How do elections in a Western European country really work? Is there actually a direct link between the Dutch General Election 2017 and European Union politics? And how easy is it to form a coalition between multiple political parties? To learn the answers to these questions, fifteen Chinese master's students of the China-EU School of Law and Foreign Affair Administrator Chen Yingfang visited the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands on the occasion of the 2017 Dutch parliamentary elections on 15 March. “We were provided with very detailed analysis and insights,” student Lu Qingzhong said. “I gained a much better understanding of the Dutch viewpoints on the European Union at this visit.”
Prof. Dr Monique Leyenaar, professor of Comparative Politics from Radboud University in Nijmegen, specializing in political reform, political participation and political leadership of women, introduced the students to the political landscape of the Netherlands and explained how the parliamentary system works. She also discussed the key issues economy and migration of the Dutch election campaign 2017 with them. “I am very concerned about the outcome of polls in the Netherlands this time,” Prof. Leyenaar told the students. The 2017 elections were not only a tight race between Prime Minister Mark Rutte and his Liberal party and the far-right Freedom Party Leader Geert Wilders. The world was also looking to the Netherlands for signs of whether the populist tide across Europe has peaked with the British vote to leave the European Union or is about to reshape the political face of France and Germany as well. As the Dutch embassy served as a postal vote polling station during election day, Chinese students were also able to witness the workings of this polling station firsthand. Moreover, they got the chance to learn about the Dutch culture at the embassy, being introduced to Dutch art history, film industry and the Dutch cuisine. In 2017, the Netherlands and the People's Republic of China celebrate the establishment of diplomatic relations at ambassadorial level 45 years ago.
Article by Lu Qing (Double master student from 2015 intake)
Photo by Wang Hao (Double master student from 2015 intake)
