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Angus Reid Global Monitor : Polls & Research
Dutch Would Consider New Election
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Many adults in the Netherlands would be willing to head to the voting booths again if three parties cannot form the government, according to a poll by Maurice de Hond. 52 per cent of respondents think a new election should take place if talks between the Christian-Democratic Appeal (CDA), the Labour Party (PvdA) and the Christian Union (CU) break down.
Dutch voters renewed the Second Chamber in November 2006. The governing CDA of minister president Jan Peter Balkenende secured 41 of the 150 seats at stake, but there has been no final agreement to form a coalition government. With the support of the PvdA, led by Wouter Bos, and the CU, led by Andre Rouvouet, the coalition would have the support of 80 lawmakers.
One of the main sticking points for the participation of the CU in the new administration is the stance of the CDA and the PvdA on same-sex marriage, which is legal in the Netherlands. Fifteen of the conservative party's regional chairmen have urged Rouvouet to pull out of the negotiations unless this topic is discussed.
Yesterday, chief negotiator Herman Wijffels discussed the current state of affairs, saying, "The three parties share a common analysis and have the same view on what the Netherlands needs in the coming years. (...) Each party has its own emphases, but there is a broad common basis."
Polling Data
If the Christian-Democratic Appeal (CDA), the Labour Party (PvdA) and the Christian Union (CU) cannot form a government, what should happen?
New elections | 52% |
Right minority government | 14% |
CDA and PvdA only | 13% |
Left minority government | 12% |
Caretaker cabinet | 4% |
Not sure | 5% |
Source: Maurice de Hond
Methodology: Interviews with 1,200 Dutch adults, conducted on Jan. 2, 2007. No margin of error was provided.