THE HAGUE, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- With just two months to go before Dutch voters return to the polls, the country's caretaker government is hanging on with minimal support, while the governing People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) has suffered a dramatic slump in popularity.
The cabinet of Prime Minister Dick Schoof has been further weakened after the New Social Contract (NSC) withdrew from government on August 22. The move followed the resignation of Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp, who quit citing restrictions on his stance regarding Israel.
The government had already lost its majority on June 3, when the far-right Party for Freedom (PVV) abandoned the coalition over asylum policy. With NSC now gone, only the VVD and the Farmer-Citizen Movement (BBB) remain, together holding just 32 of the 150 seats in the House of Representatives.
Despite the collapse, parliament last week approved the continuation of the Schoof cabinet until after the October 29 elections. Proposals to replace it with a new caretaker government were rejected. "What then? More chaos? More fuss?" asked Socialist Party leader Jimmy Dijk, urging stability.
The vacant NSC ministries are now being temporarily covered by VVD and BBB colleagues, but Schoof acknowledged the government's narrow mandate. "The government should be restrained," he said, noting little new policy could be advanced.
Opposition parties have signaled conditional cooperation. PVV leader Geert Wilders said his party would back "good proposals and not bad ones," while GroenLinks-PvdA (GreenLeft-Labor) party leader Frans Timmermans stressed willingness to support urgent measures, especially on Gaza.
The VVD's troubles are compounded by sliding poll numbers. A survey by TV show EenVandaag and research agency Verian on August 26 placed the party at just 15 seats, down from 23 a month earlier, and the lowest level in years. The VVD had secured 24 seats in last November's election.
Polls show Wilders' PVV strengthening its lead at 33 seats, ahead of GroenLinks-PvdA on 26. The Christian Democrats (CDA) led by Henri Bontenbal have surged to 22 seats, up from just five in the 2023 elections, benefiting from NSC's collapse, the once-promising newcomer now polling at zero seats.
In the November 2023 election, PVV shocked the political establishment by becoming the largest party for the first time with 37 seats. GroenLinks-PvdA followed with 25, VVD with 24, and NSC with 20.
With 54 parties approved by the Electoral Council to contest the October 29 election, the Netherlands is preparing for another fragmented outcome. Only 26 parties fielded candidates in 2023, underscoring the challenges of forming a stable government.
A second victory for Wilders' PVV appears possible, but coalition-building remains uncertain. The VVD has already ruled out another partnership with the PVV, making the formation of a majority government a likely post-election puzzle once again. ■