The Netherlands are going to elections and the “chaos” caused by the far right is taking voters back to the center. They want “stability” and answers to housing, health and immigration
Voters in the Netherlands are preparing to return to the political center in this week’s elections, after two years marked by instability under the leadership of the far right. The Party for Freedom (PVV), led by Geert Wilders, won power in 2023, but the government coalition collapsed in June, and is now taking the country back to the polls.
The two years of government under the far right were marked by internal divisions and erratic policies. The government fell when Wilders demanded drastic anti-immigration measures, including the closure of refugee centers, the use of the military to patrol borders and the repatriation of many Syrian refugees – proposals that were rejected by coalition partners.
Although the PVV continues to lead in the polls, two traditional parties – the Christian Democrats (CDA) and the Green-Labor coalition – have committed to excluding Wilders from any future government alliance. Both are tied for second place in voting intentions and are vying for the position of prime minister.
“It is very difficult to predict the result, but voters are looking for some stability after the chaos”, said Sarah de Lange, professor of political science at the University of Amsterdam, cited by .
“We have problems that, in the last two years, the government has not resolved because it was in internal conflict”, said Tom Berendsen, leader of the CDA in the European Parliament, who says that after two years of haphazard policies and disputes with the European Union, it is no wonder that voters want a break.
The dispute centers between Frans Timmermans, former European commissioner and leader of Labor, who joined forces with the Greens; and Henri Bontenbal, leader of the CDA, engineer and politician for just four years, but who gained popularity for his calm and pragmatic stance.
With around 20% of voting intentions, the PVV leads narrowly, followed by the CDA and the Green-Labor coalition, each with around 15%. However. The two can form a coalition, but stability remains a challenge in a fragmented parliament with 150 seats and more than a dozen parties represented.
Voters’ main concerns are housing, health and immigration, and these are the themes that dominate the political debate. Even parties like Timmermans, on the center-left, defend that limits be imposed on the arrival of migrants.
Around half of voters still declare themselves undecided, and polls point to two possible paths for the formation of the next government: a centrist coalition involving the Greens-Labor, CDA, D66 and VVD; or a more right-wing alliance with CDA, VVD, D66 and smaller populist parties.
“Voters want, above all, a return to normality”, said professor Sarah de Lange, highlighting that regardless of the result, the dominant feeling is the desire for stability after years of polarization and political conflicts.
