DutchNews.nl - Election: Purple dawn - Labour closes the gap on the Socialists

A strong performance in two televised debates this week has placed the Labour party just one seat behind the Socialists in a new poll, leading some pundits to suggest the Netherlands could be heading for a new 'purple' coalition.

After being largely written off earlier in the campaign, the new Ipsos Synovate barometer says the PvdA is on target to win 26 out of 150 seats in parliament at the September 12 election. This is four up on last week and just one behind the SP, which is down three.

The improvement in Labour's fortunes is due in part to leader Diederik Samsom, who has been widely acknowledged as the winner of the two debates so far.

'He no longer shaves his head every day and has started wearing a tie,' the paper says. 'As a bridge builder between Roemer on the left and Rutte on the right, for viewers he represents the reasonable middle ground.'

Samsom may also have been helped by name-calling accusations of lying between the two biggest parties, pundits say. Nevertheless, the right-wing ruling VVD remains the biggest party in the Synovate poll on 34.

The poll results may indicate there is enough support for a prospective three-party coalition involving the VVD, PvdA and the Liberal democrats D66. Their combined total in this poll is 74, just two short of an overall majority.

A purple cabinet - so called because of the mix of party colours - ran the Netherlands from 1994 to 2002.

However, Samsom told Nos television on Monday a coalition with the VVD and D66 was 'not the most obvious option' and said it would be difficult to be in government with the VVD.

The likelihood of a coalition involving both the VVD and SP is extremely small. Both VVD leader Mark Rutte and SP chief Emile Roemer have made it clear they will not help the other to form a majority. 'I am not going to help form a right-wing coalition. The Netherlands has to choose,' Roemer is quoted as saying in the NRC.

A strong Labour party would then become a vital coalition partner for either side.

Meanwhile, ChristenUnie leader Arie Slob has put himself forward as a possible negotiator to try to put together a coalition after the vote in 11 days time. Parliament earlier this year voted to remove the queen from the formation process but a new system has not yet been put in place.

As the longest-serving MP of all the party leaders, Slob said he would be the ideal candidate to offset the risk of a long and chaotic formation process.

An extremely difficult choice..seeing as whoever takes over, it's goodbye voice of the people again, and hello, we make the decisions now, like it or lump it!

By The visitor | September 1, 2012 8:25 PM

As usual a platitude by The visitor. This is how most democracies work. Once in a while we give some people the mandate to govern us. A privilege which doesn't exist in lots of countries in the world.

By pepe | September 1, 2012 10:55 PM

@ The visitor, spoken like a true cynic.
Welcome to the club!

By Donaugh | September 2, 2012 9:09 AM

As long as the PVV has no majority I'm happy! They seem to want all expats out of the country, and as much as I would be happy to oblige them it's just not possible right now!

By M | September 2, 2012 10:00 AM

Rutte and his coalition failed. He should be fired. Oops, at least not PM again.

By bruce | September 3, 2012 8:37 AM

Wouldn't a coalition with PvdA + SP + D66 + GroenLinks make more sense ?

By Philippe | September 3, 2012 2:42 PM

The most important goal to achieve is firstly that a leftist party has the most seats in order to begin the negotiating process - otherwise one has Rutte calling the shots vis-a-vis forming a coalition. He saw last time with his getting into bed with Geertje that he wants to be in power BUT not with any parties of leftist leanings. One thought last time that any one would be an improvement upon having Balkenende as Minister President - only to have Rutte make you think maybe Balkenende wasn't so bad after all!

By Jim | September 3, 2012 4:02 PM

If voting made any difference, we wouldn't be allowed to do it - Mark Twain.

By woods | September 3, 2012 4:15 PM

@comments:

"Where the people fear the government you have tyranny. Where the government fears the people you have liberty."

Maybe I'm cynical, but prefer the word 'skeptic'..

As usual the vote I cast will be for the party I consider the least menacing. (Difficult choice.)

'A change of government? We get to choose once in the four years, a different poison..or the same one, like a family picnic at area 51, now that's cynical, cheers!

By The visitor | September 4, 2012 12:30 AM