NSC down four seats in latest poll; PVV enters top 4

Pieter Omtzigt’s NSC lost four virtual seats compared to last week and now stands at 25 seats, according to the latest poll by I&O Research. The VVD gained an additional seat and is up to 27.

The two parties are so close that statistically, it is impossible to say who is at the top, the research agency noted. GroenLinks-PvdA gave up one seat and ended up with 23 seats. Researcher Peter Kanne announced the poll Wednesday evening during the TV program Khalid & Sophie.

VVD, NSC, and GroenLinks-PvdA have been dominating the top 3 spots in the polls for weeks. PVV is inching closer in the latest poll. Geert Wilders’ party now has 20 seats, two more than last week’s poll. BBB remained stable at 8 seats. The party still polled at 23 seats in July.

The CDA remained stable at 4 seats, and nothing changed at ChristenUnie (3 seats).

D66 surrendered a virtual seat and now has 7 seats. The SP won one and stands at 7 in the latest poll. PvdD, SGP, and 50Plus all gained a seat and now have 6, 4, and 1, respectively. So far, 50Plus had polled at 0 seats.

At Volt (5), DENK (4), JA21 (1), BVNL (1), and BIJ1 (0), nothing changed compared to a week ago. FvD gave up one seat and is down to 4.

I&O Research conducted the poll on Sunday evening immediately after the RTL debate. “The two candidates who weren’t there both dropped down a bit,” said Kanne. Omtzigt and Frans Timmermans both declined the invitation. Due to the virtual win of the PVV and loss of GroenLinks-Pvda and NSC, the researcher now speaks of a top four instead of a top three.

“It now appears that voters say: he is too unclear, too vague, he hesitates so much,” Kanne said about Omtzigt’s virtual seat loss. The popular MP has deliberated for weeks about whether he wants to be Prime Minister. He recently indicated that he would prefer to be in parliament but still did not rule out the option of the Torentje - the Prime Minister’s office. The politician has also been criticized for not clarifying the financial details of his election program. “That adds up,” said Kanne, who noted that voters are starting to doubt Omtzigt’s leadership.