North Hollanders in the city have more confidence in politics than people in the countryside. This makes our province the Netherlands in miniature: there is more confidence in politics in the Randstad than in the provinces outside it. This is evident from research by Kieskompas commissioned by the regional broadcasters.
In Noord-Holland there is a sharp dividing line that marks trust – or lack thereof – in politics. There is considerably more confidence in politics in three major cities (Amsterdam, Haarlem, Alkmaar) than elsewhere. More than half of the surveyed North Hollanders in rural areas indicate that they have no confidence in politics, in the city this is about 35 percent.
This makes our province of the Netherlands in miniature. The difference between town and village is also large nationally. In Zeeland (51%) and Limburg (45%), for example, distrust in politics is greater than in North Holland (30%). And on the statement ‘people in the countryside are often forgotten by politicians’, many more Groningen residents than North Hollanders agree, 77% against 40%.
The national figures show differences in confidence in terms of level of education and age. Higher educated people have more confidence in politics than lower educated people. And people up to 35 years old have more confidence than people 50 and older. This may also explain the difference between urban and rural areas: more young, highly educated people live in the cities.
Influence of the Provincial Council
Next month we can vote for the provincial elections. Almost three-quarters of the North Hollanders indicate that they consider the election important. At the same time, there is also a widely held feeling that they have no influence on the Provincial Council. In the city this applies to almost 40% of the respondents. In rural areas, more than half feel they have no influence on the province.
NH News and Kieskompas join forces and launch their own North Holland voting aid. Based on propositions drawn up by our editors, this electoral aid ensures that every Noord-Hollander is well-informed and can go to the polls on 15 March.
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