With the Netherlands heading to the polls on Wednesday, Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende and his Christian Democratic party (CDA) have benefited from a favorable economic climate and steady gains in voter surveys. Finance Minister Gerrit Zalm delivered a mildly expansionary budget in September, and broad public optimism has worked in the ruling coalition's favor.
The main opposition Labor Party (PvdA), under leader Wouter Bos, lost ground after shifting toward the center and drawing attacks from the left. The Socialist Party capitalized on the opening, with projections showing it could win as many as 28 seats, up from eight. A late PvdA attack on CDA health policy drew a sharp rebuke from Balkenende and a quick retreat by Bos.
The CDA's coalition partner, the right-liberal VVD, faces projected losses of up to five seats. Immigration Minister Rita Verdonk stirred controversy with a pre-election call to ban the burqa, widely viewed as a political calculation that could hurt the party.
Poll projections suggest no straightforward majority for either a center-right or center-left bloc, prompting analysts to raise the possibility of a broad coalition similar to Germany's current arrangement. A fourth Balkenende-led cabinet appears likely, though its precise composition remains uncertain.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in November 2006, in its own words.