New Dutch parliament sworn in

By Aysu Bicer

LONDON (AA) - The Tweede Kamer, the lower house of the Dutch parliament, welcomed 68 new members on Wednesday, marking a significant shift in the political landscape.

The newcomers, hailing from various parties, are set to shape the legislative agenda alongside 13 returning members of parliament (MPs) and 69 who retained their seats, the NL Times reported.

The election victor, the Party for Freedom (PVV), saw many of its candidates securing positions in the new Kamer, reflecting the party's strong showing at the polls.

Additionally, the New Social Contract (NSC) party gained immediate traction with 20 seats, contributing to the diverse mix of fresh faces.

One notable aspect of the new parliamentary makeup is the age profile, which skews younger compared to its predecessor.

However, despite this age diversity, concerns have been raised over the overall lack of diversity within the new cohort.

The swearing-in ceremony was presided over by Vice-President Roelien Kamminga of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD).

Over 10.4 million voters cast their votes last week to elect members of the 150-seat parliament.

Geert Wilders' far-right Islamophobic PVV emerged as the primary party with 37 seats, followed by GroenLinks-PvdA, a coalition led by former European Commissioner Frans Timmermans, with 25 seats.