It is also a test of the strength of Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s centre-right four-party coalition, especially since newly elected regional lawmakers also chose a new upper house in the national parliament in May. A major shift could affect Rutte’s ability to pass legislation for the remainder of his coalition’s term in office.
After an increasingly popular campaign, the vote in the country’s 12 district parliaments is expected to highlight growing discontent with Rutte’s government and the steady rise of a party representing farmers angry at moves to contain their production in a bid to curb pollution, the Associated Press (AP) reported.
Across the country of about 18 million people, dozens of parties participate in elections, many of them small and local. Voters will also elect members of the country’s 21 local water authorities, key institutions in a nation that is more than a quarter below sea level and has endless lines of dams to protect its core.
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