With two weeks to go before the general election, here is a round-up of the latest election news.

CDA opts for VVD over GroenLinks-PvdA

Christian Democrat leader Henri Bontenbal has told the AD that if he were forced to choose between the right-wing liberal VVD and the GroenLinks-PvdA alliance, “it would be easier” to opt for the VVD.

Bontenbal was responding to readers’ questions about potential coalitions. “Purely on the basis of the manifestos and our previous alliances, it would be easier for me to go with the VVD,” he said. The CDA and VVD have frequently been coalition partners in the past.

A combination of the CDA, GroenLinks-PvdA, D66 and the VVD is currently being touted as the most likely next cabinet.

JA21 changes its plans

Current affairs show Nieuwsuur has found out that the plans in JA21’s election manifesto differ significantly from the proposals the far right party submitted to economic analysis bureau CPB for official costings.

For example, while the manifesto pledges to abolish the flight tax of around €30 per ticket, the version sent to the CPB keeps the tax in place and merely cancels a planned increase. The party also promises a single 20% corporate tax rate in its manifesto but submitted a 22% rate to the CPB, which would cost businesses billions more.

The manifesto sets aside €12 billion for housing and infrastructure, but the CPB version reserves only €500 million, and while the manifesto proposes keeping two public broadcasting channels, the CPB submission abolishes public broadcasting entirely.

Party leader Joost Eerdmans did not deny the inconsistencies when questioned by Nieuwsuur, saying that the CPB’s calculations were “a separate project” requiring parties to supply figures, and that voters “know what our choices are and can easily compare them with our manifesto.”

Wilders returns to the campaign trail

Far-right leader Geert Wilders said on social media that he will resume public campaigning and take part in television debates and talk shows again “out of a sense of responsibility to PVV voters”.

Wilders, whose party is leading in the polls but has lost some support, withdrew from the election campaign last Friday after being told he was included on the hit list of an alleged Belgian terror cell.

VVD admits plans will boost poverty

VVD parliamentarian Eric van der Burg has admitted that if his party’s full economic package were implemented in the Netherlands, poverty would increase. An analysis of the VVD’s plans by the macro-economic forecasting agency CPB found that the number of people living in poverty would rise from 2.8% of the population to 3.5% by 2030.

The VVD plans to freeze social security benefits for two years. “We are making different choices,” Van der Burg was quoted as saying by the AD.