The fortunes of governing party D66 have plunged in the latest poll of polls but the popularity of Mark Rutte’s right wing Liberal VVD remains unchanged, despite six months of coalition talks.

The new poll, an amalgam of three different opinion polls, says the VVD would win 34 to 38 seats if there was a general election tomorrow, giving the party 23% to 25% of the vote. The party won 34 seats in the March general election.

D66, which emerged as one of the big winners after the March vote with 24 MPs, will now only win between 14 and 20, the poll of polls shows. That would put the party back in third place behind the far right PVV which is on 17 to 20.

Political scientist Tom Louwerse, who compiles the poll, said D66 has been losing support for some time and that this has continued, even though the party agreed to start talks on relaunching the current coalition. Backing for the party leader Sigrid Kaag has also plunged.

She recently resigned as foreign affairs minister after shouldering the blame for the chaotic evacuation of Kabul. But her decision to restart talks with current coalition rather than aim for a more left leaning cabinet, as hoped, has also cost her support.

The biggest setback, however, is for the Christian Democrats. They won 15 seats in March but would now win between five and nine. The position of ChristenUnie, the fourth coalition partner, is virtually unchanged.

The four parties involved in the coalition talks are due to focus on policy issues from this week. The cabinet has been acting in a caretaker capacity since January after resigning over the childcare benefit scandal.