Only 16% of voters would accept another PVV, VVD, NSC, and BBB gov't after elections

At the end of 11 months in office, only 14 percent of voters look back positively on the performance of the collapsed Schoof I Cabinet. A new Cabinet with the PVV, VVD, NSC, and BBB after the next election is therefore not popular, with only 16 percent of voters calling it a good idea, EenVandaag found in a survey of 16,117 members of its opinion panel shortly after the Cabinet’s collapse on Tuesday.

Almost three-quarters, 72 percent, of voters think new elections are the way forward. “What a hassle, all those Dutch people going to the polls for 1.5 years of quarreling and no results. But oh well, it has to be done,” one respondent said.

The performance of the right-wing government dealt a heavy blow to Netherlands residents’ confidence in politics, especially for right-wing voters. Among all voters, confidence dropped from 34 to 23 percent. PVV voters’ confidence more than halved from 37 percent last year to 13 percent now. VVD voters’ confidence fell from 58 percent to 38 percent, and BBB voters’ confidence from 39 percent to 17 percent.

Respondents of the EenVandaag poll gave the Schoof I Cabinet a final score of 3.6 out of 10. Respondents of an RTL Nieuws poll among 19,000 panel members scored the Cabinet slightly higher at 3.8. Panel members who voted for a coalition party were a bit more generous, but still gave the Schoof I cabinet a failing grade of 4.4.

Most voters, 60 percent, blame the PVV for the Cabinet’s fall, RTL Nieuws found. Voters from across the political spectrum are harsh on PVV leader Geert Wilders, calling him “childish” and “a tantruming toddler.”

Over three-quarters, 76 percent, think Wilders and his PVV should first have implemented the existing asylum policy from the coalition agreement before making new demands. Almost half of PVV voters agree.

While 63 percent of voters are happy to see the back of this Cabinet, 62 percent also call it irresponsible to collapse the government now. They point to the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, rising concerns about international security, the growing housing crisis, and even the NATO summit happening in the Netherlands at the end of this month. “They are resigning during the NATO summit, isn’t that shameful?” one respondent said.

The pollsters have not yet surveyed voters on how they would vote in the new elections after the Cabinet’s fall. But the most recent poll by Maurice de Hond of Peil.nl on April 26 showed all coalition parties except the VVD losing support. The PVV dropped from 37 to 28 seats. The NSC almost completely imploded, losing 19 of its 20 seats in parliament. BBB saw its support halve, dropping from seven to three seats. The VVD gained two seats, climbing to 26.