Mark Rutte Leads a Crowded Field in Dutch Vote
- Covid-19 overshadows election campaigning, debates and voting
- Rutte’s party will need multiple partners to form a coalition
Mark Rutte
Photographer: Hollie Adams/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Dutch caretaker Prime Minister Mark Rutte will likely hold onto his job after Wednesday’s election, with his Liberal VVD party comfortably ahead in opinion polls. The big question is how long will it take him to form another coalition among the whopping 37 parties contesting the ballot in the 150-seat lower house of Parliament.
The process of piecing together a government could take months, and the result will dictate the new administration’s priorities, from its pandemic recovery plans to its stance on European Union projects.