The right-wing Liberal party VVD has edged ahead of Labour (PvdA) in two opinion polls – the first since since 2001 that the party has been in the lead.

A Maurice de Hond poll gives the Liberals 34 seats, compared with 32 for Labour, while the TNS Nipo poll puts the Liberals on 30 seats and Labour on 29.
It is the first time since the 1998-2002 cabinet that the VVD has been the biggest party in the polls.
TNS Nipo said in a statement that the election is turning into a straightforward fight between right and left.
‘The fact that the economy has taken such a central place in voters’ considerations is an advantage to both the VVD and PvdA because they are at opposite ends of the socio-economic left-right policy scale,’ the statement said.

Leadership
VVD leader Mark Rutte has also edged ahead of Labour’s Job Cohen in the popularity stakes, the De Hond poll shows.
The CDA, currently the biggest party in parliament with 41 of the 150 seats, is now on 26 in the De Hond poll and 22 in TNS Nipo vote.
The polls show mixed fortunes for Geert Wilder’s anti-Islam PVV. According to De Hond, it has shed a further seat and is now on 16 but TNS Nipo sees it adding two seats to take 20. The party currently has nine MPs.