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Wednesday, 22 November 2023 INTERNATIONAL 7

Tactical Voting Takes Center Stage in Dutch

Election Amidst Shifting Poll Dynamics

AS the Dutch election approaches, tactical voting is disruptions. The election results are awaited with anticipa-
emerging as a significant factor, particularly within the left- tion, as voters weigh the strategic impact of their choices on
wing alliance of PvdA-GroenLinks, according to a panel the political landscape and international relationships.
survey of 30,000 voters conducted for the current affairs

program EenVandaag. The research reveals that 54% of
those intending to vote for Frans Timmermans’s list are doing
so for tactical reasons, while Geert Wilders’s far-right PVV
follows closely with 43% benefiting from strategic voting.

A recent opinion poll by Maurice de Hond added a layer of
complexity to the election landscape, indicating a five-seat
gain for Wilders’s PVV in the last week. According to De

Hond, both the right-wing liberal VVD and Wilders’s party
are poised to win 26 seats, with PvdA-GroenLinks and Pieter
Omtzigt’s new center-right party Nieuw Sociaal Contract
trailing closely with 23 seats.

Leaders of progressive parties have intensified calls for
voters to unite against a right-wing coalition in response to
the shifting dynamics. Frans Timmermans urged voters to

prevent waking up to a country led by Wilders, character-
izing the current situation as a “game changer.” D66 leader
Rob Jetten emphasized the risk of an extreme right cabinet
if the PVV becomes the largest party.

Research published in the Volkskrant over the weekend
highlighted Timmermans as having the most to gain from
tactical voting, with significant percentages of Volt and

D66 supporters considering a switch. The VVD, led by Dilan
Yesilgöz, showed the smallest growth potential, while both
NSC and PVV could gain votes from the farmers’ party BBB,
which has experienced declining support.

The upcoming election also carries implications for Aruba, a
part of the Dutch Kingdom. A potential far-right win by the
PVV could have significant consequences for the relationship

within the kingdom partners, with the potential for major