Omtzigt, Yeşilgöz and Timmermans will face each other in RTL election debate

On Sunday evening, party leaders Pieter Omtzigt (New Social Contract), Dilan Yeşilgöz (VVD), and Frans Timmermans (GroenLinks-PvdA) will face each other in the RTL election debate in Amsterdam. They previously shared the stage during the College Tour debate, which was also attended by BBB leader Caroline van der Plas.

However, Van der Plas is now out of the running. RTL had previously announced that it would invite the three largest parties, based on the most recent Peilingwijzer poll, which takes the average of various polls. In the last Peilingwijzer of October 31, the VVD and the NSC were between 25 and 29 seats. GroenLinks-PvdA came in at 22 to 26 seats in this survey, followed by the PVV (15-19) and the BBB (10-14).

Several party leaders had previously taken part in election debates, but Omtzigt said he did not want to take part in them. He had previously organized a one-on-one debate with Timmermans and wants to do the same with Yeşilgöz, who has not yet been convincing. Omtzigt was not present at the NOS radio debate, in which 16 party leaders took part, as he had a lecture in Deventer.

For a long time, Omtzigt was considered untouchable in the election campaign: due to his great popularity, the parties seemed unwilling to attack Omtzigt. In the meantime, some parties are daring to take him on. Laurens Dassen from Volt fears that the Netherlands will "take twenty, thirty or forty steps backwards" if the NSC governs.

D66 leader Rob Jetten also ventured an attack in the radio debate: he fears that Omtzigt does not want to make childcare free. "Because that's exactly what started this benefits scandal. Let's make sure that childcare is a basic service for all families in the Netherlands."

Nevertheless, it doesn't look like Omtzigt has much to fear from Yeşilgöz or Timmermans. Both are as good as doomed to him if they want to form a majority coalition. Moreover, during the one-on-one interview with Omtzigt, Timmermans often emphasized how much he agrees with his opponent, despite some differences.

On Sunday morning, another election debate is on the agenda: on WNL, the number two of seven parties will debate with each other on Sunday. They are Nicolien Vroonhoven from the NSC, Sophie Hermans from the VVD, Esmah Lahlah from GroenLinks-PvdA, Fleur Agema from the PVV, Mona Keijzer from the BBB, Jan Paternotte from D66, and Eline Vedder from the CDA.