Government and politics in Drenthe, Netherlands: official figures
The King's Commissioner (Commissaris van de Koning) in Drenthe is mw. drs. A.H. Mulder (CDA), appointed with effect from 1 January 2026.
Which party won the provincial election in Drenthe?
The Provincial Council (Provinciale Staten) of Drenthe has 43 seats; at the election of 15 March 2023 the largest party was BBB (BoerBurgerBeweging) with 17 seats, followed by PvdA (4) and VVD (4).
Source: Kiesraad · saved copyWhat is the composition of the Provinciale Staten of Drenthe?
14 parties won seats in the Drenthe Provincial Council in 2023: BBB (BoerBurgerBeweging) 17, PvdA 4, VVD 4, CDA 3, GroenLinks 2, PVV 2, ChristenUnie 2, SP 2, Partij voor de Dieren 2, D66 1, Forum voor Democratie 1, Volt 1, Sterk Lokaal Drenthe 1, JA21 1.
Source: Kiesraad · saved copyWhat was the turnout in the provincial election in Drenthe?
Turnout at the 2023 Provincial Council election in Drenthe was 66.4% of 399,405 registered voters, the highest among the 12 provinces (all provinces: 58.8%).
Source: Kiesraad · saved copyHow did BBB do in Drenthe?
The BoerBurgerBeweging (BBB), founded in 2019, took 33.4% of the valid vote in Drenthe in 2023 (88,176 votes), the highest among the 12 provinces.
Source: Kiesraad · saved copyHow many women are in the Provinciale Staten of Drenthe?
9 of the 43 members elected to the Drenthe Provincial Council in 2023 were women (21%), 6th lowest among the 12 provinces.
Source: Kiesraad · saved copyHow many municipalities are there in Drenthe?
Drenthe was divided into 12 municipalities on 1 January 2026, each with its own council and mayor.
Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) · saved copyWho governs the province of Drenthe and what is its budget?
Budget headline: the provincial government of Drenthe spent €283 million on policy programmes in 2024, of which nature was the largest item.
Source: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) · saved copyHow Drenthe compares with other provinces
Turnout at the 2023 Provincial Council election (%) (2023)
Drenthe ranks 1 of 12, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Turnout at the 2023 Provincial Council election (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Drenthe | 66.4% |
| 2 | Friesland (NL) | 65.6% |
| 3 | Overijssel | 65.1% |
| 4 | Gelderland | 64.4% |
| 5 | Utrecht | 63.4% |
| 6 | Groningen | 62.5% |
| 7 | Zeeland | 62.4% |
Women among Provincial Council members elected in 2023 (%) (2023)
Drenthe ranks 7 of 12, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Women among Provincial Council members elected in 2023 (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Friesland (NL) | 26% |
| 5 | Flevoland | 22% |
| 6 | Gelderland | 22% |
| 7 | Drenthe | 21% |
| 8 | Groningen | 21% |
| 9 | Zeeland | 20% |
| 10 | North Holland | 20% |
BBB share of the valid vote, Provincial Council election 2023 (%) (2023)
Drenthe ranks 1 of 12, highest first.
| Rank | Region | BBB share of the valid vote, Provincial Council election 2023 (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Drenthe | 33.4% |
| 2 | Overijssel | 31.4% |
| 3 | Friesland (NL) | 27.9% |
| 4 | Gelderland | 23.6% |
| 5 | Groningen | 23.5% |
| 6 | Flevoland | 20.8% |
| 7 | Zeeland | 19.8% |
More on Drenthe: overview · economy and jobs · health · education and schools · poverty and living standards · government budget · the Netherlands
Sources
- Rijksoverheid (Ministerie van Binnenlandse Zaken en Koninkrijksrelaties): Commissarissen van de Koning: overview of the King's Commissioners by province with date of appointment, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 d43d3ea25408…)
- Kiesraad: Verkiezingsuitslagen Provinciale Staten 2023, deel 1: EML result (Resultaat) and total count (Totaaltelling) files for the 12 provinces, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 9bb2965cefff…)
- Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS): Regionale kerncijfers Nederland (table 70072ned): provinces, COROP areas and selected municipalities, 2014-2026, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 d2b63aac3a26…)
- Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS): Provincierekeningen; baten en lasten per taakveld (table 84322NED): provincial accounts by policy area, 2017-2024, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 952ae7f363af…)
Each saved copy is the file exactly as downloaded, kept so the figures can be checked even if the source changes. Report an error.