The parliament of the Netherlands is an important facet of the country. The Dutch parliament is located in the Hague and has officially 150 seats selected according to the proportionality of the party votes. This Parliament, officially known as the States General of the Netherlands, consists of a House of Representatives (Tweede Kamer) and a Senate (Eerste Kamer). Both chambers of the Dutch parliament are housed in the Binnenhof (inner court) of The Hague and discuss proposed legislation and review of the actions of the cabinet.

During our visit to the Dutch parliament in the Hague, we could visit most of the buildings from outside due to the corona pandemic.

Parts of the Dutch Parliament in the Hague

• The Inner court (Binnenhof)-The Binnenhof is the Dutch political center. To the left of the inner court is the Senate and the House of representatives to the right. Behind the inner court is the Ministry of General Affairs. That’s where the Prime Minister works.

• Office of the prime minister (Het Torentje)- At the back end of the Court pond, is a small tower. This tower is the official working place of the Dutch prime minister. During crisis situations, the prime minister can give a special speech from his office.

• The knights hall-The knights hall is one of the oldest rooms in the Binnenhof of the Dutch parliament. On Budget Day, the king delivers the speech from the throne here. In the speech from the throne, the government explains its plans for the coming year. This event is held every year in September.

• The Building of the Senate- The 75 members of the Senate meet here. The room has a very special ceiling: a large painting on which you can see people from other countries, who ‘listen’ to what is being said. Sometimes the room is also used for TV programs such as the National Dictation.

• The official building of the house of representatives-The House of Representatives began in 1815 with 55 MPs to meet in the old Balzaal and between 1900 and 1956 this number rose to 100. When in 1956 the number of members was increased to 150, the official hall became too small. Now the hall is used for lectures, presentations, concerts and special events such as announcing the results of the elections.