This article is part of the series: Politics and government of the Netherlands
The Eerste Kamer (First Chamber) is the Upper House or Senate of the Netherlands parliament, the States-General. It was established in 1815, when the Netherlands and Belgium emerged as a single state at the end of the Napoleonic wars, and continued after Belgian independence in 1830.
It currently has 75 members, elected by the members of the twelve provincial councils every four years. Unlike the politically more significant Tweede Kamer, it meets only one day a week. Its members tend to be veteran politicians or part-time politicians at the national level, often having other roles. It has the right to accept or reject legislative proposals, but not to amend them or to initiate legislation.
The current President of the Senate is Yvonne Timmerman-Buck.

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