On October 29, Dutch voters will be heading to the polls for the second time in just two years, following the collapse earlier this year of the short-lived right-wing government under technocrat prime minister Dick Schoof. A week can be a long time in the volatile and fragmented Dutch electoral landscape, in which 27 parties vie for 150 seats. A poll earlier this week found 47 per cent of voters report are still undecided on who to vote for. Nevertheless, it currently seems that the traditional moderate parties may emerge best placed to form a new government, as voters seek a return to normalcy after the recent period of instability. A resulting ‘middle coalition’ would find itself with the difficult task of having to restore trust at a time when the public’s faith in politics is at an all-time low. It will also seek to restore the Netherlands’ influence on issues like Ukraine and European security – a return no doubt welcomed in Brussels and beyond.
The Dutch elections are an opportunity for the Netherlands to regain its international influence (Katja Bego – Chatham House)
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