Nosemonkey's EUtopia

In search of a European identity

Dutch electoral confusion

The Dutch elections are confusing me. Nanne has the results and is trying to work out potential coalitions, but no one is agreed on what’s going to happen next. The New York Times reckons the country will swing to the left, the Washington Post sees a vote in favour of the pre-elections centre-right government with a marked rise for extreme parties on either side of the political spectrum, while EurActiv sees a political dead heat marked largely by a rise in votes for anti-EU and anti-immigration parties.So, anyone care to enlighten me? All the English-language Dutch political blogs I used to read seem to have died… What’s going on, and what are the implications?

Update: Ah! Here we go – Guy of Non Tibi Spiro with an informed roundup over at Fistful.

Update 2: And now former Europe Minister Denis MacShane’s in on the act, with a surprisingly sensible overview ruined by a thoughtlessly stupid attack on Proportional Representation at the end – already countered by Make My Vote Count, just as they countered MacShane’s previous attacks on PR after the German elections last year.

Update 3: And now The Economist’s on the case, arguing the results show the rise of the far right and a clash with Islam. Odd…

Update 4: Nanne’s back with more – damn good stuff. I still don’t understand what the hell’s going on, but then it doesn’t look like anyone does. Yet.

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