''Lijstduwer'' (, 'list pusher') is a Dutch term for the last candidate on a party list. In

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the Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

and

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...

, this position is often taken by well-known non-politicians such as artists, celebrities and sports people. They are officially a candidate, but they are put at the end of the party list (in an unelectable position) in a bid to attract more votes for the party and as a sign they endorse that specific party. In local elections, ordinary people who are well known in the community might also act as ''lijstduwer''. Since these electoral systems use open list

party-list proportional representation Party-list proportional representation (list-PR) is a subset of proportional representation electoral systems in which multiple candidates are elected (e.g., elections to parliament) through their position on an electoral list. They can also be u ...

, votes cast to the ''lijstduwer'' add up to the total number of votes, and hence seats for the party. The candidate is not likely to become a member of the elected body due to the low placement on the list, and generally rejects the position if they gather enough

preference votes In psychology, economics and philosophy, preference is a technical term usually used in relation to choosing between alternatives. For example, someone prefers A over B if they would rather choose A than B. Preferences are central to decision the ...

for a full seat (which they can claim under the Dutch system). There can be more than one ''lijstduwer''. How many members on the list can be considered ''lijstduwer'' varies. In the broader definition, candidates who are lower on the list than the number of seats a party is likely to win, are considered ''lijstduwers''. In

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

, which uses a closed list nationwide proportional representation system, the tradition of choosing elder statesmen and celebrities as candidates in the lowest places of the list also exists, but without a special term. As some local elections in Germany have cumulative voting and

panachage Panachage (, from French meaning "blend, mixture") is the name given to a procedure provided for in several open-list variants of the party-list proportional representation system. It gives voters more than one vote in the same ballot and allows ...

the last place on the party list is sometimes given to a more prominent or high profile candidate for similar reasons to the phenomenon in the Netherlands. Well-known national politicians can act as ''lijstduwer'' on the list for the European and municipal elections.

Notable ''lijstduwers'' in Dutch general elections

People's Party for Freedom and Democracy The People's Party for Freedom and Democracy ( nl, Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie ; VVD) is a conservative-liberal Andeweg, R. and G. Irwin ''Politics and Governance in the Netherlands'', Basingstoke (Palgrave) p.49 political party i ...

Maarten van der Weijden Maarten van der Weijden (born 31 March 1981) is a Dutch long distance and marathon swimmer born in Alkmaar., beijing2008.cn In 2019 Van der Weijden swam the Elfstedentocht for charity. He raised more than €6.1 million. Swimming career Van der ...

* Labour Party: Foppe de Haan * Christian Democratic Appeal: Wiljan Vloet * GroenLinks:

Ineke van Gent Wilhelmina "Ineke" van Gent (born 21 June 1957) is a Dutch politician serving as Mayor of Schiermonnikoog since 2017. A member of GroenLinks, she was a member of the House of Representatives from 1998 to 2012. She focused on matters of employm ...

Party for the Animals The Party for the Animals ( nl, Partij voor de Dieren; PvdD) is a political party in the Netherlands. Among its main goals are animal rights and animal welfare. Since 2019, the PvdD's political leader is Esther Ouwehand. With 3.8% of the votes ...

and Forum for Democracy: Paul Cliteur * Democrats 66:

Kajsa Ollongren Jkvr. Karin Hildur "Kajsa" Ollongren (; ; born 28 May 1967) is a Dutch politician serving as the Netherlands' Minister of Defence since 10 January 2022. A member of the Democrats 66 (D66), she previously served as Minister of the Interior and K ...

References

Dutch words and phrases Party-list proportional representation Politics of the Netherlands {{Netherlands-poli-stub

Notable ''lijstduwers'' in Dutch general elections

See also

References