The SP loses elections time and time again: this is why

If we look at the results of the House of Representatives elections in Brabant since 2006, we see that Lilian Marijnissen’s party has continued to decline since those elections. While the SP was the second largest in Brabant in 2006, it now ranks a paltry seventh.

Course
The decline of the SP coincides with the rise of other (populist) parties such as the PVV and now also BBB and NSC. At the same time, the party competes on the left with GroenLinks and the PvdA, which joined forces in these elections.

Research agency IPSOS conducted research into the development between political parties on behalf of the NOS. As can be seen in the image below, the SP lost equally to the PVV, NSC and GroenLinks-PvdA in the recent House of Representatives elections.

Even in Oss, where founder Jan Marijnissen and father of current leader Lilian Marijnissen built the party, the SP is in for a rude awakening. The former stronghold now appears to be squatted and inhabited by other parties:

• Municipal council 2022: VDG (26.1 percent), SP (19.9 percent)
• Provincial Council 2023: BBB (19.5 percent), SP (13.1 percent)
• House of Representatives 2023: PVV (31.5 percent), SP (8.2 percent)

Not an easy story
Important themes for voters included social security and healthcare, according to research commissioned by Omroep Brabant. Topics on which the SP has been able to profile itself very well for years. How is it possible that this is not rewarded by the voter?

An explanation may be that the SP does not have an easy story. The average SP voter is poorly educated, less happy and has more difficulty making ends meet and seems to fit in better with the PVV support base than with that of GroenLinks-PvdA.

Migration was also an important theme in these elections. A subject on which the PVV can score well with a simple, blunt story: according to that party, almost all problems are the result of migration.

Equality is one of the core values ​​of socialism. It is therefore not an option for the SP to come up with a story like that of the PVV. The result is that the party does not always speak out clearly on topics such as asylum and climate. Themes that other protest parties are very outspoken about.

Right
And on issues where the SP is in the lead, other parties walk away with the win. The party often turns out to be right, but not to get it. In 2017, the Socialist Party was the only one to advocate a higher minimum wage. It is now included in almost all election manifestos. The role of former MP Renske Leijten in uncovering the benefits affair was also not rewarded with seats.

“Yes, hello, where have you been in recent years?” Marijnissen said in the initial phase of the campaign to other parties that were suddenly concerned about insecurity, while in her opinion these other parties are partly to blame for the cause.

Recently, Marijnissen was almost hugged to death during the RTL debate by other party leaders who were so enthusiastic about the care community center in Oss. While it was the SP that ensured that this happened.

Since the start of her leadership in 2017, Marijnissen lost an election for the seventh time last night. The party leader made no statements about her position on the results evening. “That’s up to the party,” she said. The question is whether a leadership change alone would be enough to pull the SP out of the doldrums.

Here you will find the results in all municipalities.

YOU CAN READ MORE ABOUT THE ELECTIONS HERE:

Never before has the PVV become the largest in Brabant. Here you can read how that worked.

Here you will find an overview of the most important news regarding the election results.