The continuing row over the new Dutch government’s now-cancelled plan to redistribute wealth via health insurance has led to a further drop in support for both parties in the latest Maurice de Hond opinion poll.

If there were a general election tomorrow, the right-wing VVD would win just 23 seats, almost half their general election total of 41. Labour is also down sharply at 27. The PvdA has 38 in the new-look parliament.
The main opposition parties all benefit from the swing away from the VVD and Labour. The PVV is up three on 23, while the Christian Democrats are also up three on 16. New party 50Plus would take six seats, an increase of 200% on its current total, the De Hond poll shows.
Criticism
Meanwhile, a number of senior party members have appeared on weekend talk shows commenting about the week’s events and the government’s decision to ditch its plans because of the massive opposition.
Robin Linschoten, a senior VVD member and former junior social affairs minister, told a television chat show on Sunday the new coalition has one more chance to get it right.
‘This went wrong and they cannot do it a second time,’ Linschoten said.
Common ground
Labour stalwart and former junior minister Jacques Wallage told another show the new alliance has yet to find a common thread.
The Labour party’s insistence on the redistribution of wealth comes over like a hobby and that would not have been the case if the parties had said that ‘fair shares for all’ was one of their joint aims, Wallage said.