Dutch Government May Face Standstill After Elections to Senate

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s coalition may be unable to do little more than tread water over the next two years, with elections Wednesday set to deprive it of a working majority in the upper house of parliament.

Rutte’s administration, made up of his Liberal Party and their Labor coalition partners, already needs support from three opposition parties to push bills and budget plans through the Senate. Polls suggest that all five groups may win no more than 33 seats out of 75 in the new upper chamber in The Hague, meaning Rutte would have to seek the help of even more opposition lawmakers to get new legislation approved.