50PLUS

50PLUS (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈvɛiftəx plʏs]; abbreviated 50+) is a political party in the Netherlands that advocates pensioners' interests.[2][3] The party was founded in 2009 by Maurice Koopman, Alexander Münninghoff, and Jan Nagel. Henk Krol served as the party's leader from 2016 to 2020.

50PLUS
Abbreviation50+
LeaderMartin van Rooijen
ChairmanPeter Schut
Leader in the SenateMartin van Rooijen
Founded2009
Preceded byParty for Justice, Action and Progress
HeadquartersKneuterdijk 2,
The Hague
Think tankWetenschappelijk Bureau 50PLUS
Membership (2023)Decrease 2,730[1]
IdeologyPensioners' interests[2][3]
Populism[4]
Soft Euroscepticism[5][6][7]
Political positionCentre[8][9]
Colours  Purple
Senate
2 / 75
House of Representatives
0 / 150
King's Commissioners
0 / 12
Provincial councils
9 / 570
European Parliament
0 / 29
Website
50pluspartij.nl

The party first participated in the 2011 provincial elections, in which it won nine seats. It currently holds sixteen seats in the provincial councils and two seats in the Senate. On 6 May 2021, Liane den Haan, the party's leader and sole representative in the House of Representatives, left 50PLUS following an internal dispute.[10]

History

2009-2011

The party was founded under the name Onafhankelijke Ouderen en Kinderen Unie (Independent Elderly and Children Union) in 2009, succeeding the Partij voor Rechtvaardigheid, Daadkracht en Vooruitgang (Party for Justice, Vigour and Progress). It was an initiative of Maurice Koopman, Alexander Münninghoff and Jan Nagel. The party decided not to enter elections for the House of Representatives in 2010. During autumn that same year the name was changed to 50PLUS.

Leading up to the 2011 Dutch Senate election, 50PLUS made an agreement with the Onafhankelijke Senaatsfractie (Independent Senate Faction). The regional parties had to little seats in the Provincial council to collectively get a seat in the Senate, and the members of 50PLUS promised to vote for the OSF (Onafhankelijke Staatsfractie) to help them gain one. In return for this, 50PLUS member Kees de Lange would be the OSF's first candidate on the electoral list. On the 23rd of May 2011, he was chosen as a senator on behalf of the OSF. 50PLUS member Jan Nagel also won one seat. From than on, it was possible for individuals to become member of the party.

Electoral results

House of Representatives
Election Lijsttrekker Votes  % Seats +/– Government
2012 Henk Krol 177,631 1.9 (#11)
2 / 150
 Increase 2 Opposition
2017 327,131 3.1 (#10)
4 / 150
 Increase 2 Opposition
2021 Liane den Haan 106,658 1.0 (#15)
1 / 150
 Decrease 3 Opposition (2021)
No seats (2021-)

Senate
Election Votes  % Seats +/– Government
2011 2,193 1.3
1 / 75
 Increase 1 Opposition
2015 4,388 2.6
2 / 75
 Increase 1 Opposition
2019 5,251 3.0
2 / 75
 Steady 0 Opposition

European Parliament
Election List Votes  % Seats +/– Notes
2014 List 175,343 3.69 (#10)
0 / 26
 New
2019 List 215,199 3.91 (#9)
1 / 26
 Increase 1

Provincial councils
Election Votes  % Seats +/– Notes
2011 (#10)
9 / 566
 New
2015 (#10)
14 / 570
 Increase 5

Organization

Leadership

Representation

House of Representatives
Main article: Members of the House of Representatives of the Netherlands for 50PLUS

Senate

Current members of the Senate since the 2019 election:

See also
  • Union 55+, Defunct Dutch pensioners' interests party active from 1992 until 1998.
  • General Elderly Alliance, Defunct Dutch pensioners' interests party active from 1993 until 1998.

References
  1. "VijftigPlus (50PLUS)". Rijksuniversiteit Groningen (in Dutch). 27 July 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  2. Andeweg, R. and G. Irwin Politics and Governance in the Netherlands, Basingstoke (Palgrave) p.49
  3. Nordsieck, Wolfram (2021). "Netherlands". Parties and Elections in Europe. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  4. "De opmars van 50Plus". AD. 16 November 2016. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  5. Benjamin LeRuth; Yordan Kutiyski; André Krouwel; Nicholas J Startin (2017). "Does the Information Source Matter? Newspaper Readership, Political Preferences and Attitudes Toward the EU in the UK, France and the Netherlands". In Manuela Caiani; Simona Guerra (eds.). Euroscepticism, Democracy and the Media: Communicating Europe, Contesting Europe. Palgrave Macmillan UK. p. 105. ISBN 978-1-137-59643-7.
  6. Jort Statema; Paul Aarts. Timo Behr; Teija Tiilikainen (eds.). The Netherlands: Follow Washington, Be a Good European. Northern Europe and the Making of the EU's Mediterranean and Middle East Policies. note on p. 237.
  7. Rudy B. Andeweg; Galen A. Irwin (2014). Governance and Politics of the Netherlands (4th ed.). Palgrave Macmillan. p. 74.
  8. Hans Keman (2008), "The Low Countries: Confrontation and Coalition in Segmented Societies", Comparative European Politics, Taylor & Francis, p. 221, ISBN 9780203946091
  9. José Magone (3 July 2013). Contemporary European Politics: A Comparative Introduction. Routledge. p. 533. ISBN 978-1-136-93397-4.
  10. "50Plus verdwijnt uit de Kamer: Den Haan stapt op en neemt zetel mee". NOS (in Dutch). 6 May 2021. Retrieved 6 May 2021.

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