From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dutch term for a lead candidate in an election
In
politics
, a
lead candidate
(
German
:
Spitzenkandidat
;
Dutch
:
lijsttrekker
,
lit.
'
list puller
'
) is the leader of a
political party
in an
election
to a
legislative body
. In
parliamentary systems
, it is often the party's nominee for the position of
head of government
.
[1]
In
open list
electoral systems, it is the first candidate on a party's
electoral list
. The lead candidate can be, but is not necessarily, the
party chair
or
political leader
.
[2]
Usage by country
[
edit
]
Voting ballot for the
2017 Dutch general election
, with each party's lead candidate listed at the top
Netherlands
[
edit
]
In the
Netherlands
, which uses a system of
open-list proportional representation
, the lead candidates (
lijsttrekkers
) in elections for the
House of Representatives
are almost always the parties' political leaders. When elected, the lead candidate usually becomes the party's
parliamentary leader
in the House of Representatives. When a
coalition
is formed, the lead candidates of the governing parties may be offered senior positions in the
Cabinet
, requiring them to vacate their seats in parliament. Traditionally, the lead candidate of the largest party in the governing coalition becomes
Prime Minister
.
[3]
[4]
Lead candidates of the
2018 Dutch municipal election
in
Nissewaard
The term is also used in
provincial
,
municipal
,
water board
and
island council
elections, as well as in elections to the
European Parliament
and the
Senate
. In these elections, the lead candidates of national parties tend to be different from the party leaders. They are also not the parties' nominees for the positions of
King's commissioner
,
mayor
,
dike-reeve
or
lieutenant governor
.
Belgium
[
edit
]
In
Belgium
, elections to the
Chamber of Representatives
only feature
provincial
electoral lists since the
2012?2014 state reform
. As a consequence, there are usually six lead candidates per party. In general, one of them is the party leader. Prior to the state reform, some of the party leaders ran as
lijsttrekker
on the
Senate
list.
See also
[
edit
]
- Lijstduwer
? the last candidate on the electoral list
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Pascual, Shelley (September 22, 2017).
"10 German words you need to know to keep up with the election"
.
The Local
. Retrieved
September 27,
2017
.
- ^
Kroet, Cynthia (April 19, 2017).
"Frauke Petry won't be AfD's lead candidate in German election"
.
Politico
. Retrieved
September 27,
2017
.
- ^
Cohen, Bernard Cecil (1995),
Democracies and Foreign Policy: Public Participation in the United States and the Netherlands
, University of Wisconsin Press, p. 21,
ISBN
9780299146405
- ^
Fiers, Stefaan; Krouwel, Andre (2007),
"The Low Countries: From 'Prime Minister' to President-Minister"
,
The Presidentialization of Politics: A Comparative Study of Modern Democracies
, Oxford University Press, p. 131
[
permanent dead link
]