Lijstverbinding

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Lijstverbinding ("list connection") is the Dutch for an electoral alliance between two parties.

In a system of proportional representation not all seats are immediately divided, some seats remain undivided remainder seats. In the Netherlands these are allocated by the D'Hondt method. This method strongly favours larger parties (often smaller parties get no remainder seats, whereas the three largest parties get two each). But if smaller parties form an alliance their votes are added up for the distribution of seats, so this increases their chances of getting one. With a lijstverbinding or kartel two parties can pool their votes in order to gain more remainders seats.

Often these two parties are ideologically related, in the 2003 general elections for example the socialist SP and the green GroenLinks formed a lijstverbinding. In the 2004 European elections the social-democratic PvdA and GroenLinks formed a lijstverbinding. The Orthodox protestant SGP and ChristenUnie also usually form a lijstverbinding.