A second opinion poll has shown a sharp drop in support for the Socialist Party in the wake of the first television debate between the four main party leaders.

The SP, which had been outperforming the right-wing VVD in most polls, lost eight seats in the latest Intomart Gfk poll for television current affairs show EenVandaag.
The poll said Emile Roemer’s party would win 30 of the 150 seats in parliament if there was a general election tomorrow, down around 25% on a week ago. The VVD, led by prime minister Mark Rutte, also dropped two seats to 33 but becomes the biggest party.
Nice
Roemer told the show his poor performance in the debate was to blame. ‘Perhaps I was too nice. Over the next few days I will have to make it much clearer what the party stands for,’ he said.
The big gainer in the EenVandaag poll was Labour, which rose four seats to 21, although this is still nine below the party’s June 2010 result. Leader Diederik Samsom was regarded as the big winner in the poll. Geert Wilders’ anti-immigration PVV rose three to 18 and six down on the previous election.
The general election takes place on September 12. Current polls indicate at least four parties will be needed to form a new coalition.

Cancellation
Meanwhile, Wilders has pulled out of a face-to-face debate on European issues with D66 leader Alexander Pechtold which should have been broadcast on Nieuwsuur on Saturday night.
A spokesman for the anti-Islam campaigner said Wilders would appear in a direct debate with Pechtold on another television show. A second debate would be ‘too much honour’ for the D66 leader, the spokesman is quoted as saying by the Telegraaf.
Pechtold, a strong supporter of the EU, said Wilders was missing the opportunity to explain his anti-European position directly to voters.
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