At the end of the Dutch parliamentary year, a survey indicates that a majority of voters think Prime Minister Mark Rutte is doing a better job than his predecessor Jan Peter Balkenende.

Socialist Party leader Emile Roemer easily came out on top as the best opposition leader in the house. The survey was organised by opinion pollster Maurice de Hond and 6,000 people took part.

Those who backed Mr Rutte were predominantly people who had voted for his conservative VVD party or for the populist Freedom Party (PVV) which backs his government from the parliamentary benches. However, Mr Rutte also proved popular with supporters of the democrat D66 party.

About 25 percent of the respondents of the survey said there was nothing to choose between Mr Rutte and his predecessor.

(mw/imm)

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