Coronavirus policy support still high; Rutte’s party soars in polling

Support for the government's coronavirus policy remains high among Netherlands residents, and that is also showing in the polls, according to a recent survey by I&O Research. If the parliamentary elections were held today, Prime Minister Mark Rutte's VVD would walk away with 43 seats in parliament, compared to its current 32, ANP reports.

While support for the coronavirus policy is still high, it is lower than at the start of the crisis in March. Now 75 percent of Netherlands residents support the measures in place, compared to 91 percent then. "The economy and the start up of the economy are now becoming increasingly important to people," researcher Peter Kanne said to NOS.

Two in three voters said they support the government's actions in the coronavirus crisis. Prime Minister Rutte in particular is gaining in popularity, with his valuation scores growing from 5.8 to 7.2.

CDA Ministers Hugo de Jonge, who is the "corona minister" as the Minister of Public Health, and Finance Minister Wopke Hokestra who plays a major role in managing the coronavirus support measures, are also gaining popularity. But that has not yet translated in growing support for their party. The CDA would now get 13 seats in parliament, four less than they got in the 2017 election.