ded many times, most recently in 2002

Legal system:

based on civil law system incorporating French penal theory;
constitution does not permit judicial review of acts of the States
General; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: Queen BEATRIX (since 30 April 1980); Heir Apparent
WILLEM-ALEXANDER (born 27 April 1967), son of the monarch
head of government: Prime Minister Jan Peter BALKENENDE (since 22
July 2002); Deputy Prime Ministers Wouter BOS (since 22 February
2007) and Andre ROUVOET (since 22 February 2007)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch
elections: the monarchy is hereditary; following Second Chamber
elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority
coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the monarch; deputy
prime ministers appointed by the monarch
note: there is also a Council of State composed of the monarch, heir
apparent, and councilors that provides consultations to the cabinet
on legislative and administrative policy

Legislative branch:

bicameral States General or Staten Generaal consists of the First
Chamber or Eerste Kamer (75 seats; members indirectly elected by the
country's 12 provincial councils to serve four-year terms) and the
Second Chamber or Tweede Kamer (150 seats; members directly elected
by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: First Chamber - last held 29 May 2007 (next to be held in
May 2011); Second Chamber - last held 22 November 2006 (next to be
held by early 2011)
election results: First Chamber - percent of vote by party - NA%;
seats by party - CDA 21, PvdA 14, VVD 14, Socialist Party 11,
Christian Union 4, Green Left Party 4, D66 2, other 5; Second
Chamber - percent of vote by party - CDA 26.5%, PvdA 21.2%,
Socialist Party 16.6%, VVD 14.6%, Party for Freedom 5.9%, Green
Party 4.6%, Christian Union 4.0%, other 6.6%; seats by party - CDA
41, PvdA 33, Socialist Party 25, VVD 22, Party for Freedom 9, Green
Party 7, Christian Union 6, other 7

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court or Hoge Raad (justices are nominated for life by the
monarch)

Political parties and leaders:

Christian Democratic Appeal or CDA [Jan Peter BALKENENDE]; Christian
Union Party [Andre ROUVOET]; Democrats 66 or D66 [Alexander
PECHTOLD]; Green Left Party [Femke HALSEMA]; Labor Party or PvdA
[Wouter BOS]; Party for Freedom or PVV [Geert WILD