# Independent Politics Netherlands

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"Independent Senate Group" redirects here. For the Canadian parliamentary group, see [Independent Senators Group](/source/Independent_Senators_Group).

Political party in the Netherlands

Independent Politics Netherlands Onafhankelijke Politiek Nederland Chairperson Jabik van der Bij (ad interim) Leader in the Senate Auke van der Goot Founded 22 March 1999 (1999-03-22) Headquarters Ruysdaellaan 34, Geleen Think tank Wetenschappelijk Bureau OPNL Ideology Regionalism Colours Slogan De kracht van de regio ("The strength of the region") Senate 1 / 75 House of Representatives 0 / 150 European Parliament 0 / 31 Website opnl.nl Politics of the Netherlands Political parties Elections

**Independent Politics Netherlands** ([Dutch](/source/Dutch_language): *Onafhankelijke Politiek Nederland*, **OPNL**), formerly known as the **Independent Senate Group** (*Onafhankelijke Senaatsfractie*, **OSF**), is a federation of local and regional [political parties in the Netherlands](/source/List_of_political_parties_in_the_Netherlands) that competes in elections to the [Dutch Senate](/source/Dutch_Senate). OPNL is composed of provincial and municipal-level parties, and has no individual members.[1]

OPNL only contests the elections for the Senate, where it represents [regional politics](/source/Regionalism_(politics)). [Auke van der Goot](/source/Auke_van_der_Goot), a member of the [Frisian National Party](/source/Frisian_National_Party), represents OPNL in the Senate.

## History

In 1995, several provincial parties and [The Greens](/source/The_Greens_(Netherlands)) proposed their own independent list for the Senate elections, called the Platform of Independent Groups/The Greens (*Platform van Onafhankelijke Groepen/De Groenen*). [Marten Bierman](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Marten_Bierman&action=edit&redlink=1) (a member of [The Greens](/source/The_Greens_(Netherlands))) was elected through [preferential vote](/source/Open_list). In 1999 Bierman was reelected.

In 2003, [Henk ten Hoeve](/source/Henk_ten_Hoeve) became senator for the OSF. He was a member of the [Friesland](/source/Friesland) [states-provincial](/source/States-provincial) representing the [Frisian National Party](/source/Frisian_National_Party). He remained senator until 2011. Ten Hoeve was succeeded by [Kees de Lange](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kees_de_Lange&action=edit&redlink=1). De Lange was elected on the OSF list, but was a member of the [50PLUS](/source/50PLUS) party, with which the OSF had a vote sharing agreement, as the OSF did not achieve enough votes to get a seat independently. In 2015 De Lange broke with the OSF due to a disagreement concerning the possible cooperation between the OSF and the [People's Party of Limburg](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=People%27s_Party_of_Limburg&action=edit&redlink=1) of [Jos van Rey](/source/Jos_van_Rey), a former [VVD](/source/People's_Party_for_Freedom_and_Democracy) [alderman](/source/Wethouder) and [representative](/source/House_of_Representatives_(Netherlands)) plagued by corruption scandals.[2]

In 2015, Henk ten Hoeve became senator of the OSF for a second time. Between 2019 and 2021 [Gerben Gerbrandy](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gerben_Gerbrandy&action=edit&redlink=1), former mayor of [Achtkarspelen](/source/Achtkarspelen), has been the senator representing the OSF. Gerbrandy left the Senate in January 2021 and was replaced by [Ton Raven](/source/Ton_Raven), a former [alderman](/source/Wethouder) from [Sittard-Geleen](/source/Sittard-Geleen).[3]

In 2021, the organisation's name was changed to Independent Politics Netherlands.

## Member parties

OPNL consists of the following regional parties:[4] Province Party 2023 provincial election result Votes % Seats won Drenthe Strong Local Drenthe 7,485 2.84 1 / 43 Flevoland Strong Local Flevoland 4,518 2.77 1 / 41 Friesland Frisian National Party 27,298 8.05 4 / 43 Provincial Interest Fryslân 6,891 2.03 1 / 43 Gelderland Local Parties Gelderland 16,512 1.59 0 / 55 Groningen Groninger Interest 17,385 6.04 3 / 43 Limburg Local Limburg 20,128 4.30 2 / 47 North Brabant Local Brabant 45,723 4.17 2 / 55 North Holland Independent Politics North Holland 11,916 1.00 0 / 55 South Holland Independent Politics South Holland Did not participate Utrecht U26 Municipalities 7,646 1.17 0 / 49 Zeeland Party for Zeeland 8,458 4.63 2 / 39

## Electoral results

### Senate elections

Election Lead candidate Result[5][6] Weighted votes % Seats won 1995 Folkert Kuperus[7] 1 / 75 1999 Marten Bierman 3,880 2.46 1 / 75 2003 Henk ten Hoeve 2,874 1.78 1 / 75 2007 Henk ten Hoeve 2,857 1.75 1 / 75 2011 Kees de Lange 2,113 1.77 1 / 75 2015 Henk ten Hoeve 2,652 2.46 1 / 75 2019 Gerben Gerbrandy 2,265 1.31 1 / 75 2023 Auke van der Goot 3,183 1.78 1 / 75

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Statuten Onafhankelijke SenaatsFractie | osf.nl"](https://web.archive.org/web/20190329104704/https://www.osf.nl/osf/statuten.html). *www.osf.nl*. Archived from [the original](http://www.osf.nl/osf/statuten.html) on 29 March 2019. Retrieved 27 September 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["OSF-senator De Lange nu onafhankelijke eenling"](https://www.parlement.com/id/vju1istw09wj/nieuws/osf_senator_de_lange_nu_onafhankelijke). *[parlement.com](/source/Parlement.com)* (in Dutch). Retrieved 27 September 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Ton Raven nieuwe senator voor de onafhankelijken – osf.nl"](https://www.osf.nl/nieuws/nieuws-219-Ton-Raven-nieuwe-senator-voor-de-onafhankelijken.html). *www.osf.nl* (in Dutch). Retrieved 20 January 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Platform"](https://www.opnl.nl/platform/). *Onafhankelijke Politiek Nederland* (in Dutch). Retrieved 16 April 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Verkiezingsuitslagen"](https://verkiezingsuitslagen.nl/verkiezingen?s=Eerste+Kamer). *Verkiezingen* (in Dutch). Retrieved 25 February 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Eerste Kamerverkiezingen 1983–2015"](https://www.parlement.com/id/vimrii5o8ord/eerste_kamerverkiezingen_1983_2015). *[Parlement.com](/source/Parlement.com)* (in Dutch). Retrieved 25 February 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Eerste Kamerverkiezingen 1995"](https://www.parlement.com/id/vjvrcbhtsggl/eerste_kamerverkiezingen_1995). *[Parlement.com](/source/Parlement.com)* (in Dutch). Retrieved 16 April 2023.

## External links

- [Official website](https://www.opnl.nl/)

v t e Political parties in the Netherlands National parties represented in the States General and/or European Parliament 50PLUS Christian Democratic Appeal Christian Union Democrats 66 Denk Farmer–Citizen Movement Forum for Democracy Independent Politics Netherlands JA21 New Social Contract Party for Freedom Party for the Animals People's Party for Freedom and Democracy Progressief Nederland Reformed Political Party Socialist Party Volt Netherlands without representation in the States General and/or European Parliament Belang van Nederland BIJ1 Code Orange De Nieuwe Mens Dutch People's Union Forza! Nederland Heart for Freedom Henk Krol List Jezus Leeft LEF – For the New Generation Liberal Democratic Party Libertarian Party More Direct Democracy Nederland met een Plan New Communist Party of the Netherlands NLBeter Otten Group Party for the Republic Party for Sports Peace for Animals Pirate Party Political Party for Basic Income Splinter The Greens The Party Party Together for the Netherlands Trots op Nederland Ubuntu Connected Front United Communist Party Local parties European Netherlands Connect Wageningen CU–SGP Independent Party of Alkmaar Livable Eindhoven Livable Rotterdam Maastricht: Open Eerlijk Democratisch Student & Starter Student en Stad Studenten Techniek In Politiek Caribbean Netherlands Bonaire Democratic Party Bonaire Patriotic Union Bonaire People's Movement Democratic Party Movement 21 Progressive Labour Party Saba Labour Party Windward Islands People's Movement Regional parties Frisian National Party Groninger Interest Local Brabant Party for the North Party for Zeeland Strong Local Drenthe Water board parties General Water Board Party Water Natuurlijk List of political parties by country Politics of the Netherlands

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Independent Politics Netherlands](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independent_Politics_Netherlands) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independent_Politics_Netherlands?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.