One in four Dutch voters has lost faith in all political parties, survey finds

A recent RTL Nieuwspanel survey shows that 25 percent of Dutch voters have lost confidence in every political party. This distrust is especially strong among those who voted for Nieuw Sociaal Contract (NSC), with 32 percent expressing no trust, as well as voters for BBB (28 percent) and PVV (26 percent).

This widespread disillusionment contrasts sharply with supporters of other parties. Only 9 percent of GroenLinks and PvdA voters, 7 percent of Volt supporters, and 6 percent of CDA voters report losing faith in all parties.

The collapse of the short-lived coalition government—comprising the PVV, VVD, NSC, and BBB—on June 3, after less than a year, reportedly intensified voter dissatisfaction. The fall came after PVV leader Geert Wilders withdrew his ministers when the coalition failed to endorse his anti-migration ten-point plan.

The survey highlights that “The Hague’s political drama” over recent months, culminating in the cabinet’s fall, has deeply eroded public trust. This sentiment is strongest among non-voters from the 2023 parliamentary elections, with 39 percent expressing distrust in all parties.

Former voters of emerging parties like NSC and BBB now reportedly find themselves uncertain about whom to support. One ex-NSC voter said, “I honestly don’t know. I don’t even take them seriously anymore. It’s one big puppet show. They totally forget what it should be about: the people and everything happening in the world.”

Terms such as “kindergarten” and “small children” frequently appear in the survey as voters criticize politicians. A former BBB voter remarked, “The politicians today are just a bunch of little kids. They receive tons of money but don’t deserve it. They don’t deliver on why they are in Parliament.”

Despite the loss of trust, many voters have not given up on participating in elections. They say they will wait to see how the campaign unfolds. “I hope something changes in the coming months so that I can make a choice in October,” said one participant.

Even among PVV voters, who lost a quarter of their trust, criticism centers on “broken promises” and the party’s failure to fulfill its agenda while in government. One PVV supporter stated, “The egos of the party leaders have become way too big. There is no party leader left with common sense, values, and morals.”