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    Home / Knowledge base / King, parliament and government

    Theme 7 · Government and the rule of law

    King, parliament and government

    The Netherlands is a democratic state under the rule of law with a king. How parliament, government and the courts work together.

    Draft · not yet reviewed by a teacher

    King and parliament

    The Netherlands is a kingdom. The king is Willem-Alexander. His role is mainly ceremonial.

    Parliament is called the States General and has two houses: the House of Representatives (150 members) and the Senate (75 members). Together with the government they make the laws.

    The government

    After elections, political parties form a government. The ministers are part of the government. The prime minister leads the ministers.

    You need to know the name of the prime minister for the exam. That name changes with a new government, so check rijksoverheid.nl to see who it is now.

    Three powers

    Power is divided over three branches: the legislature (making laws), the executive (carrying them out) and the judiciary (judging). You must accept a court's ruling, but you can appeal.

    The Netherlands has three levels of government: the national government, the provinces and the municipalities.

    Sources

    Attainment targets

    • 7.1.1
    • 7.1.3

    Checked on November 8, 2026