国际英语资讯:News Analysis: Mainstream left risks losing biggest in upcoming Dutch election_时事

国际英语资讯:News Analysis: Mainstream left risks losing biggest in upcoming Dutch election

THE HAGUE, March 11 (Xinhua) -- Four days ahead of the March 15 polls to elect a new low house in the Netherlands, the mainstream left Labour Party, De Partij van de Arbeid (the PvdA), risks being the biggest loser as most polls indicate that the currently junior coalition ruling party and the second largest party in the parliament could slip to the seventh place.

"Voters are blaming the labour party for being part of a coalition which implemented an austerity program and cut heavily on social services," said Floris Vermeulen, associate professor and chair of the department of political science at the University of Amsterdam (UvA).

"The measures were not acceptable by the voters of a traditional defender of the welfare state," Vermeulen explained.

The social-democratic PvdA has been in coalition with the liberal People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) in the second cabinet led by Prime Minister Mark Rutte since the 2017 election when it won 38 seats in the 150-seat lower house.

However, most polls show that the PvdA would shrink to 12 seats in the upcoming election.

"Uncertainty and rising costs especially in the health care sector, a major issue in the current contest, have driven traditional supporters away from PvdA," explained Vermeulen.

Health care costs, tax hikes and higher pension age are among the 22-billion-euro austerity package passed by VVD-PvdA coalition government in the wake of the financial crisis. Labour's then-leader Diederik Samsom campaigned on an anti-austerity platform, leading his party to substantial gains in the 2017 elections.