zetelroof

Dutch

Etymology

Compound of zetel +‎ roof.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈzeː.təlˌroːf/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: ze‧tel‧roof

Noun

zetelroof m (uncountable)

1. (politics) theft of a seat in a political council or assembly, acquisition of a political representative seat through means that are considered illegitimate

Usage notes

This term is currently chiefly used in relation to politicians keeping their seats when they leave a political faction. Historically it was frequently used for seats acquired in different circumstances, such as list combinations during controversies.