Photo finish would be unique - Wim Voermans on neck-and-neck Dutch election results
in the media image: Element5 Digital on Unsplash
Wim Voermans, Professor of Constitutional and Administrative Law, appeared on radio broadcast ‘Sven op 1’, saying an election result where two parties are tied is unique and calls for caution.
Voermans stresses how close the current Dutch polls are, saying the elections are a real neck-and-neck race. ‘Never before have we been this close to a photo finish.’ He adds that an ‘ex aequo’ election result, where two or more parties end up with the same number of seats, is ‘highly unique’ in the Dutch parliamentary history.
If the election result does turn out to be a tie, Voermans warns of the complexity of the situation. 'You can then imagine that the exact numerical winner, even if it is only by one vote, is given the initiative to form a government.' He also points out that in the event of such an unusual outcome, it is up to the newly elected House of Representatives to decide on the procedure, such as the appointment of a scout to explore the options to form a new government. He adds that caution is advised in the event of an ‘ex aequo’ election result, especially when initiating the formation procedure and warns that it would not be wise to start the procedure too hastily.