Dutch Election Wide Open as All Vie to Pick Up Wilders Votes
- Last full week of campaigning before March 15 elections
- Five parties in contention to place first with nine days to go
Netherland's Prime Minister Mark Rutte Campaigns Ahead of Election
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The Dutch election was wide open going into the last full week of campaigning, as support for the populist message of Geert Wilders declined and Prime Minister Mark Rutte failed to pick up the balance.
With polls showing five parties are now in contention to place first in the March 15 vote, leaders tried to capitalize on the opening over the weekend. Rutte touted his Liberal-led government’s economic record, while Wilders said it would be untenable to exclude his Freedom Party from a coalition if it scored highly.