The Netherlands will go to to the polls to vote for a new look lower house of parliament in one day’s time. Here is a round-up of campaign and other election news on the last day before the election.

Wilders booed over “hunger in Africa” comment

Far right leader Geert Wilders has called for the VAT rate on groceries to be cut to 0%, saying the measure would make food more affordable for Dutch households.

“It might mean a little more hunger in Africa, but not here,” he said during the EenVandaag election debate on Monday, defending his plan to scrap spending on development aid to pay for the tax cut. His remarks drew jeers from the audience of around 2,000 students.

The lower VAT rate is currently 9%, and removing it altogether would cost several billion euros, or roughly the same amount the Netherlands currently spends on development aid, Wilders said. The PVV leader argued that “millions of Dutch people are struggling to pay for their groceries”.

In fact, Dutch households are spending a slightly smaller proportion of their income on groceries than six years ago, according to new research by ABN Amro.

CDA says no to JA21 and BBB

Christian Democrat leader Henri Bontenbal has told NPO Radio 1 that he is not at all keen on the idea of forming a coalition with the far right JA21 or BBB and will focus on a coalition in the centre.

The support of the CDA would be essential to forming the “centre right” coalition touted by VVD leader Dilan Yesilgöz. Even with the CDA, more parties would be required for a majority in the 150-seat lower house of parliament.

Bontenbal also told the programme he would happily be prime minister. In this period of polarisation it is time for a “fresh new wind and a prime minister from the centre,” he told the show.

No one-member parties?

The VVD would not automatically reject a proposal to ban political parties with only one member, party leader Dilan Yesilgöz has told RTL Ontbijtnieuws. D66 wants to enshrine in law that parties must be open to members, a move supported by GroenLinks–PvdA and the CDA.

Yesilgöz launched a strong attack on PVV leader Geert Wilders during a televised debate last week, describing his party — currently the largest in both parliament and the polls — as “one man with a Twitter account”. Wilders is the sole member of the PVV and has complete control over the party.

A Feyenoord coalition?

Feyenoord can claim to be the best-represented Dutch football club in politics, with at least six party leaders among its supporters, the AD reported on Tuesday.

Rob Jetten (D66), Jimmy Dijk (SP), Henri Bontenbal (CDA), Stephan van Baarle (Denk), Esther Ouwehand (PvdD) and Joost Eerdmans (JA21) have all publicly declared their allegiance to the Rotterdam club — prompting speculation about a tongue-in-cheek “Feyenoord coalition” after the election.

VVD leader Dilan Yesilgöz is a passionate supporter of Amsterdam club Ajax while  the leaders of the two largest parties from the last election, Geert Wilders (PVV) and Frans Timmermans (GroenLinks–PvdA), both support clubs from their native Limburg. Timmermans, also a fan of AS Roma, has long followed Roda JC while Wilders supports VVV-Venlo.