The Netherlands Elections: If left wing parties fail to support Samson's PVDA and splinter the vote experts believe Rutte poised for second term as PM

Dutch caretaker Prime Minister Mark Rutte is expected to once again form a coalition government after the general elections in the Netherlands on Wednesday (12 September), experts predict.

However, the outcome of the election is still highly uncertain as many voters remain undecided.

After an election campaign focused on the economy, the Netherlands' relationship with the EU, the eurozone crisis and health care, Rutte's liberal party VVD is supposedly  leading the polls with 35 seats in the 150-seat parliament even though a Saturday night poll put him in a draw with Samson's PVDA at 35 versus 35.

Some political experts now even foresee a new Dutch government consisting of Rutte's VVD, Samson's PvdA, Rutte's previous coalition ally the Christian Democratic party (CDA) and the social-liberal party D66.

If Mr. Roemers is smart and wants to be part of a center-left coalition he should urge his supporters to give their vote to Samson's PVDA,  Tomorrow's election results will show if Roemers has had the savvy to do so or wants to remain in the opposition for the coming 4-8 years together with Geert Wilders PVV.

EU-Digest

Netherlands: Great debating skills of PVDA leader Diederik Samson improves party standing and image

PVDA Leader Diederik Samson

In a poll released Tuesday by TNS NIPO, Labor would win about 26 seats in the 150-member parliament, continuing its steady rise of the past four weeks, which also is seen in other polls.

The Socialist Party, which had been leading the polls for nearly two months, continued to lose territory and now would secure only 28 seats, according to TNS NIPO. One month earlier, the Socialists were set to win 37 seats and had a 20-seat lead over Labor.

The polls are closely watched as the Netherlands is an important contributor to the rescue packages for struggling southern European countries. The outgoing center-right government has been an important ally of Germany in propagating austerity as the cure for the debt crisis in the currency bloc.

Socialist leader Roemer, whose down-to-earth manner was considered part of his appeal, so far has come across as a political lightweight in the debates.

"Everyone was expecting Rutte and Roemer to clash, but it was Samsom who stood out," said Philip van Praag, a political analyst at the University of Amsterdam.

It was Samsom who ticked off the prime minister, saying: "Mr Rutte, if you want to campaign, you have to tell the truth about your own program, not lies about other parties' programs".

In a country with such a crowded political field, another coalition is certain after the election. At least 12 parties are running, including those representing devout Christians, people over the age of 50 and the interests of animals.

However, only leaders of the biggest parties contested the debates, and Samsom took a different line when the discussion turned to the bailout for Greece, which is unpopular with Dutch voters.

The other leaders swore they would not pay another euro to support the Greeks. But Samsom took a softer line on a Greek government request that it be allowed more time to meet budget targets set by its international lenders.

"If we want to give Greece a chance, then it may be ... that they'll ask if they can have another half year, and if it leads to a stronger Europe, I'll say yes," Samson said in the debate. "We have to make Europe more than a market and a currency."

Labour leader Diederik Samsom was judged the winner of the second television debate of the election campaign by both viewers and experts on Thursday night.

Samsom took 40% of the viewers’ vote, followed by Mark Rutte, prime minister and leader of the right-wing VVD, with 23%.   Samsom was also declared the winner of the first debate last weekend.

A mother of 4 who was watching the debate said about Samson: "he would be the best Son in Law any mother could ask for." 

EU-Digest

Dutch Socialist leader Emile Roemer Warns on Austerity - by Maarten van Tartwijk

The front-runner ahead of next month's Dutch general elections warned Sunday that a single-minded focus on austerity is crippling the country's economy and could unravel the euro zone.
"I can't say if we will be able to maintain the euro. The European economy is hurting too much from austerity," Emile Roemer told reporters at the launch of his Socialist Party's election campaign.

Mr. Roemer partly blamed the current problems on flaws in the euro zone's design and said "technocrats" have gained power at the expense of voters. He also said struggling countries in southern Europe should be allowed more leeway.

"Europe should be about people, not about multinationals and the financial sector," he said.
Mr. Roemer's party has benefited from growing voter resentment toward the German-led austerity drive and euro-zone bailouts. Some polls give it a clear lead over the Liberal Party of Prime Minister Mark Rutte.

For more: Dutch Far-Left Leader Warns on Austerity - WSJ.com