1971 Dutch general election

General elections were held in the Netherlands on 28 April 1971.[1] The Labour Party (PvdA) emerged as the largest party, winning 39 of the 150 seats in the House of Representatives.[2] The elections were the first without compulsory voting, causing a sharp fall in voter turnout, down to 79.1% from 94.9% in the 1967 elections.[3] Barend Biesheuvel of the Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP) became Prime Minister, leading the first Biesheuvel cabinet.

1971 Dutch general election

28 April 1971
Turnout	79.1%
Party Leader % Seats ± PvdA Joop den Uyl 24.5% 39 +2 KVP Gerard Veringa 21.8% 35 -7 VVD Molly Geertsema 10.3% 16 -1 ARP Barend Biesheuvel 8.5% 13 -2 D66 Hans van Mierlo 6.7% 11 +4 CHU Bé Udink 4.4% 7 -3 DS'70 Willem Drees Jr. 5.3% 8 New CPN Marcus Bakker 3.8% 6 +1 SGP Hette Abma 2.3% 3 0 PPR Jacques Aarden 1.8% 2 New GPV Piet Jongeling 1.6% 2 +1 NMP Albert te Pas 1.5% 2 New PSP Hans Wiebenga 1.4% 2 -2 BP Hendrik Koekoek 1.1% 1 -6 This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.
Seats
Prime Minister before Prime Minister after Piet de Jong KVP Barend Biesheuvel ARP

His cabinet contained a broad coalition of parties, with ministers from ARP, Christian Historical Union (both Protestant), the Catholic People's Party, the conservative-liberal People's Party for Freedom and Democracy and moderate socialist Democratic Socialists '70 (DS'70), which had just split off from the PvdA.

However, Biesheuvel's government was short-lived; following a decision to cut government spending, DS'70 withdrew from the government, causing it to lose its majority and fresh elections to be held after just a year and seven months.

Results

Party	Votes	%	Seats	+/–
Labour Party	1,554,280	24.6	39	+2
Catholic People's Party	1,379,672	21.8	35	–7
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	653,370	10.3	16	–1
Anti-Revolutionary Party	542,742	8.6	13	–2
Democrats 1966	428,067	6.8	11	+4
Christian Historical Union	399,106	6.3	10	–2
Democratic Socialists '70	336,714	5.3	8	New
Communist Party of the Netherlands	246,569	3.9	6	+1
Reformed Political Party	148,192	2.3	3	0
Political Party of Radicals	116,049	1.8	2	New
Reformed Political League	101,790	1.6	2	+1
New Middle Party	95,706	1.5	2	New
Pacifist Socialist Party	90,738	1.4	2	–2
Farmers' Party	69,656	1.1	1	–6
General Elderly Party of the Netherlands	26,878	0.4	0	New
Dutch Appeal	24,376	0.4	0	New
New Roman-Catholic Party	23,047	0.4	0	New
Kabouters	21,982	0.3	0	New
Elderly and Labour Party	21,488	0.3	0	New
Binding Right	15,137	0.2	0	New
Democrats 2000	7,189	0.1	0	New
Elderly Party 65+	5,739	0.1	0	New
Van Velsen List	3,676	0.1	0	New
Elderly Party General Interest	1,840	0.0	0	New
Stichting Gedupeerde Groepen 18+ t/m 65+	1,647	0.0	0	New
Rural Party for the Elderly	1,620	0.0	0	New
Party of the Right	477	0.0	0	0
Positive Social Democrats	400	0.0	0	New
Invalid/blank votes	46,567	–	–	–
Total	6,364,719	100	150	0
Registered voters/turnout	8,048,726	79.1	–	–
Source: Nederlandse verkiezingsuitslagen

Popular Vote PvdA   24.60% KVP   21.84% VVD   10.34% ARP   8.59% D66   6.78% CHU   6.32% DS70   5.33% CPN   3.90% SGP   2.35% PPR   1.84% GPV   1.61% NMP   1.51% PSP   1.44% BP   1.10% Other   2.46%

References

1. http://www.parlement.com/id/vh8lnhronvwt/tweede_kamerverkiezingen_1971
2. Nohlen & Stöver, p1414
3. Nohlen & Stöver, p1397