The Labour party (PvdA) and the Christian Democrats (CDA) would lose seats if there was an election now, the latest poll from Maurice de Hond showed on Sunday. The loss would be even greater if Rita Verdonk, the controversial former immigration minister who was recently sacked from the right-wing Liberal party, took part with her own party.

The poll shows that in the present situation the Christian Democrats would win 35 seats (they have 41 in the present cabinet) and Labour 24 (33), reports ANP news service.
If Verdonk took part, she would win 21 seats, leaving the Christian Democrats with 32 and Labour with 23. The poll also shows that Geert Wilders’ anti-immigration party would win 12 seats (now 9), nearly half as many as he would take without Verdonk.
According to Sunday’s poll 22% of respondents thought prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende did best in last week’s budget debate, followed by Socialist party leader Jan Marijnissen and right-wing Liberal leader Mark Rutte who both scored 13%, ANP reports.