Gemeentendag (The Dutch Republic)

The Gemeentendag (Dutch for Council of the Municipalities) is the unicameral parliament of the Republic of the Netherlands. It holds the sole legislative power in the state, has to confirm the proposed budget and elects the Prime Minister and President. Its President, currently Khadija Arib, holds the third most senior office of the Republic and acts as replacement for the Prime Minister should there be no Vice Prime Minister available, making this office an important stepping stone in Dutch political careers.

Composition, structure and election
As provided by the Dutch Constitution, the Gemeentendag is elected every four years by its citizens in a "free and fair general election." For this purpose, local elections are held in each of the country's 380 municipalities to determine its representative to the parliament. Any Dutch citizen is entitled to run for office, provided they are above the age of 18, live in the municipality in question and are not currently serving a prison sentence. Elections are held every four years on the date of the previous election, with the current election day being February 15 and the parliament's first session being held twelve days later, during which the President, who presides over the Gemeentendag's sessions and enforces the rules of the house, is elected. However, it is possible for the parliament to dissolve itself via a vote of no confidence against the Prime Minister or through the order of the Head of State, although the latter is unprecedented and politically infeasible. Representatives belonging to a common party usually join a parliamentary caucus with at least three members. Should a representative resign from their position, they must choose a replacement that fulfills the electoral prerequisites mentioned above, effectively preventing vacancies. The Gemeentendag contains 14 committees, which can be created by the President of the Gemeentendag after a request by the Prime Minister. These committees play an important role in the legislative process and serve as advisory bodies to the government. Every parliamentary caucus appoints representatives to the committees proportional to its number of seats.

Powers and constitutional functions
As provided by articles 54 to 62 of the Dutch constitution, the Gemeentendag is the sole part of the federal legislative branch. As such, it is tasked with the election of a head of state and a head of government for the Republic of the Netherlands. To be elected as either, a candidate proposed by at least three members of parliament has to receive a majority of all votes cast, with a quorum of one third of members present having to be fulfilled as with most of parliamentary decisions. Other powers, tasks and functions of the Gemeentendag include:

Constitutional amendments

The Dutch constitution can be changed by either a plebiscite or a vote in parliament. For the former option, a petition has to reach three million signatures or pass the parliament with a simple majority vote, while for the latter, a constitutional amendment has to be proposed by at least three members and pass the parliament with a two-thirds supermajority.

The passing of laws

See below

Approving the state budget

Each fiscal year (beginning on November 1), the Dutch Minister of Taxation and Finances is obliged to propose a budget to the Committee on Public Finances, where its members discuss and review the proposal and may vote on amendments to said budget. After all amendments have been voted on, the budget is passed on to the plenary assembly to vote on it. Should the Committee's proposal be rejected, the Minister of Finances may make another proposal directly to the parliament without the Committee's interference until a compromise is reached.

Votes of no confidence

The parliament may, at any time, vote to impeach the Prime Minister, triggering a new general election, the date of which is decided by the President. The Prime Minister will however stay in power as a caretaker until a new government is inaugurated.

While the judges of the Netherlands' highest court, the National Court of the Netherlands, are elected directly by the judges of all Dutch courts, parliament may vote to impeach a judge with a simple majority. This is, however, without precedent, as the National Court is seen as an independent, non-partisan institution.

Changes to the Ridderzaal

Since the Gemeentendag's meeting place, the Ridderzaal, is neither part of a municipality nor of a province, the building and the surrounding Binnenhof castle are directly administered by the parliament, meaning that every structural change to the estate has to be approved by a parliamentary vote.

The legislative process
The Gemeentendag has the sole authority to pass federal laws. The legislative process to enact these laws begins with a proposal of a bill by at least three members of parliament or the Prime Minister. The proposal is then presented to the plenary assembly and discussed by representatives before it is allocated to and discussed by the respective committee, where members may vote to add amendments to the bill. After the committee has finished its work on the proposal, the plenary assembly discusses the potential modifications and then votes on the law as a whole. If it is rejected, the responsible committee may once again amend the bill and put it to a second vote, that, should it fail, ends the legislative process. If the bill passes one of the votes, it must be signed by the President to be enacted, which is seen as a formality.