Netherlands election polls: Geert Wilders' popularity on the rise – LATEST POLLS

A party needs 76 in total to win a majority, but no party is predicted to win this number of seats according to polls.

In total, there are a record 37 groups registered to take part in the election, indicating the fragmentation inherent in the Dutch political landscape.

This could make forming a coalition more difficult than ever.

The latest polls reveal Mr Rutte’s liberal People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy VVD party is still performing best out of all parties.

The latest poll was published on February 28, showing VVD is likely to win 33 seats, closely followed by PVV winning 24 seats.

The Christian Democratic Appeal is due to win 19 seats according to the poll from Peil.nl, with Democrats 66 (D66) and the Labour Party (PvdA) due to win 13 and 12 seats respectively.

Polls show Mr Rutte’s party remaining in the lead, but compared his popularity has eroded amid the child benefit scandal.

Political science professor Tom van der Meer of Amsterdam University told ABC: “The popularity of Mark Rutte … got a big boost last year due to the COVID-19 crisis.”

source: express.co.uk