Pieter Omtzigt’s NSC gives up four virtual seats compared to last week and now amounts to 25 seats, according to the latest poll by I&O Research. The VVD gains an additional seat and now has 27 seats.
The two parties are so close that statistically it is impossible to say who is at the top, the research agency notes. GroenLinks-PvdA gives up one seat and ends up with 23 seats.
Researcher Peter Kanne announced the latest poll on Wednesday evening during the TV program Khalid & Sophie.
Top 3
VVD, NSC and GroenLinks-PvdA have been dominating the top 3 in the polls for weeks. PVV is inching closer in this latest poll. Geert Wilders’ party now has 20 seats, 2 more than in last week’s poll. BBB remains stable at 8 seats, but I&O Research surveyed 23 seats in July.
The CDA remains stable at 4 seats. Nothing will change at the Christian Union (3 seats).
D66 surrenders a virtual seat and now has 7 seats, the SP wins one and stands at 7 seats in the latest poll. Party for the Animals, SGP and 50Plus all gain an additional seat and now have 6, 4 and 1 seats respectively. Until now, 50Plus had 0 seats.
At Volt (5), DENK (4), JA21 (1), BVNL (1) and BIJ1 (0) nothing changes compared to a week ago. Forum for Democracy gives up 1 seat, which now amounts to 4 seats.
RTL debate
The poll was released on Sunday evening immediately after the RTL debate. “The two candidates who were not there are going back a bit,” says Kanne. Omtzigt and Frans Timmermans both thanked them for the invitation. Due to the virtual win of the PVV and the loss of GL-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, it is too vague, he hesitates too much,” Kanne explains Omtzigt’s virtual seat loss. The popular MP has been deliberating for weeks about whether he wants to become prime minister. He recently indicated that he would prefer to enter the House, although Omtzigt still does not rule out the option of the Torentje.
The politician has also been criticized for not providing clarity about the financial details of his program. That adds up,” says Kanne, who sees that voters doubt Omtzigt’s leadership.