First Chamber of the States-General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands |
The Eerste Kamer (literally First Chamber in Dutch) is the Upper House or Senate of the Netherlands parliament,
the States-General. It was established in
1815 when the Netherlands and Belgium emerged
as a single state at the end of the Napoleonic wars and continued
after Belgian independence in 1830.
It currently has 75 members, elected indirectly by 12 provincial councils every four years. Unlike the politically more
significant Tweede Kamer, its members tend to be part-time politicians at
the national level, often having other roles. It has the right to accept or reject legislative bills, but does not have the right
of amendment.
Its membership (2003) is:
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