Socialists are favorites in the Dutch elections

[malaise]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/sep/09/dutch-elections-measure-volatile-eurozone
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Dutch elections seen as a measure of volatile eurozone

Vote regarded as Europe's bellwether ballot with Socialist party expected to double seats and Labour vying closely with liberals

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Ian Traynor in Maastricht
guardian.co.uk, Sunday 9 September 2012 15.45 BST
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Dutch election campaign Labour party leader Diederik Samsom
Dutch Labour party leader Diederik Samsom campaigns in Utrecht. The new leader has given the party a remarkable recovery in the polls to push a close contest with PM Mark Rutte's VVD party. Photograph: Robin Utrecht/EPA

A year from retirement after decades working in a bank, Ger Coolan is contemplating the unlikeliest switch in his political conduct ever – voting for a bunch of former Maoists.

When the Dutch go to the polls on Wednesday in an early election seen across Europe as a bellwether ballot, the well-to-do, middle-class 64-year-old will embody the volatility surrounding the vote.

"You've got the Germans bossing us around. Taxes are going to go up, pensions are going to be cut. And all this because of Europe. It would be much better just to let Greece leave the euro and carry on with the strong countries," he said. "The Socialists are much better for the common people."

The Socialists, who have renounced their 1970s Maoism and have never been in government, look poised to double their seats in the election by campaigning against Europe and the austerity that has sent governments toppling across the union, including the Netherlands, a successful prosperous core EU member with low unemployment and high quality of life.