Fortuyn's party rises in polls after murder
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The party created by the murdered right-winger Pim Fortuyn looks likely to become part of the Dutch government after a poll predicted it would be catapulted to second place in tomorrow's elections.
Dutch voters are predicted to deliver a resounding rejection of the present social democrat-dominated government, and to deliver a huge sympathy vote to Mr Fortuyn's party.
The events surrounding Mr Fortuyn's assassination last week have made the election the most unpredictable in recent memory. Without its founder, the Lijst Pim Fortuyn has no real leader, few experienced politicians and few policies. The atmosphere remains tense and the uncertainty has been compounded by the decision to abandon campaigning as a mark of respect for Mr Fortuyn.
Yesterday's poll, by the NIPO research bureau for 2Vandaag, a television programme, predicts that his party, formed less than three months ago, will be the second largest bloc in the parliament, trailing only the Christian Democrats, who lost office in 1994. That puts Lisjt Fortuyn in a position to win ministerial offices.
The survey gave the Pim Fortuyn list 18.5 per cent of the vote, up from 17 per cent on 1 May, while the Christian Democrats would take 20.5 per cent. The biggest losers are likely to be the social democrats, whose support has dropped to 16.5 per cent from 29 per cent at the 1998 elections.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments