If elections were held now, the Socialist Party would become the country’s biggest party, along with the ruling conservative VVD party of Prime Minister Mark Rutte, a weekly poll suggests.

The Socialist Party continues to draw both its traditional supporters and voters from Labour and Geert Wilders’ Freedom Party, according to the weekly survey conducted by Maurice de Hond. Some 30 percent of Labour supporters say they would now vote for the Socialist Party. And some 10 percent of those who back the Freedom Party declare they would switch to the Socialist Party.

At the same time, the Freedom Party, which has 24 seats in parliament, would now get just 21, down from the 24 it had in the polls last week. Around Christmas the survey suggested the Freedom Party could count on 26 seats. Mr De Hond’s bureau blames the drop on the budget cuts introduced by the government last year. The Freedom Party supports the ruling coalition on an agreed package of specific policies but opposes further budget cuts.

(cl/ae)

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