Dutch Frontrunner Wilders Losing Steam as Election Nears
- Wilders’s Freedom Party and Rutte’s Liberals tie in one poll
- Netherlands to vote in general elections on March 15
Mark Rutte, Dutch prime minister and leader of the Liberal Party (VVD), speaks to supporters during a campaign event in Wormerveer, Netherlands, on Saturday, Feb. 25.
Photographer: Jasper Juinen/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s Liberals are making up ground on populist frontrunner Geert Wilders in the polls, suggesting that voter support is crystallizing in the final weeks of the campaign in favor of keeping Rutte in power.
Two polls released on Tuesday showed the Freedom Party with a one-seat advantage or even with the Liberals. That’s down from a lead of as many as 12 seats at the start of the year. A poll aggregator released Wednesday showed the Liberals narrowly ahead for the first time since November.