VVD closes in on PVV as support for Wilders falls again

Support for the far-right PVV continues to fall in Dutch opinion polls, with the party now hanging on to a narrow lead over coalition partner VVD, according to a new poll for the TV current affairs show EenVandaag.

The poll says the PVV would win 31 seats out of 150 if there were a general election tomorrow, a drop of three compared with last month, and six down on its general election total.

The VVD, by contrast, has benefited from a number of high-profile appearances by leader Dilan Yeşilgöz and staunch support for Ukraine, adding four seats to reach 28.

One seat behind is the GroenLinks-PvdA alliance, currently the biggest opposition party, which is planning a formal merger.

The downturn in support for Geert Wilders’ party does not, however, mean that its former voters are turning to other parties, rather they are likely to stop voting altogether. The party’s lack of commitment to Ukraine and cabinet infighting are the main reasons why voters are dropping out, EenVandaag said.

The two other coalition parties, BBB and NSC, would each win two seats if there were an election tomorrow giving the coalition 63 seats, compared with their current 88.

Some 49% of the EenVandaag opinion panel said it would be good for the Netherlands if the cabinet collapsed.