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The Dutch People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) is plunging into deeper turmoil as party leader Dilan Yeşilgöz sees both poll numbers and personal support collapse. EenVandaag’s latest survey shows the liberals falling by 8 seats, to just 15 seats, down from 23, while an RTL Nieuws poll reveals that nearly half of VVD voters (45%) would prefer a different leader ahead of the October 29th parliamentary elections.
The Wilders-led Party for Freedom (PVV) leads with 33 seats, followed by former EU ‘climate pope’ Frans Timmermans’ GroenLinks-PvdA with 26. The Christian Democrat CDA holds steady at 22 seats, solidifying its third-place position. Confidence in Yeşilgöz has almost halved since June. Voters cite her row with Dutch singer Douwe Bob, the decisive exclusion of the PVV as a future coalition partner, and the party’s overall direction as reasons for turning away. Many see her as “too impulsive” and “weak on substance.” Former asylum state secretary Klaas Dijkhoff (with 66% support among VVD voters) and caretaker Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans (32%) are now more popular alternatives than Yeşilgöz herself, who holds only 28%.
The VVD leader’s troubles deepened when she officially closed the door on cooperation with the PVV in any future Cabinet. After consulting with party members, Yeşilgöz declared that the VVD would not work with Geert Wilders again. The PVV leader reacted furiously, accusing her of siding with the left. “Yeşilgöz is choosing Frans Timmermans’ PvdA/GL,” Wilders said, later adding on X, “She wants to destroy the Netherlands together with the left. That means many more asylum seekers and Islam. But the voter decides. So make the PVV the largest party so that no one can ignore us.”
On the other side of the spectrum, GroenLinks-PvdA leader Frans Timmermans confirmed that his party is open to working with the VVD but made clear it would not compromise its left-wing stance. Speaking in Eindhoven, he said, “The more firmly we stand for our left-wing positions, the greater the chance that parties that have moved to the right will return to the center. We want to attract parties to our right, instead of us having to make that move.”
Timmermans invoked the memory of the PvdA’s role in the Rutte II Cabinet, when his party made deep concessions to the VVD during the financial crisis. That cooperation ended with the worst election results in PvdA’s history. This time, he insisted, there would be no repeat.
For Yeşilgöz, the numbers paint an even harsher picture. Once seen as a contender for prime minister, she has fallen from second to sixth in popularity. To avoid ending up as the largest party but stuck in opposition, Wilders’ PVV must boost its own numbers further—and hope its potential coalition partners do the same—to secure a majority.
The Dutch general election in October will be an important one for the country, deciding if the country continues on the road of unlimited immigration and crime or gets back to the side of reason and reality and puts an end to this extremist liberal era.
