THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Dutch political leaders sought support from undecided voters in frantic campaigning Tuesday, on the eve of a general election that will change the face of the country’s politics after 13 years of leadership by Prime Minister Mark Rutte.
Pollsters were predicting a knife-edge vote with four parties across the political spectrum vying to become the largest bloc in the 150-seat lower house of parliament.
Rutte’s fourth and final coalition resigned in July after it failed to agree on measures to rein in migration. Rutte subsequently said he would not seek re-election but he remains in power as caretaker prime minister until a new coalition is formed — a process that could take months.
The vote could provide the Netherlands with its first ever female prime minister — the new leader of Rutte’s People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) is 46-year-old Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius, a former refugee who now advocates cracking down on immigration.
But also polling strongly in the final days of the campaign is veteran lawmaker Geert Wilders, who has toned down his trademark strident anti-Islam…
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