97	2	0
	Democrats 66	311,990	5.95	1	+1
	SGP–GPV–RPF	309,060	5.90	1	0
	Centre Democrats	40,780	0.78	0	New
	Socialist Party	34,332	0.65	0	0
	Initiative for European Democracy	23,298	0.44	0	New
	God with Us	18,860	0.36	0	0
Total		5,242,333	100.00	25	0
Valid votes		5,242,333	99.47
Invalid/blank votes		28,041	0.53
Total votes		5,270,374	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		11,099,123	47.48
Source: Kiesraad

European groups

Summary of the 15 June 1989 European Parliament elections in the Netherlands

1989
European group			Seats 1984	Seats 1989	Change
	European People's Party	EPP	9	10	1
	Confederation of Socialist Parties	SOC	8	8	0
	Liberal and Democratic Reformist Group	LDR	5	4	1
	Rainbow Group	RBW	2	2	0
	Non-Inscrits	NI	1	1	0
			25	25	0